880 Notes of a journey to Gimdr. [Oct. 



ramsdla just mentioned, to the temples, the ascent winds up the face 

 of the rock, every trifling ledge or irregularity in the surface of which 

 has been most ingeniously turned to account, in the formation of a 

 pathway generally about five feet wide, with steps of masonry : these 

 latter are said to have been the gift of a rich mahajun from Boondee in 

 Rajputdna. This part of the journey is calculated to try the nerves of the 

 traveller, bordering, as the pathway does, upon a perpendicular descent 

 of many hundred feet: a false step might be fatal ; and it is quite extra- 

 ordinary to observe the ease and alacrity, with which the bearers turn 

 the sharp corners and difficult passages in this narrow and dangerous 

 ascent. In descending, they carry the dooley at a rapid pace ; but 

 constant practice has made the road so familiar to these poor people, 

 that their dexterity banishes all idea of danger. To attempt any de- 

 scription in detail of the lavish richness in the style and architecture of 

 the Gimdr temples, would be beyond my limits. Commanding, as 

 the sect does by whom they are erected and kept up, much of the 

 wealth of India, they have evidently spared none, to make these 

 monuments of their superstition of surpassing magnificence. The 

 walls of the fort, to which I have alluded, occupy the whole ledge sur- 

 mounting the scarp, and within it are eight temples, a dharamsdla, 

 and two tanks*. Of the former, the largest and most gorgeous, though 

 by no means the most ancient, is sacred to Neemnath, whilst the 

 others are erected in honor of the favourite saint Parisnathji'. The 

 figures of the saints, which are very numerous, are generally small, but 

 there is one colossal image of Rikhabdeo-j-. There are many 

 inscriptions on various parts of the temples, recording the repairs and 

 additions made to them from time to time by the mahajuns. The 

 original material in all is granite, but the expense of vs orking it being 

 too great, the repairs^ are now carried on with the stone brought 

 from below, and quarried in the eastern part of the city of Junagarh. 

 There are three ancient temples, whose peculiar form, with something ap- 

 proaching to a Dahgop occupying the whole space in their centre, would 

 lead to the conclusion that they are of Buddhist origin. The dates 



* The largest of these was the gift of king Kumar Pal, 8th of the Choluk 

 Wunkshi tribe who ruled at Anhilwarrah Pattan. 



f Height from the gadee, on which this figure is sitting, to the top of the head 

 13 feet ; length of foot 3 feet. Material, granite coated with chunam. 



i Many of these temples have been much mutilated, and one which is now re- 

 building, was completely thrown down by Allah cd deen, styled Khoonie (or the 

 bloody), who is said to have ravaged Guzerat like Mahmu'd of old. The time 

 of this Muharamadan conqueror is obscure, but at Gimdr they say about 200 years 

 ago. I think the temples at Abu suffered from the same person. 



