190 ON THE CAVE TEMPLES OF INDIA, 



bourda, a mile from Poona, and had a very narrow chance of not 

 discovering it. I was close to the spot, surrounded by natives, 

 but they could not understand what I wanted. At last a young 

 lad guessed it, and in a few minutes, after crossing some rocky 

 ground, he led me to the entrance of the cave, which is below 

 the surface of the earth, and might easily be passed by as a small 

 gravel pit. It has not long been discovered, and never described 

 until this account was written. It differs entirely from any other 

 cave I have seen, and I should think is of much less antiquity 

 than the other ones. In an open space in front is a large dome, 

 supported by twelve square pillars, without any carvings, having 

 in the middle four pillars, covered by a square top. The 

 entrance to the temple is between two large lions couchant, of 

 granite, which are the only evidences of sculpture of any sort 

 contained in it. The roof is quite flat and low, supported by 

 five rows of eight plain square pillars in each. At the end an 

 opening leads into two separate rooms, in the middle of which 

 are stone Dagobas. I saw no well nor cistern here, but on the 

 right at the entrance is a deep square hole, which seems to have 

 contained water. 



My guide said that this cave extended several miles under- 

 ground by a subterraneous passage, having another entrance on 

 a hill three miles off and directly opposite, whch he pointed out ; 

 that it had been blocked up and reduced to its present size to 

 keep out tigers and other wild beasts, to which it afforded a safe 

 retreat. I found at the extreme end a modern wall, plastered 

 over, that seemed to bear out what he said, and had- it not been 

 late, would have gone across to the opposite hill to verify the 

 fact: Few people at Poona had seen this cave or were aware of 

 its existence. 



My desire for exploring cave temples having become known 

 in camp, Captain Jacob, well informed on Indian antiquities, told 

 me before I started from Poona, that if at Kurkala, five miles 

 beyond Worgaum, I took the road to the left, I should reach the 

 caves of Birsa, five miles off, but in the direction of the fort of 

 Lohagurh, which I intended to visit on my return. All the 

 villagers assembled around me at Kurkala assured me that it was 

 on the right hand side, instead of the left as I had been told, 



