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Opening of the Topes at the Caves of Kanari, near Bombay, and the 

 relics found in them. By Dk. James Bird. 



The Caves of Kanari, situated on the island of Salsette, and two 

 miles beyond the village of Tulsi, are distant twenty miles from the 

 fort of Bombay, and six from Tannah. The made road from Bombay 

 conducts the visitor as far as the village of Vihar, four miles north of 

 which is the mountain where the caves are excavated. They have 

 been described by several travellers, and are noticed, in a. i>. 399, 

 by the Buddhist priest and pilgrim " Ea-Hian," who visited the seats 

 of his religion in India, and whose travels have been translated by 

 M. Remusat. The cavern temple is described by him to consist of 

 five stories, each story containing numerous chambers or cells, cut 

 out of the solid rock, and tenanted by Arhats ; a description which 

 answers very closely to the circumstances of the Kanari excavations, 

 which rise from the base to the summit of the mountain in six stories, 

 and are connected to each other by steps cut in the solid rock. The 

 kingdom in which they are situated is said to be distant from 

 Kia-shi or Varanasi, two hundred yojans to the south, and is called 

 Ta-thsen Dach-chin. 



Immediately in front of the large arched cave, and on a ledge of the 

 mountain, some thirty or forty feet below, there are several small 

 Thopas, or monumental receptacles for the bones of a Buddha, or 

 Kahat, built of cut stone at the base. These were once of a pyramidal 

 shape, but are now much dilapidated, and appear like a heap of 

 stones. Several years ago I thought of opening some of them, in 

 expectation of obtaining coins or other relics ; but found no favorable 

 opportunity until lately, when several lengthened visits, in company 

 with Doctor Heddle, gave me the desired means of doing so. The 

 success of General Ventura, M. Court, and others, in their search after 

 relics from the topes of the Punjab and Kabul, gave me additional 

 hope that I should find something worthy of the labour, and I am glad 

 to report, that these expectations have not been disappointed. 



The largest of the topes selected for examination, appeared to have 

 been one time between twelve or sixteen feet in height. It was much di- 



