166 Alexander E. Caddy — AsoJca Inscriptions in India. [N'ov. 



Ramblia iiicludiug the boat journey being 83 miles. A considerable 

 time was taken up in the preparing of plaster. This gave me some 

 leisure to examine the caves and to select my sites for photographing 

 them. 



45. Khandagiri and Udaigiri are the two hills formed of the sand- 

 stone outcrop in Orissa, some 19 miles south of Cuttack and 14 miles 

 east of Kliurda. 



4G. The perpendicular bluffs have been cut into for all the caves, 

 Natural caverns, where the sandstone forms the arched roof of a cave, 

 are frequent. The Hathigumpha is the largest of them. The upper story 

 of the Bani Naur Palace cave is a similar arch, for the support of which 

 the pillars placed there recently are quite unnecessary. The sandstone 

 bluffs are in three distinct levels of elevation. 



47. Lowest level. — In the lowest level arc the caves facing south, 

 and seen enface from the bungalow — the AlaJcapura-jayavijaya and 

 Sioargapura (in the second story). An effaced Pali inscription near the 

 elephant frieze ("the largest elephant sculpture in these hills) witnesses 

 to its ao-e, while the huge male elephants approaching the arch on either 

 side (they are four-tusked and are tended by female elephants) show 

 the importance of this cave. 



The lower story of the 'Rani Naur Palace cave is on the west of this 

 bluff, and to the east, a row of small caves with a stair leads up to the 

 second bluff. 



Second level. — In this to the west is the upper story of the Queen's 

 palace ; on the east there is the Vailcuntha group. The roof of this 

 o-roup and of the Rani Naur form the upper terrace of this bluff. 



Third level. — North-east of the Queen's palace cave, in the thii'd 

 bluff, we have the Ganesa cave, so called from a figure of Ganesa carved 

 in its inner chamber, near which there is a Sanskrit inscription. The 

 south-west face of the bluff has in its basement the Hathigumpha, above 

 wliich several caves lead up to the platform forming the flat top of 

 Udaio-iri hill. The south-east corner of the bluff is broken into a 

 number of detached rocks which are severally excavated into the Snake, 

 the Tio-er, and other caves which mendicant Buddhists have occupied. 



48. Aira Raja occupied the caves of the Vaihuntha group. In- 

 scriptions, fragmentary unfortunately, describe him as a disciple of 

 Kadipa, a worshipper of the sun, a mighty Raja (of Kalinga) whose 

 elephant is as a thundercloud. In illustration whereof there is the 

 adoration of the Sun and Triratna by a series of academical figures, 

 which may relate to Kadipa's college of disciples, — heavenly musicians 

 iill the air, while a grandly-proportioned elephant closes the procession. 

 This neglected piece of sculpture is very nearly obliterated. The half 



