184 ON THE CAVE TEMPLES OF INDIA, 



figures have on their heads a kind of helmet ; others wear crowns, 

 with rich devices ; and others again are without any other cover- 

 ing than curled a.nd flowing hair. Some of them have four, and 

 others six hands, holding sceptres, shields, symbols of justice, 

 ensigns of religion, weapons of war, and trophies of peace. On 

 the South side, facing the entrance, is an enormous bust with 

 three faces, representing the triple deity, the Hindoo Trimurti or 

 Trinity of " Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva." Brahma, the creator, 

 occupies the centre position. This face measures five feet in length, 

 the width from the ear to the middle of the nose is three feet, the 

 width of the whole figure is near twenty feet. On the right is 

 the preserver, Vishnu, holding a Lotus ; and Siva, the destroyer, 

 is on the left, having in his hand a cobra capella, or hooded snake, 

 and on his cap a human skull. To the left of this bust, amid a 

 group of uncouth figures, is one, a female form, to which the 

 name of Amazon has been given, from the fact of its being 

 without the right breast. This figure has four arms. The right 

 fore-arm rests upon the head of a bull ; the left fore-arm hangs 

 down, and once contained something which is now mutilated and 

 undistinguishable. The hand of the right arm grasps a cobra 

 capella, and that of the hinder left arm holds a shield. 



At the east end is a passage, about eighteen feet long, termi- 

 nating in an open space that admits the light through a sort of 

 shaft-hole in the rock, and containing a delicious spring of the 

 finest water to be found in this part of India. As Bombay has 

 long been proverbial for the badness of its water, the table of the 

 Governor is supplied from this spring, and many who are about 

 to sail from the country lay in a few dozens of it 'for the voyage, 

 as it keeps well. The approach to this place is guarded by four 

 figures, fourteen feet high, beautifully executed, and more perfect 

 than any to be found in this temple. 



At the west end, and almost opposite the passage that leads 

 to the well, is a room or recess of about twenty feet square, 

 having in the centre of it an altar, upon which are placed symbols 

 of a worship " offensive to European notions of delicacy." The 

 entrance to this recess is also guarded by eight naked figures? 

 each fourteen feet high, sculptured in a manner which shows that 

 the people by whom they were executed must have made consider- 



