408 DESCRIPTION OF THE CAVES, ScC. ON THE 



portico by four handsome steps and a door way, on 

 each side of which are gig'autic figures. Advancing' 

 a fevv paces mto the temple, which is supported by 

 two rows of pillars, beside the walls thit rav decorated 

 with pilasters, there is an intermission of one pillar 

 on each side, leading to the right and left, to an open 

 portico (17), projecting from tlie body of the temple, 

 from the right hand one of which, the bridge aheady 

 mentioned as broken, connected the main temple 

 "with the side apartments, to which there is now no 

 visible access, but by putting a ladder for the purpose, 

 tliouiih I was told there is a hole in the mountain 

 above that leads into it, which I had not time nor 

 strength to explore. The access to the opposite is by 

 stairs from below. The recess (IS) of the Lhig (1.9) 

 of M AH DEW to which there is an ascent of five steps, 

 forms the termination of tliis line saloon, on each 

 side of the door of wliich is a profusion of sculpture. 

 The whole of the ceiliup- has been chunamed and 

 painted, great part of which is in good preservation. 



A door (20) on each side of this i-ccess of the Li?ig 

 of IvIahdew leads to an open platform C^l), having 

 on each side of the grand centre pyramid, that is 

 raised over the recess of the Ling, tv/o other re- 

 cesses ("2^), one on each side, formed also pyrami- 

 dically, but containing no image. Three other py- 

 ramidical recesses ('ii>), without images within them, 

 terminate the platform, all of them elaborately orna- 

 mented wirli numerous figures of the IJimlu mytho- 

 logy. Many of the outer as well as the inner parts 

 of this grand temple are chunam.ed and painted. 

 The people here attribute the smoky blackness of the 

 painting within, to Aurungzep>e, having caused the 

 different apartments to be filled with straw and set on 

 fae; which I can reconcile on no other ground, than 

 to efface any (;f any there were) obscenities, as there 

 are many in the sculpture. Upon the whole, this 

 temple, of which I was too much indisposed to gi\ c 

 even the inadequate account that I might, if in per- 

 fect health, has the npnearance of a iiiaii;nif}cent fa- 



bric. 



