THE SEVEN PAGODAS. 



125 



the thirteenth century, we should not probably see Vaishnava 

 emblems remaining on old Saiva shrines, nor names or 

 epithets of Vishnu inscribed over some of the figures of 

 Siva on the sculptured monolith (No. 43), and we should 

 expect to see the scattered lingas restored to their original 

 place in the shrines. 



REMARKS ON THE ANTIQUITIES AT THE SEVEN PAGODAS. 



The Eock Sculptures. 



Of the scenic sculptures on the rock (in relief), that of the 

 so-called Krishna amongst the cowherds upholding Govard- 

 dhan (No. 15 of the Eevenue Survey Map list), appears to 

 be entirely free from the ordinary Hindu mythological and 

 conventional extravagances, such as extra (superhuman) 

 limbs, celestial attendants, &c, and may therefore be the 

 oldest. 



Next to this perhaps comes the great bas-relief representa- 

 tions of Arjuna's Penance, No. 45 and No. 17, in which 

 there is but a single figure in each that has more than two 

 arms ; but they both contain many mythological unearthly 

 figures, denizens of the celestial paradise. 



After the great bas-relief rock sculptures, the figures 

 carved on the panels of the monolithic shrines or Rathas may 

 be named as comparatively free from the superhuman extra- 

 vagances of modern Hindu mythology. Many of the 

 figures are simply two-armed men and women, and unobtru- 

 sively four-armed gods. 



In the porticos and shrines excavated out of the rock, the 

 superhuman extravagances of the human form in the 

 tableaux intended to represent the deity in various incarnations 

 and performances, are manifold, and perhaps indicate a more 

 recent date. But there is one tableau common to the mono- 

 lithic shrines, the caves, and the built temples, which may be 



