5 Si Scth/s tVondcrsof Klora, 



gold and silver, mid ivory, and apes, and 

 peacocks." 



It is singnlar that a people so remote 

 from each other should dislinclly mention 

 these animals only; and a natural 

 question arises on it : For what purpose 

 could Solomon import apes and pea- 

 cocks? 



Of the Lingham, the emblem of Mahii 

 Deo, which so frerjncntly occurs at 

 Klora, the circular part is the Yoiii, or 

 female nature; while the Lins, tlie np- 

 ripiht stone in the crntie, is male nature. 

 The convexity in the conlre is some- 

 times termod the navel of Vislniu : the 

 space round it, filled with water, is em- 

 blematical of Vishnu, as the god of 

 water ; while the Linij is a type of Siva, 

 as regenerator. The Imll Nundi is 

 couchant directly opposite to the spont 

 or orifice of the Yoni. Sometimes the 

 tortoise is sculptured on the lloor near 

 it. The room in wliich it is placed is 

 generally dark and gloomy ; and oil 

 lights are hurncd, to dimly illuniine the 

 mystery and worship there celehrateil. 

 The ancient hcalhciis worshipped two 

 primordial princij»les, liglit and chaos, 

 from whose union tlicy believed all 

 nature (o have sprung. The Ling is 

 symbolical, probably, of the marriage of 

 tho.sc princifilos. It is to be fouiid in 

 almost every Hindoo temple. 



Koorma, or the Tortoise, was llie 

 second Avatar of Vishnu. In this sha[)e 

 lie bore the world upon his back, and 

 lifted it out of the w;ilcrs of the deluge. 

 There is but one weil-linished sculpture 

 of the tortoise at Elora. Like the Sphinx 

 at Keylas, it stands by itself, and not 

 near a Ling, as often seen in Hindoo 

 pagodas. 



Gancsa, so familiar to all Hindoo vo- 

 taries, docs not appear so frequently in 

 these tem|)les as we would be led to 

 suj)pose, considering how generally he is 

 worslii|p|)e<l in the western parts of India. 



In Bengal, images of Gancsa are kept 

 for worship, but rarely are temples 

 erected to his honour. There is a festi- 

 vmI in reverence of Giinesa on tiic fourth 

 of the new moon in Bh idru, and another 

 in the full moon in the month of Maghn. 

 M. Sonueraf. in bis first voltnne, makes 

 mention of G.mesa ; but in this brief 

 analysis a few particulars of the prin- 

 «;ipalgods will suffice. As the tutelary 

 «leitics of so many millions of people, 

 and as the objects to whom llie temples 

 of Elora, the most singnl;ir and slupen- 

 •lous wuiks the I'.aiid of man ever ac- 

 coniplishcd, an? dcdicati-d, it is abso- 

 lutely necessary to say a few words on 



these important personages, liowever 

 <!isinclinetl I niiiy be to tiio wcarisouiB' 

 task ; and alter the learned essay of Sir 

 W. Jones on the gods of Greece, Italy, 

 and India, Major Moor's "Hindoo Pan- 

 theon," and Mr. Faber's great work on 

 the origin of Pagan i<lolatry, it vvcre lik';- 

 wise a bootless one for mc to olfcr any 

 thing more than a few succinct notiiOs 

 of objects that have constantly been 

 presenting themselves before our C3CS 

 throuirhout the late pages. 



Maha Deo and his consort Parvati. 

 Siva is njore generally su>rsliippc<i than 

 any other of the numerous deities on i\w 

 western side of India. He has been 

 likened to C)s!ris, to Saturn, and, in his 

 character of Kndra, to .love. Like 

 Saturn, he delights in human sacrifices; 

 and, as Malia Cala, he is Time. As 

 with Osiris, the ox (Apis) is sacred to 

 him. He has usually a collar or chaplet 

 of skulls (Mund Mala), to denote his 

 sanguinary character. At Elora he is 

 generally represented with four hands: 

 in Elephanta temple he has eight hands. 

 From his bead the G:inga (Ganges) 

 descends: on his forehead is represented 

 the moon. Sometimes he has three 

 eyes, denoting, as some suppose, the 

 past, present, and In I inc. Serpents are 

 seen issuing from the locks of his hair — 

 hence his name DiiorrGliali, or, with 

 twisted lycks: but in his general com- 

 pound name of Cal-Agni Rudra — Time, 

 Fire, and Fate — he is more usually 

 known. His colour is a dirty while; 

 and his votuiics, the Sunayasscs, bedanlt 

 themselves with the dust of cinders. 

 The sectaries of this deity are natncd 

 Saivas. 



Parvati, or Lhavani, or Maha Cali 

 (the great goddess of time) like her lord, 

 has skulls and snakes as her syndtols. 

 As Doorga, or active virtue, or difiicnlt 

 of access, she is held in high veneration ; 

 and to this day, in Bengal, gi<at re- 

 joicings take place at the Doorga Pnj.i. 

 Human sacrifices were formerly olfered 

 ■to this Hecate, or Proserpine. Bcngtd 

 was the great seat of her siipcrstitii.ns. 

 In the Cntica Purana, one of her prai ers, 

 it is eiijoiiied, — " Let princes, ministers 

 of slate, counsellors, and vendors of spi- 

 rituous liquors, make human sacrifices, 

 for the purpose of attaining prosperity 

 and wealth." "Let the victim ofTered to 

 Devi (Parvati), if a bnfl'alo, be fivi' years 

 old; and if hinnan, twenty-five." — Hid. 



The immolalioii of a hnmnn female is 



strictly forbidden. I have seen most 



horrible-looking caslsof Parvati as Maha 



Cali, with the moulh distorted, and pro- 



iicnling 



