934 Description of a Colossal Jain figure [Sept. 



shoulder, but subordinate to no other that I could perceive, this was 

 decidedly Svetambara, and the only one, the cloth hanging down to the 

 knee and covering the belly and hips. On the pedestal were a pair of 

 feet, the soles turned up and the toes turned outwards ; next to this were 

 two figures resembling the solitary one on the ascent of the hill, appar- 

 ently very old ; they were seated as if on a bench, one leg bent under 

 the other, which was defending a child on the left knee, with its right 

 hand to the left breast, both of which were unusually large ; the mace in 

 one hand of the figure and some fruits in the other ; a lion under the 

 right knee. — This seems a further confirmation of the solitary little 

 figure on the hill being female, and had it four arms, would be Bhavani 

 and a recognition of a deity of the Hindoo Pantheon that one would not 

 expect in conjunction with such unequivocal Jain figures. As nature 

 personified, she is admitted by the Jainas as a Devi, and gives a name to 

 a class, Bhawanipatis ; one or two are worshipped daily by them, and 

 her place by the side of a Tirthankara is in correct keeping, but this 

 figure has not a multiplicity of arms, and as we have a Jain Tirthankara, 

 " Sumati," and according to the Svetambara, a second Malli-nath, 

 there is no occasion to stretch a point or trespass upon the Hindoo 

 mythological system. There was nothing further of importance in this 

 little building, so I retraced my steps to examine the figures in the 

 recesses of the enclosing wall. Of 43 niches there were 3 empty, 4 

 figures only were erect, the rest seated cross-legged, and but one with 

 the snake canopy of Parsvanath ; they were all very ancient, evidently of 

 the same rock of which the temple and hill were formed, an amygdaloi- 

 dal trap with decomposing nodules, which left a white, red, or green 

 appearance or incrustation upon them as they happened to be consti- 

 tuted ; the recesses were constructed by one slab forming the roof or 

 upper part, on»the either side, and rough uncemented stones the sides. 

 The group was ranged usually in the following manner on a slab. I must 

 premise that both sides being alike, the description applies to the whole 

 group. Directly in the centre is the chief figure seated with the hands 

 crossed over his feet, the right uppermost, over his head a canopy, 

 with two or three retiring ledges or circles, upon the uppermost of 

 which was also a figure sometimes seated, at others kneeling, either on 

 one knee or two, and supported by a round pillow, which was either 

 plain or tied in the middle ; some little distance apart at each corner of 



