190 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Nov. 



body near the knees. At the feet of each idol, are two smaller figures 

 with chowries in their hands, looking up at the principal figure, and on 

 the pediment of each is an animal, differing in different sculptures." 

 These figures Col. Dalton considers to be the images of the Tirtha- 

 nacaras of the Jains. Other sculptures both at this place and at the 

 village of Churra near Purulia are then described ; among the latter 

 two old temples of roughly cut stone, built without cement, and some 

 large tanks. 



Other temples at the village of Boram near Jaipore are of a similar 

 character, and figures have been taken from them of a character 

 similar to those of Palma. In a crypt near the temples was found a 

 four-armed figure, now worshipped by the women of the place under 

 the name of Soshti. This and other idols now worshipped by the 

 Hindus, appeared to be of ancient date. Col. Dalton considers that 

 the temple and figure, described by Lieut. Beavan in the Proceedings 

 of the Society for April last,* are of the same age and character as the 

 above. 



Keferring to the notice of the Jain Saint, ' Vira' by Professor 

 Wilson, in the IXth. Vol. Asiatic Researches, Col. Dalton expresses an 

 opinion that the temples above described mark the course of his 

 pilgrimage, but that there were Jain settlements along the course of 

 the rivers previous to his appearance [B. C. 500 or 600]. 



Some colonies of Jains still remain. One of these, bearing the name 

 of Sarawaks, had been met with by Col. Dalton at a place called 

 Jainfra, 12 miles from Purulia ; and there are several similar colonies in 

 Chota-Nagpore proper ; but these have not occupied their present 

 abodes for more than seven generations, and they all say that they 

 came originally from Pachete. They are distinguished from the Moondah 

 or Cole race by fairer complexions, regular features, and by their mode 

 of wearing their hair in a knob rather high on the back of the head' 

 " The Jains are divided into c Yatis' and Srawakas — clerical and lav." 

 From Central India thousands of these people annually visit Mount 

 Surumeya for which their reverence is very great, as the place at which 

 tin' Jain Parswa or Parswanath obtained ' Nirwana' 250 years before 

 ' Vira.' 



The latter part of the paper is devoted to a description of the 

 * See ante, p. 66. 



