TEMPLE OF ELEPHANTA. 483 



The length from the chin to the crown of the head is six feet; the 

 caps are about three feet more. No part of the bust is mutilated 

 but the two hands in front, which are quite destroyed. Concealed 

 steps behind Siva's hand lead to a convenient ledge or bench be. 

 hind the cap of the bust, where a Bramin might have hidden him- 

 self for any purpose of priestly imposition. On each side of the" 

 trimurti is a pilaster, the front of which is filled up by a figure 

 fourteen feet high, leaning on a dwarf; these are much defaced. To 

 the right K a large square compartment, hollowed a little, carved 

 into a great variety of figures, the largest of which is sixteen feet 

 high, representing the double figure of Siva and Parvati, called 

 Viraj or Ardha iV'ari, half male half female, the right side of which 

 is Siva and the left his wife; it is four-handed; the two lower 

 hands, one of which appears to have rested on the Xundi, are 

 broken ; the upper right hand has a cobra-capella, and the left a 

 shield. On the right of the Viraj is Brama, four- faced, sitting on 

 a lotus; and on the left is Vishnu on the shoulders of Garuda. 

 Near Brahma are Indra and Indranee on their elephant, and be. 

 low is a female figure holding a chamara or chowree *. The upper 

 part of the compartment is filled with small figures in the attitudes 

 of adoration. 



On the other side of the trimurti is a compartment answering 

 to that I have just described. The principal figure I take to be 

 Siva ; at his left hand stands Parvati, on whose shoulder he leans ; 

 between them is a dwarf, on whose head is one of Siva's hands, 

 and near Parvati is another. Over Siva's shoulder hangs the ze- 

 naar, and he holds the cobra.capella in one of his four hands. 

 He is surrounded by the same figures which fill up the compart, 

 ment of the Veraji ; his own height (which we measured by a 

 plumb-line dropped from his head,) is fourteen feet, and that of 

 Parvati is ten. AH these figures are in alto-n li-vo, as aic those 

 of the other sides of the cavern, the most remarkable of which 

 is one of Siva in his vindictive character; he is eight, handed, with 

 a ch plot of skulls round his neck, and appears in the act of per. 

 forming the- human sacrifice. 



On the right hand, as you enter the cave, is a square apartment 



* The chamara is a w.iisk to keep nil' lliet., mudr either of a i-nu". tail or 

 peacock's feathers, or iviry shavings, scl in a handle two fort long. 'J'li. 

 always carried behind persons of rank. 



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