264 
SCENES IN INDTA. 
statue being six yards high. It is supposed to repre- 
sent the Hindoo triad — - Brahma,, Vishnu, and Siva. 
This, however, has been questioned by some modern 
inquirers, who, I think, appear to have left the matter 
precisely as they found it. 
The area of the temple is a hundred and thirty feet 
long by one hundred and twenty-three broad, the roof 
being originally supported by twenty-six pillars and 
sixteen pilasters : of the former, eight are broken and 
several others much mutilated. The height of the 
chamber varies from fifteen to eighteen feet. The 
walls are covered with gigantic figures in alto-relief, 
many of which exhibit great nicety of proportion 
and no mean skill of execution. The groups have 
all a reference to the mythology of the Brahmins ; 
while the caverns of Kenneri and Carli, in the neigh- 
bourhood, are decidedly Buddhist temples. All the 
Hindoo deities have peculiar symbols belonging ex- 
clusively to each, by which they may be recognised as 
readily as ancient families in Europe by their armorial 
bearings , This temple,” says Mr. Moore, " may be 
called a complete Pantheon ; for among the hundreds 
— I may say thousands, of figures there sculptured, 
every principal deity is found. Many deified heroes 
in the more modern mythological romances, contained 
in some of the Puranas and Tantras, will have been 
exalted since the excavation of this wonderful cavern ; 
but I strongly believe that all the gods of the Vedas, 
or, if I may so term them, all the legitimate Hindoo 
deities, will be found in its different compartments, if 
not indeed too much defaced for recognition.”* 
* Hindoo Pantheon, p. 241. 
