IN THE ISLAND OF ELE^HANTA. 4^ 



jectures respecting the Elepbanta Cave. Those who 

 attempt to deduce its origin from the Egyptians, from 

 the JezvSy or from Alexander the Greats appear to 

 me, with due deference, to give themselves much un* 

 necessary trouble; which I shall further endeavour 

 to shew as briefly as the subject will admit of, 

 though at the same time it must be observed, that re- 

 sembling features are not wanting in the case of the 

 Egyptians and of the Jews y to lead towards such de- 

 ductions; but these resemblances strike me as tending 

 to the elucidation of a more interesting hypothesis, 

 viz. That the systems of those people were copies of 

 an original, found in this part of the world. 



The striking resemblance in several particulars of 

 the figures in the cave to the present Hindu, race, 

 would induce those who from history, as well as from 

 reservation, have reason to believe they have preserved 

 the same customs from times immemorial, to imagine 

 the ancestors of these people its fabricators ; but those 

 w ho are in a small degree acquainted with their mytho- 

 logy ', will be persuaded of it ; nor is a much greater 

 extent of knowledge requisite to enable us to disco- 

 ver it to be a temple dedicated principally to Siva, 

 the destroyer or chancer. 



The bust is doubtless a personification of the three 

 grand Hindu attributes of that Being for whom the an- 

 cient Hindus entertained the most profound venera- 

 tion, tndofwbm they had the most sublime concep- 

 tions. The middle head represents Brahma, or the 

 creative attribute; that on the left, Vishnu, or the 



preserving; 



