578 



CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 



1 iiJ of the are* by a bridge (7)> which has given 

 """' vjjr, us of it uw fill up the sides of the area. 



It u sai 1 to be upward* of 100 years lince it fell. 



Pasting the projection of the main body of the temple, 

 it Iruens for a few pace*, then a^ain projects (8), and 

 after a very small space on a line of the body of the tem- 

 ple, the length of this wonderful structure, if what is fa- 

 bricated downwards out of a solid mass can be to called, 

 terminates in a smaller degree of projection than the for- 

 mer. The whole length is supported, in the manner 

 above mentioned, by figures of elephants, lions, &c. pro- 

 tecting from the base*, to give, it should seem, the whole 

 Vjjt mass the appearance of moveability by those mighty 

 -mmal*. The hindmost or eastern extremity of the 

 temple, is composed of three distinct temples, elaborate- 

 ly adorned with sculpture, and supported, like the sides, 

 by elephant*, &c. many of which are mutilated. The 

 ieft hand side (I mean from the entrance) differs so little 

 from the right, that it is unnecessary to be particular in 

 mentioning any thin?, except that opposite the descrip- 

 tion of the battle of Ram and Rouon, is that of Keyso 

 Pando, in which the warriors consist of footmen, and o- 

 (hers mounted on elephants, and cars drawn by horses, 

 though none were mounted on horses. The principal 

 weapon seems the bow, though maces and straight swords 

 are discoverable. 



Centre above. The gateway consists of three centre- 

 rooms (9), and one on each side (9). From the centre 

 rooms, crossing the bridge ( 10), you ascend by seven steps 

 (11) into a square room (12), in which is the Bull Nun- 

 tlee. This room has two doors and two windows. Oppo- 

 site the windows are the obelisks (6) before mentioned. 



From the station of Nundee you cross over the second 

 bridge (13), and ascend by three steps (14) into a hand- 

 tome open portico (15), supported by two pillars (above 

 rach of which, on the outside, is the figure of a lion, that, 

 though mutilated, has the remains of great beauty ; and 



- inside, two figures resembling sphynxes) towards 

 tlie bridge, and two pilasters that join it to the body of 

 the temple, the grand apartments of which ( 16) you en- 

 ter from the portico by four handsome steps and a door- 

 way, on each tide of which arc gigantic figures. Ad- 

 . g a few paces into the temple, which is supported 

 by two rows of pillars, besides the walls that are deco- 

 i tr 1 with pilasters, there is an intermission of one pillar 

 '.:, leading to the right and left to an < pen 

 bur.ico (17), projecting from tiic body of the temple; 

 from the right hand oi.c of which, the bridge already 

 ont-d a* broken connected the main temple with 

 tin tide apartments, to which there is now no visible ac- 



but by putting a ladder fur the purpose; though 

 I was told there is a hole in the mountain above that 

 leads to it, which I had not time nor strength to explore. 



icceis to the opposite is by stairs from below. The 



(18) of the Ling (19) of Mahdew, to which there 

 is an ascent of five steps, forma the termination of this 

 fine srloon, on each side of the door of which is a 

 profusion of sculpture. The whole of the ceiling has 

 been chunamed and painted, great pan of which is in 

 good preservation. 



A door (20) on each tide of this recess of the Ling 

 ' -.lidew leads to an open platform (21), having on 



tide of the grand centre pyramid that is raised over 

 i-cejs of thv L'njf, two other recesses (22), on on 

 each side, formed also pyramidically, but containing no 

 image. Three other pyramidical recesses (-). having no 

 images within tLtm, terminate the platform, ail of ihem 

 elaborately ornamented with numerous figures of: he Hindu 

 mythology. Many of the outer as well ai the inner 



parts of this grand temple are chunamed and painted. Practice. 

