1847.] Notice on the Antiquities ofBhopaL 755 



One can indeed almost trace the elongation of the terraced Tope or 

 "Degopa" into the storied temples of the Buddhist Chinese, and into 

 the great Minar or tower at Delhi, which is surrounded with Buddhist 

 remains. The huildings of the Nepalese show the transition or inter- 

 mediate state in the one instance, and the present Jain models of Meru 

 or of a Tope, well represent the Qootub Minar with its succession 

 of balconies. The traceable change of the flat Basilica of declining 

 Rome into the lofty Cathedrals of the middle ages seems to illustrate 

 this speculation. 



The impression left on the mind after an examination of these sculp- 

 tures is, that while they are eminently Indian in their characteristics* 

 there is nevertheless something Persian or Babylonian, and also some- 

 thing Egyptian about them. The Persian seems the stronger of two 

 complementary elements, and the impression at the same time is, that 

 the people of Mesopotamia influenced those of India mainly by sea, 

 and not by land routes and communications, or through commerce and 

 emigration rather than by conquest, but that the snake-protected Bud- 

 dhists did so by military expeditions also is more than probable. 



Oodehghir. — To the west of the Betwah river, and a mile and a half 

 or two miles from Bhilsa, there is a low range of hills named Oodehghir, 

 in the soft sandstone of which many small caves or niches have been 

 hollowed. The largest is dedicated to Shiv, and is 17 or 18 feet square, 

 with 4 pillars, all cut out of the solid rock. This temple contains a 

 Sanscrit inscription of little interest except that it gives a date, viz : 1093 

 Sumbut. There are also many figures sculptured outside the entrances, 

 but most of these represent single divinities or heroes, and the interest 

 of the series centres in two groups, one showing Vishnu as the Varaha 

 avatar, or with a human body and the head of a boar, and the other 

 showing Vishnu slumbering on the vertical folds of the serpent, 



The Boar manifestation is 8 or 9 feet high, and is almost detached 

 from the rock out of which it is carved. The god supports with his 

 tusk a small female figure, which seems to cling to this natural weapon 

 of the divinity. In front of Vishnu, there is a larger sized female 

 figure, kneeling, and with uplifted hands imploring him as if to spare, 

 perhaps the virgin in his power. This figure has the expanded hood of 

 a snake over her head. Behind her there is another figure, also kneel- 

 ing, but much mutilated. On the solid wall of live rock there are 



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