1848.] Description of the Antiquities at Kdlinjar. 191 



shippers on each side ; over the 2d cave are small niches, two containing 

 Ling and Joni in relief, with worshippers, and the remainders empty, 

 though probably all at one time contained sculptures. To the right of 

 3d and over 4th cave are several figures of Mahadeo, both in the human 

 and Ling shape, with a number of male and female worshippers ; another 

 skeleton form of Kali, the bull Nandi and two armed figures, one dis- 

 charging an arrow (Bir Badh), and the other weilding a sword, called 

 Mahadeo ke pute (son) ; near this figure is the inscription (No. 4), dated 

 U^ 1 , containing apparently the name of Madan Brimh Deo (75). The 

 soft rock on which it is cut being quite exposed to the weather, the 

 letters are very faint, and the dingy copy which I made is far more 

 legible than the original. Below this and close to a figure of Narsingha, 

 is the inscription No. 5, dated ^<£^. The colossal Varaha-sarup lying 

 on the ground in the corner of the fausse braie is much mutilated — 

 the face, all the fore-arms and one of the legs being broken off. It 

 represents Vishnu in the 3rd or Hog Avatar, in which he descended to 

 recover the earth, which had been submerged in the waters of the 

 universe by a demon (7 6). The figure is in very high relief, on a slab 

 (1 1 feet 7 in. high) and proportionately thick. He is represented in a 

 combatant attitude(77). The left foot raised on a sort of lotus pedes- 

 tal or arch, under which are seated two female figures, surmounted by 

 the hooded snakes, their lower extremities are in the form of snakes, 

 which are coiled in a knot beneath them ; their hands are in the attitude 

 of prayer(78). The fore-arms of this figure are all broken off, but 

 traces sufficient are left to show that he held the usual symbols of 

 Vishnu, viz. a gada (79), padam(80), chakr(81), and sankh(82). He 



Parbati to prove that he was all-powerful and possessed of both the male and female 

 energies of nature. 



(75) Madan Brimh was one of the Chandel rajas, who built many temples, &c. at Ma- 

 haba ; he is the immediate predecessor of Kirat Brimh. In the list which I have before 

 mentioned at Mahaba there is a large artificial lake which goes by his name. 



(76) The three first avatars are supposed to refer to the deluge. 



(77) The attitude exactly corresponds with that of the Varasarup in the bass-relief of 

 the 10 avatars, and there is also a small detached sculpture of the same subject in which 

 the attitude is the same and the weapons and symbols perfect. 



(78) These figures are called Nag Kaneya. 



(79) Club. (80) Lotus. 



(81) Wheel-shaped weapon (discus.) 



(82) Holy shell : the chakr is supposed by some to represent eternity. 