 Tlie people here attribute the smoky blackness of t!ie ~, - 

 painting within, to Auirn^/ebe, having caused the dif- 

 lerent apartments to be tilled with straw and set on fire, 

 which can be reconciled on no other ground than that he 

 meant to efface obscenities, as there are many in the *culp- 

 tures. Upon the whole, this temple has the appearance 

 of a magnificent fabric, the pyramidal parts of which 

 seem to be exactly in the same btyle as that of the mo- 

 dern Hindu temples. 



Right-hand tide of the area. This side of the rock 

 has a continuance of excavations, as marked in the Plan; 

 but all those below, except the verauda, which I shall 

 quit for the present, are of little note ; and those above, 

 of three stories, called Lunka ('^V), which appear much 

 more worthy of attention, are inaccessible, but by a lad- 

 der from the fall of the bridge. We shall therefore pro- 

 ceed to the 



Left-hand side, of the area. In this side there are ex- 

 cavations of some consideration below, from which you 

 ascend to an upper story, called Par Lunka, by an in- 

 different staircase, into a fine temple (25) ; at the ex- 

 tremity of which is a recess, containing the Ling of Mali- 

 dew ; and opposite thereto, near the entrance from the 

 staircase, is the Bull Nundee, with two large fine figures, 

 resting on maces on each side of the recess, in which he 

 tits. The ceiling of this temple is I think lower than any 

 of the foregoing. The whole of this temple is in tine pre- 

 servation, strongly supported by very masay pillars, and 

 richly ornamented with mythological figures, the sculp- 

 ture of which is very fine. The ceiling, like the others, 

 has the remains of painting visible, through the dusky 

 appearance of smoke, with which k is obscured. De- 

 scending from Par Lunka, you pass through a consider- 

 able insculptured excavation (26) to a veranda (27), 

 which seems allotted to the personages of the Hindu my- 

 thology, (a kind of pantheon,) in open compartments. 

 These figures commence on the left hand with, 1. The 

 Ling of Mahdew, surrounded by nine heads, and sup- 

 ported by Rouon. 2. Goura, Parwuttee, and beneath 

 Rouon, writing. 3. Mahdew, Parwuttee, and beneath 

 Nundee. 4. Ditto, ditto. 5. Vishnu. 6. Goura, Par- 

 wuttee. 7. A Bukta (votary) of Vishnu, with his legs 

 chained. 8. Goura, Parwuttee. 9. Ditto. These re- 

 presentations of Goura and Parwuttee all differ from 

 each other. 10. Ditto. 11. Vishnu and Luchmcc. 12. 

 Bal Budder, issuing from the Pind, or Ling of Mahdew. 

 Here ends the left hand side, and commences the east 

 extremity, or end of the area (28), in which the figures 

 are continued, viz. 13. Goura and Parwuttee. 14-. Beh. 

 roo, with Govin Raj transfixed on his spear. 15. Dy- 

 taseer on a chariot, drawing a bow. 16. Goura and 

 Parwuttee. 17. Kal Behroo. 18. Nursing Omar, is- 

 suing from the pillar. 19. Kal Behroo. 20. Bdl Bch- 

 roo. 21. Vishnoo. 22. Govin. 23. Brimha. 24. 

 Luchmedass. 25. Mahmund. 26. Nunain. 27. Beh- 

 roo. 28. Govin. 29. Bal Behroo. 30. Govin Raj and 

 Luchmee. 31. Kissundass. Here ends the veranda of 

 the eastern extremity ; and we now proceed with that on 

 the right-hand (20), having in our description of that 

 side stopped at the commencement of this extraordinary 

 veranda, for the purpose of preserving the enumeration 

 of the figures uninterrupted, viz. 32. Mahdew. 33. It- 

 tuldass. 34. Dhurm Raj embracing Uggar Kaum. 35. 

 Nursing destroying Hum Kushb. 36. Vishnu sleeping 

 on Seys Nug, tlie Kummul (Lotus) issuing from his 

 navel, and Brin.ha sitting on the flower. 37. Gover- 

 dhun. 38. Mahdew Buliee, with six hands. 39. Krish- 

 na sitting on Gunoor. 4-0. Bharra Outar. 41. Krishna 



