186 ON THE CAVE TEMPLES OF INDIA, 



The Kanari Caves are excavated on the west and north faces 

 of a round hill connected with the principal ranges, in the midst of 

 wild and most picturesque scenery. They consist of one large 

 Chaitya cave, and numerous small Yiharas, all temples of Buddha. 

 The largest is very like the temple of Karli in form, but smaller 

 and not so highly finished. The portico in front contains two 

 gigantic figures of a male and female, 25 feet high, and the walls 

 are covered with smaller statues and inscriptions, similar to those 

 of Karli. There have been ribs of teak to support the arched roof, 

 of which few now remain. On each side of the nave is a row of 

 fifteen octagonal pillars, each being surmounted by a group of two 

 elephants carrying a male and a female, in rather a dilapidated 

 state. At the end of the temple is a large stone Dagoba, or altar, 

 which appears once to have been crowned with the teak-made 

 umbrella that is now missing. The umbrella is peculiar to all 

 the temples of Buddhist worship, and supposed to cover relics of 

 Buddha. This cave is 90 feet long by 40 in breadth, and about 

 the same height. Clusters of large bats are seen hanging from 

 the roof, which is covered with them. I shot one for the purpose 

 of examining it, and found it to be similar to the species called 

 flying foxes. 



The smaller caves are situated in the hill behind the large 

 one, forming six stories, one above the other, giving the hill 

 almost the appearance of a honeycomb. At the entrance of each 

 cave is a deep stone cistern, containing beautiful clear water, and 

 on each side of the walls is a carving of a sort of hieroglyphic 

 figure, an inch deep, and about two feet long. 



Descending southwards from this elevation are several deep 

 pits, built up with burnt bricks, probably the burial-places of 

 those who inhabited the caves. 



Dr. Bird, in speaking of Kanari, says : " The large excavation 

 is further distinguished by having in front of it, on a ledge of the 

 mountain, several small mounds, or burying-places of the ' raliats? 

 or saints, who were tenants of the caves. One of them I opened 

 in 1839, and found two copper urns containing human ashes. 

 In one of the urns was a small gold box, containing fragments of 

 white cotton rag, with a pearl, a ruby, and some small pieces of 

 gold ; in the other was a silver box with ashes." 



