Chap. XXVIT. WAEE— ITS TEMPLES. 467 



cotton cloths and red turbans, were washing their clothes in 

 the river, or sitting on the steps and gazing into the water, 

 while naked Brahmins employed themselves in scrubbiug the 

 coi:)per utensils of the temples. The largest and most im- 

 posing temple is that dedicated to Ganesa, or Gunputty as he 

 is called in the Deccan. It is a mass of solid masonry, whence 

 a wide flight of stone steps leads down to the Krishna. The 

 shrine itself is a plain stone buildmg, with a large vestibule 

 in front, consisting of four arched entrances on each side, and 

 three at the end. The ceiling of this porch is very curious. 

 It is formed of square flagstones fitted into each other, and 

 clamped together above, so as to make a flat sm-face exactly 

 resembling the pavement below. From the porch a square 

 doorway leads into the shrine, which is a small chamber with- 

 out ornament or decoration, with the colossal figure of Gun- 

 putty facing the entrance. The idol, with a huge elephant's 

 liead, the trunk of which it holds in one of its four hands, an 

 enormous belly, and cross legs, is hewn out of a solid block of 

 black stone. 



The temple of Gunputty is surmounted by a very remark- 

 able spire, consisting of broad concave flutings rising out of a 

 circlet of lotus-leaves, and approaching each other sligiitly as 

 they ascend, until they finally terminate in another circle of 

 lotus-leaves, out of which a fluted dome rises and crowns the 

 spi]-e. The whole efi'ect is very good, and forms the prin- 

 cipal feature in the view of Waee from the right bank of the 

 Krishna. 



A little further back there is a small temple dedicated to 

 Siva or Mahadeo, surrounded by a high wall. Within the 

 enclosm-e, and in front of the shrine, there is a canopy 

 supported on sixteen stone columns, the inner fom- being 

 under a small dome, and the rest of the roof consisting 

 of a very curious pavement-like (veiling, exactly similar to 

 that in front of Gunputty's temple. Advancing through this 



2 H 2 



