Lieut. Alexander's Visit to the Cavern Temples ofAdjunta. 369 



The paintings in many of the caves represent highly interesting and spi- 

 rited dehneations of" hunting scenes, battles, &c. The elephants and horses 

 are particularly well drawn. On the latter two men are often seen mounted. 

 Ram and cock-fights I observed in one of the excavations. The spears are 

 peculiar, having three knobs near the head ; and there was an instrument 

 resembling a lyre with three strings. I observed something like a zodiac ; 

 but not at all resembling the celebrated one of Dendera. The pillars, in 

 most of the caves, resemble the cushion-capitaled ones of Elephanta. In 

 one I saw a pair of fluted pilasters : and fluting is supposed to have origi- 

 nated in Greece, to prevent the spears from slipping off the columns. 



The figure of the God. 



Buddha is commonly represented of gigantic size, in a sitting posture, and 

 liolding the little finger of his left hand between the forefinger and thumb 

 of his right. Sir Chas. Malet and Mr. Salt tell us " that Viswakarma, or the 

 carpenter,* says the legend, having fabricated the caves in a wondrous night 

 of six months duration (but before he had completed them the cock crew, 

 and they remained unfinished) retired to his hovel, having wounded his 

 finger." Sir Charles, however, imagines that this is merely an attitude of 

 devout meditation. The statues of Adjunta are well proportioned, but defi- 

 cient in anatomical expression : for among nations of luxurious habits the 

 figure of Apollo supersedes that of Hercules. The figures, however, are in 

 perfect unison with the other sculpture of the caves. The features are of 

 the African cast ; with curled hair and prominent lips. The chiselling of 

 tlie hair resembles strings of beads. In soms, the hair is concealed by a 

 tiara; in others by a conical crown, like that of the Burman Buddha: in 

 most a drapery, similar to that on the head of the Egyptian sphynx, adorns 

 the head. The lobes of the ears are elongated and hang upon the shoulders. 

 The vestment, in many of the figures, consists only of a shoulder band, which 

 may be the origin of the zeiiaar, or sacred string of the present race. In 

 the left foot of the largest figure is a square hole, which is not observed in 

 any of the others.t 



After making a few hasty sketches of the lower caves, and the most inte- 

 resting objects in them, I consumed some time in unavailing attempts to 

 reach some apparently well-preserved caves higher up on the hill. We 



• Rather the " architect." " He whose work is the universe." The Vulcan of the Hindus. 

 t See the accompanying plate, fig. 3. 



