64* Rock Drawings in the Banda District 



By C. A. SiLBERRAD, LC.S. 



During a four-years' residence in tlie Banda district of the 

 United Provinces, 1 Lave taken the opportunity oF vIsitiMer four 

 places where there are '* drawings " in red ochre on bare surfaces of 

 the Vindhyan sandstone tliat forms the hills in the south and 

 south-east of the district. In three cases the ** paintings" are 



situated on more or less vertical portions of rock forming part 

 of the clifB, locally known as the **ari " at the top of the scarp. 

 In the fourth case (Karpatia) the drawings are on an exposure 

 of rock well above and beyond the edge of the scarp. In two 

 cases (Malwa and Sarhat) the drawings are at the top of the 

 lowest scarp, in one (Kuria Kund) near the top of the second 

 scarp, while the fourth (Karpatia), as already noted, is above the 

 second scarp, 



I proceed to give a hrlef account of each occurrence : 



(1) Sdjhat. — The drawings are situated on the top of the scarp 

 about 11 miles N.-W. of the Manikpur Railway Station on the 

 AUahabad-Jubbulpore branch of the E.I. Railway. Fig. I is a 

 tracing of the best group of drawings This group consists ''of 

 three horses caparisoned and led by men apparently armed with 

 some sort of weapon, which looks more like a wooden bludgeon 

 than anything else. About this gronp. but less well preserved, are 

 an elephant and a man shooting a Sarabhar stag with bow arid 



ow, At a short distance S.-E. of this set of drawings is a 

 much more indistinct g onp, amongst which there appears to be 

 a man on horseback and a f**w other figui^es. 



(2) Malwa, — Three-fourth mile S.-I^l. of the village of Gu^h- 



rampur, some 16 miles sonth of the Badausa Railway Station on 

 the G.I P. Railway, and close to the border of thf* State of Pathar- 

 Kachar The *' ari " here is not precipitous, and the drawings are 

 just below the top. Fig. II is a tiacing of the best drawings. 

 There are some other diawlngs — consisting of two men and two or 

 thiee animals, but not clear enough to tell what may be meant. 

 The drawing traced appears to be that of some man of position 

 riding in a wheel-less t-ullock cart, with an attendant hold mg an 

 umbrella over his hea<l and escorted by two bowmen. 



(3) Kuria- KitnL — -I" Manza Kathanta-Mamaniyan, about three 

 miles S.-B. of the inhabited site and 12 miles S.-E. of Manikpur 

 Railway Station. The drawings are situatrd on the " ari** of the 

 second scarp near the head of the valley that runs N.-E. to join 

 the valley running N.-W. past Kathauta-Mam;iniyan towards 

 Ranipur Kalyangarh. The drawings consist ot several archers on 

 horseback pursuing what are probably meant to represent Sambhar 



