1850.] 



Sircar of Pi/tun. 



377 



the same size, a male and female, the same apparently as represent- 

 ed beside the decorated figure outside. The doorway is very rich- 

 ly ornamented in the mouldings of the frame work, and guarded 

 by snakehooded darpals. Right and left of the entrance to the sanc- 

 tum are ranged along the walls large female figures with attendants. 

 On the right of the door, the sculpture is a female very profuse- 

 ly covered with jewelled attire, and ornamented head dress ; her 

 bosom extravagantly proportioned, and holding the stalk of the Lo- 

 tus : two female attendants in scanty habiliments, smaller in height, 

 are on either side of her, bearing fruit and flowers, and beyond 

 them stand dwarfs ; one leaning on a crooked stick seems to bend 

 beneath the weight of the female's hand resting on his head, above 

 are flying figures ; the cornice of the wall is formed of the convex 

 eaves of a temple, in which seated Buddhist figures are represented. 

 The wall on the left of the sanctum door is covered in a like man- 

 ner with a buxom lady and attendants, similarly attired, but in this 

 Cave no praying figures appear above, as on the opposite side, by 

 which we may infer some association between these two females, 

 and the simple and decorated attendants without. The appearance 

 of dwarfs is a common circumstance in eastern mythology, and has 

 a mystical allusion no doubt. 



The front of the next cave having fallen, no access can be accom- 

 plished but by help of a ladder. It measures 27 feet in breadth, 

 by 20 in length, and is an unfinished Vihara without pillars or sanc- 

 tuary, there are six cells opening into it, with a window. An open- 

 ing in the wall towards the east leads to another half dug cave in 

 the same unfinished condition, supplied with a verandah which is 

 supported by two pillars and two pilasters : a large portion of the 

 frontage has fallen ; this second cave is 20 feet long. 



Ascending the hill some few yards easterly, a group of caves are 

 seen which are not observed until close upon them, in consequence 

 of rubbish and bushes hiding the front. The whole length of 

 excavation is upwards of a hundred feet, extending to a depth of 

 of sixty. Much of the work has been destroyed, by the front tumb- 

 ling in. The arrangement appears to have been an outer verandah 

 that has slid down the side of the mountain, nothing but n very small 

 portion remaining, the hall extended the whole length of the exca- 

 vation, from which four caves opened ; three to the north, and one 

 eastward at the further extremity of the three caves, the centre one 

 the largest, having an inner verandah, vestibule, and sanctum 



