114 



DESCRIPTIVE REMARKS ON 



they might still yield some inscription, for it is the most 

 finished of the shrines that have the inscriptions found, and 

 the structural temples appear to have been the most finished 

 of all the works. 



The paucity of inscriptions perhaps points to the works 

 having been done by a prince who failed to record his name 

 because he very likely never lived to see their completion. 

 Had they been the joint votive offerings of many persons, 

 we should have seen the names of the donors subscribed, as 

 usual in temples in this country. 



Besides the Sanskrit inscriptions engraved in or on the 

 shrines, there are several old Tamil inscriptions engraved 

 on the open rock hereabout, referring to the Adivaraha 

 (Vishnu) temple in Maniallapuram, one of which is actually 

 dated in the Saka year 1157 (=1235 A.D.), and the dates of 

 two others satisfactorily made out, one and two centuries 

 earlier. 



There are a few inscriptions (see 44, 16 and 51) which 

 have not been published apparently. 



Besides the monolithic shrines, the caves, the structures, 

 the bas-relief scenes and figure carving, and the inscriptions, 

 there are numerous other objects which have been numbered 

 in the map or are worthy of notice, which may be termed. 



Miscellaneous (VI), amongst which the Lion rocks 

 (8J and 56), with horse and niche-bearing elephants, are 

 very curious and specially worth study. 



Following out the details of the foregoing classification 

 the objects may be arranged as under : — 



I. The Monolithic Shrines ; and these may be 



sub-divided into four distinct types : 

 A. The square thatched hut ; this is the simplest 

 form of shrine or hermit's cell, and the imita- 

 tion cells on the roof terraces of the other 



