ELL 



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ELL 



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ELLTSIA, a genus of plants of the class Pentandria, 

 and order Monogynia. See B..TANY, p. 145. 



ELLORA, a town of Hindostan, distant about 18 

 miles from the city of Aurungabad, and six from the 

 fortress of Doulutabad. 



The town itself, of no great extent, is situated in a 

 valley, and is chiefly celebrated for its vicinity to works 

 of Hindoo superstition, scattered profusely over the 

 sides of mountains, about a mile to the eastward. 



It has not been ascertained to what period these ex- 

 traordinary efforts of human labour and zeal may be 

 accurately referred, certainly to a date antecedent to 

 the Mahometan conquests in the Deccan, where the do- 

 minion of the Hindoo dynasty of princes was para- 

 mount, commanding the wealth, resources, and indus- 

 try, of that populous region of Asia. 



In no quarter of the globe has superstition struck 

 its roots deeper, and taken more complete possession 

 of the human mind, than in Asia; scaling the loftiest 

 and most inaccessible mountains, to fix its shrines on 

 their summits, consecrating the gloom of caverns, and 

 impressing its symbols on almost every remarkable tree 

 and stone. 



Though the religion of Brahma rejects proselytism, 

 it is well calculated to flatter the passions of the human 

 heart ; to allure by the magi.ificence of its temples, its 

 dazzling processions and ceremonies, to seduce by the 

 mysterious sublimity of its doctrines, to excite wonder 

 by its numberless penances and mortifications, and to 

 command the blind submission and admiration of the 

 multitude by the sacred character of its priests. 



These effects are now but partially produced, as the 

 streams of wealth which fed the Indian pagodas, have 

 been diverted into other channels, and (.wallowed up 

 by the rapacity of conquerors. And though their dark 

 idolatry is still respected, yet we do not scruple to af- 

 firm, that the bulwarks of that once inaccessible su- 

 perstition are gradually undermining, and the chai.ic- 

 ter of the Brahmin himself becoming impaired in the 

 eyes of the Hindoo ; the recondite stores of the San- 

 scrit language being unfolded, and the veil of mystery 

 which surrounded hi* mythology, being removed by Bri- 

 tish intelligence ;md inquiry. Some of the most celebra- 

 ted pagodas having fallen under the controul of the East 

 India Company, many of the most sensible Hindoos 

 begin to sut-pect that they arc paying homage to the 

 Mammon of the Company, under an incarnation of 

 I'ixliniHi or \ 



The caves of Mllora must at all times have powerfully 

 contributed to uphold the superstition of the Hindoo, 

 and are not more remarkable for their wonderful con- 

 struction, than for the durability of materials which 

 have so long resisted the ravages of time, and the per- 

 .secuting zeal of the Mahometan. The writer of the 

 present article has surveyed these excavations by torch 

 light, and he can declare that the gigantic forms which 

 frown 'on the living rock, must inspire amazement in 

 minds not tinctured with superstition. A minute de- 

 -cription of them, however, at a remote period of time, 

 from his own observation, cannot be attempted. But 

 information on the subject is not defective. Intelligent 

 travellers have attentively examined them, and com- 

 municated their remarks to the public. 



'I lie reader is referred to the article CI\IL ARC-HI- 

 RE in this work, for a particular description, and 

 for I-'iguri's illustrative of some of the most remarkable 

 excavations, taken from Sir C. W. Malet's account, 

 ^11 Ue Cth volume of the Asiatic Researches. 



Sir Charles, when on the spot, endeavoured to as- 

 certain the date of these works, but without success. 



We have two authorities stated by him regarding 

 their antiquity and origin, which we shall quote, more 

 for the amusement than the satisfactory information oi 

 our readers. 



A Mahometan, named Meer Ala Khan, an inhabi- 

 tant of Ahmedmigger, mentions that a person of ac- 

 knowledged erudition told him, " That the town of El- 

 lora was built by Rajah Eel, who also excavated the 

 temples, and being pleased with them, formed the for- 

 tress of Deoghur, (Doulutabad), which is a curiou< 

 compound of excavation, .scarping, and building, by 

 which the mountains were converted into a fort, re- 

 sembling, as some say, the insulated temple in the 

 area of Indur Sub'oa. Eel Rajah was cotemporary 

 with Shall Momin Arif, who lived 900 years ago." 



On the other hand, a Brahmin, an inhabitant of Ro- 

 sa, quotes a lx>ok entitled Seiva Lye Mahal, or the 

 grandeur of t!ie mansion of Sewa, i. e Mahdew, and 

 relates, " That the excavations of Ellora are 7894 

 years old, formed by" Elloo Rajah, the son of Pesh- 

 punt of Elichpoor, when 3000 years of the Dwarpa 

 Yoag were unaccomplished, which added to 48y4 of 

 the pre-ent Kal Voug, makes 7&04- Eelloo Rajaii's 

 body was afllicted with maggots, and in quest of cure 

 he came to the iumous purifying water named Sewa 

 Lve, or, as it is commonly called, Sewalla, that had 

 been curtailed by Vishnu, (at the instigation of Yem- 

 durhum, or Jum, the destroying agent), from sixty 

 bows length (each four cuvits square) to the size of a 

 cow's hoof. In this water Eelloo dipped a cloth, and 

 cleansed with it his face and hands, which cleared 

 him of the maggots. He then built Koond, (or cis- 

 tern,) and bathing therein, his whole body was puri- 

 fied ; so that looking on the place as holy, he first con- 

 structed the temple called Keylmas, &c. to the place 

 of Bifkurma." 



These two authorities are not more remarkable for 

 the coincidence in the alleged projector Rajah Eel, or 

 Eelloo, than for their violent discrepancy of date. 



Sir Charles, however, discovered, that the excavations 

 are not all of equal antiquity, having traced the more 

 northerly ones to be the works of the Sewras or Jutteis, 

 who are esteemed schismatics by the Brahmans, and a 

 sect of comparatively modern origin; but this discovery 

 d(ic> not ascertain or affect the date or origin of the 

 other excavations, which is lost in f .Me. Xo person, 

 in our opinion, who has surveyed these stupendous 

 works, can imagine them the result of individual zeal. 

 The execution of any of them must be considered a pro- 

 digious effort oi' enthusiasm in one person, but when we 

 hem collectively, and view the .sides of mountains 

 shaped by the chissel into temples, caverns, and 

 of unparalleled size, all loaded witli mythological em- 

 bellishment of the most elaborate workmanship, we can 

 only ascribe them to the zeal of ages, nourished by tiie 

 we.-i th and munificence of succeeding princes. 



The Koond, or cistern, is extant just without the 

 town of Ellora. The holiness of its water still renders 

 it a place of resort. A J'eerut, or pilgrimage, is per- 

 formed to it, under the appellation of Sewalla Teerut, 

 or Koond. 



Tlu- mythological symbols are considered by Sir C. 

 Malet to be purely Hindoo, without any admixture of 

 Egyptian or Ethiopian origin. 



But if Sir William Jones's opinion be well grounded, 

 in which we entirely concur, mat a connection nubsist- 



EUors. 



