1879.] J. H. Bivett-Carnac — The Snake Symbol in India. 23 



tions and walls of old churches in the north of Europe. To the right of 

 the spot where the Mahadeo is placed, three stone slabs or panels, appa- 

 rently of great age, have been let into the wall. On one of these, two 

 cobras standing on their tails (see Plate YI, fig. 7) have been roughly 

 carved. On the next are two cobras intertwined in the attitude men- 

 tioned by Mr. Fergusson in the Appendix to his work on " Tree and Serpent 

 worship." The cobras are somewhat battered, but the spectacle marks on 

 one is still traceable (see Plate VI, fig. 4). The third slab contains a 

 head also much battered and weather-worn, which has been at one time 

 surmounted by an ornament of some kind, possibly a cobra, but the form 

 of which is no longer distinguishable. The heads of the twin cobras and 

 of the human figure are all freely daubed with red paint, shewing their 

 sacredness in the eyes of the Hindu visitors. The slabs appear to be very 

 old and to have been collected from the ruins of some old temple. 



To the left and some steps lower down, is a niche or shrine containing 

 an ordinary Mahadeo and yoni with cobra twined round it as shewn in the 

 sketch (Plate VI, fig. 8). 



Behind on a tablet or panel, let into the wall, is the head of a cobra, 

 roughly carved, and of the same character and style as the cobras above 

 noticed. On a smaller panel to the right, two snakes are again repre- 

 sented intertwined, but shewing one twist less than in the pair previously 

 noticed. Below the panel are the rough marks as shewn in the sketch 

 (Plate VI, fig. 2) which may be either the remains of a rough inscription or 

 perhaps of chisel or mason's marks. In two other places also was the twin 

 snake symbol found. In the one case, the snakes are intertwined with ap- 

 parently an egg between the two heads (Plate VI, fig. 3). In the other, the 

 snakes are not intertwined and the egg appears to have been broken (Plate 

 VI, fig. 7). These tablets or slabs appear to be of great antiquity. There 

 seemed to be little doubt here, that the snakes were worshipped at the 

 " Nag Kuan" as representing Mahadeo, and the act of congress, in which 

 the snakes are represented as engaged, suggests the connection of these 

 symbols with Siva worship. 



Whilst on the subject of the snake well or tank, I would notice that 

 snake wells are frequently found attached to temples of Mahadeo. I 

 saw such a well recently in Kumaon close to the temple of Mahadeo, below 

 the monoliths worshipped as representing Mahadeo, on the road between 

 Almorah and Devi Dhoora. A snake was supposed to inhabit the tank or 

 well. I venture to throw out the suggestion, that the snake in the well 

 may represent the post, or Mahadeo, in the tank, the well representing the 

 yoni or tank as explained by Moor in his " Hindu Pantheon." The mys- 

 terious snake inhabiting the well is, of course, not confined to India ; and 



