1864] 



Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 



217 



No. 26 at Ajunta. I beg to add that I have no doubt that this 

 building, although now known as the Jumma Musjid, existed long 

 prior to the times of Mahomed, and that it was originally used as 

 -an audience hall by the ancient kings of the country. It is upwards 

 of 150 feet in length, and has three rows of remarkable stone pillars 

 running along its entire length. Since its occupation by Mahome- 

 dans a dome of brick has been added to the centre. 



"2. As Dowlatabad was formerly known as Deoghur, and is 

 believed to have been fortified by Buddhists, I feel convinced that a 

 translation of the characters to which I have referred, will throw 

 light not only upon the date of the fort itself, but upon the dates 

 of the neighbouring caves of Ellora and Ajunta. The inscription at 

 present is covered with chunam, or rather with two or three coats 

 of white-wash ; but having removed a portion of these, I am able 

 to state that the characters are in perfect preservation. A sketch 

 accompanies [this letter] showing the position of the slab referred to, 

 which is nearly 4 feet square, and has, I believe, hitherto escaped 

 notice. 



" 3. Owing to the kind aid of Major Gill, who has charge of the 

 Ajunta caves, I was able to take a dense negative of the interior 

 of cave No. 26, and as he has already furnished the Madras govern- 

 ment with facsimiles of the Pali inscription of the Ajunta excava- 

 tions, I would respectfully suggest his being asked, through the 

 Resident of Hydrabad, to furnish a copy of the inscription in the 

 recess of the Dowlatabad Jumma Musjid. 



" 4. No reference having been made to the caves at Mahore in 

 any work hitherto published, I beg to mention that Captain Pear- 

 son accompanied me over portions of those in one of the ravines 

 under the town of Mahore, and that they are similar in character 

 to the caves of Ellora aud Ajunta. All, however, are at present 

 more than half full of mud, little more than the heads and arms of 

 the sculptured figures being visible. I beg further to notice that 

 there are a number of remarkable stone temples known as Himar- 

 panti, or Demon erections, scattered over the country between Ellora 

 and the Godavery, which the people admit to be of Buddhist origin ; 

 the tradition relating to them having reference to one of the Buddhist 

 kings of Ceylon of the name of Kaon, who is annually slaughtered in 

 effigy by Hindoos of all denominations. 



