166 



Antiquities of the Cuttaek Sills. 



[No. 3, 



doubt, belong to a subsequent period, when Buddhism had lost its 

 influence, and was passing into Brahmanism. The chief interest 

 of the place, however, lies in the ruins of a gate and the figure of a 

 Buddha. The place was so enveloped in jungle, and the ruins so 

 buried in earth, that it was difficult for me to form, an idea of the 

 edifice which once stood there, but from the gate in front and the 

 rock in the rear to which the figure of Buddha is engaged, I 

 have little doubt that the sanctuary was partly constructed and 

 partly excavated. 



The Gate is composed of three heavy rectangular blocks of 

 stone. One of them is placed transversely over the other two, to 

 form an entablature. The height of the gate, omitting the 

 portion that has been buried by accumulation of rubbish, is 7 feet 

 8 inches. 



The upright blocks have been cut into five bands highly ornament- 

 ed with sculpture, which appears fresh and sharp as if just cut by 

 the chisel. The innermost band contains wreaths of the true lotus 

 (Nelumbium speciosum). There are altogether 12 groups of the 

 flower. The second band is divided into 

 pannels, bearing male and female figures 

 in armour. The middle one contains a 

 wreath of flowers. On the fourth band 

 there is a continuous winding wreath, 

 encircling figures of men and women. The 

 last or the outermost band is a wreath 

 of large flowers of great beauty. The 

 middle band is capped by a capital, of 

 which a rough sketch is shewn in the 

 margin. 



The architrave and the freize are em- 

 bellished with a great number of grotesque 

 figures. On the middle of the frieze, there 

 are two niches containing figures of Buddha. In the middle of the 

 architrave, another figure of Buddha appears, over whose head two 

 elephants twist and wave their trunks from opposite sides. On 

 both sides of the group, small, grotesque male and female figures 

 have been cut into the form of a wreath ; the waving hand and 



m\\iMzz 



3 



