28 fakir's superstition. 



by the lains — owes its existence to the followers of 

 Buddha, hence the curious umbrella-shaped baldachin 

 or "chhatra" in tlie centre, made of teak wood, and 

 noM^ black with dust and dirt, which crowns the 

 *' dagoba " or shrine, once containing a relic of their 

 saint. A kind of wooden gallery, painted red and 

 yellow, still exists, and along the wall there is a row 

 of about a score of elephants, couchcmts, with figures 

 upon them in perfectly impossible positions, all cut out 

 of the solid rock ; and the ceiling, although vaulted, 

 is accommodated with deep narrow rafters about a foot 

 apart. This cave of Karlee bears traces of a very 

 early period ; it was probably excavated within one 

 or two centuries before Christ. 



There were several zealous people about, and one 

 fakir stood in a recess with one arm stretched out 

 above his head, which uncomfortable position, an old 

 woman informed me, he never relaxes. He was covered 

 with ashes from head to foot, and appeared barely 

 decent in his all but nude state. Poor misguided 

 creature, " In hope to merit heaven by making earth 

 ^ hell ! " These self-created saints and mendicants are 

 the curse of India ; they carry disaffection all over the 

 country, and keep alive amongst the ignorant class an 

 amount of superstition hardly credible. 



There are here a few other small caves of a very 



