HINDO 
tiler ; and about eight or nine fo\V$ of thefe, from the 
level of the interior pavement, leave its height varied from 
twenty-four to tvtenty-feven feet: the whole of the wall 
on the outfide is covered with carvings and figures lculp- 
tured out of the block-. Every Angle block has k rim, or 
border, railed round it, within which the carving is raifed 
on a level .with the rim, defigned evidently to protect the 
figures from injury, while raifed upon the ycal'i. 
The firft and lowefc row' of thefe ftones is covered with 
figures of elephants, harncfied in different ways as if led 
in pfocefiion,' many of them twilling. up trees with their 
trunks. The fecorid row is chiefly occupied with equeftrian 
fiibjefts : bodes led ready fiddled, and their manes orna¬ 
mented ; others tied up to pillars ; fome loofe; a great 
inany hoffemen are reprefented engaged in fight ; at full 
gallop ; and armed with pikes, 1-wordSj and Ihields ; others 
are feen hunting the tigers, and running them through with 
long fpears. The riders are reprefented very fmall in pro¬ 
portion to the horfes, probably to diftinguifh the fize of 
the latter, ds a fmaller call teems intended to be reprefented 
among the led horfes, where a few are feen low'er in fize, 
fomething refembjing the Acheen breed of horfes. All 
thefe figures are very accurately defigned. It is remark¬ 
able, that feveral figures ' •- reprefented gallopping off as 
in flight, and at the fame time drawing the bow at full 
ftretch ; thefe Parthian figures feem to have entirely drop¬ 
ped the bridle, both hands being occunied by the bow' ; 
fome of them are feen advancing at full fpeed, and draw¬ 
ing the bow at the fame time. This mode appe;. ■ s to have 
been praftifed by the Hindoos, as it is highly probable, 
that the arts of common life only are here reprefented in 
the lower row. On the third row, a variety of figures are 
reprefented, many of them hunting-pieces 5 tigers (and 
in one place a lion) attacked by feveral perfons; crowds 
of people appear oil foot, many armed with bow's and ar¬ 
rows, like the Chinfuars ; many figures of v ogeys are feen, 
difiinguifhed by their hair twifted up like turbans, carry¬ 
ing their flicks, pots, and bundles, as if coming from a 
journey; fome leaning on a flaff as if tired, or decrepid 
from age ; others approaching wdth a mien of refpeCt and 
adoration. The fourth, fifth, fixth, and feventh, rows, 
are filled with reprefentations of feveral events regarding 
the deities of the place, or exprefiive allegories of the mo¬ 
ral and religious dogmas of the Brahmins ; and probably 
feme may record particular events of real hiftory. The 
eighth has fewer carvings than the reft; fome ftones are 
occupied by-a Angle bower of large fize, perhaps intended 
for the. facred lotos; and fome, though but a few', by the 
figure of a god. The ninth, or upper row, is cut into 
openings, in the manner of battlements; and the ftones 
between each of thefe apertures, are alternately fculptured 
w ith the figures of the lingam, and a cow Shaded by an 
umbrella, to fignify its pre-eminence. In fhort, the mag¬ 
nitude of the building, and the richnefs and profufion of 
the fculptures, are luch, that we are at a lofs which raoft to 
admire, the immenfity o'f the labour, or the ability and 
patience of the artifts, by which this grand fpecimen of 
Hindoo architecture whs brought into exiftence. 
Among the curious remains of ancient Hindoo architec¬ 
ture, ntay alfo be reckoned the Seven Pagodas, fituated neap 
the fea, at Mahabalipoorum, about thirty-eight miles fouth- 
erly from Madras. A diftant view of thefe temples presents 
merely a rock, which, on a near approach, is found defierv- 
ing of particular examination. The attention, palling over 
fmaller objeCts, is firft arrefted by a Hindoo pagoda, covered 
fifth fculpture, and hewn from a Angle mafs of granite rock - ; 
being about twenty-fix feet in height, nearly as long, and 
about half as broad. Within is a lingam, and a long in- 
lcription on the wall, in charaders unknown. The tem¬ 
ple is dedicated to Siva. Near this ftrudure, the external 
furface of the rock, about ninety feet in extent, and thirty 
in height, is covered with figures in bas-relief. A gigan¬ 
tic figure of the god Crifhrra is the molt confpicuous, 
With Arjoon, his favourite, in the Hindoo attitude of 
prayer. 
Oppofite, and furroimded by a wall of ftone, are pa- 
O S T A N. 171 
godas of brick, faid to be of great antiquity. Adjoining 
is an excavation in the rock, the maffive roof feemingly 
fupported by columqs, not unlike thofe in the celebrated 
cavern of Elephanta; but thefe have been left unfiniflied. 
A few paces onw'ard is another, and mote fpacious, exca¬ 
vation, now ufed as a fhelter for travellers. A feries of 
fculpture fronts the entrance, faid to reprefent Criflina. 
attending the herds of Anauda. One of the group re- 
prefents a man diverting an infant, by playing on a flute, 
and holding theinftrument as we do. The columns fup- 
porting the roof are of different orders ; the bafe of one 
is the figure of a Sphynx. Near this pagoda is the almoft- 
deferted village. Which ftill retains the ancient name Ma¬ 
habalipoorum. 
Palling over immenfe beds of ftone, you arrive at a fpa¬ 
cious excavation; a temple dedicated to Siva, who is re¬ 
prefented, in the middle compartment, of a large ftature, 
and with four arms ; the left foot refts on a bull cou- 
chant; a fmall figure of Brahma ftands on the right hand ; 
and another, of Vifhnu, on the left. At one end of the 
temple is a gigantic figure of Vifhnu, fleeping on an enor¬ 
mous cobra de capello with feveral heads, and fo dilpofed 
as 1 ■ :m a canopy over the head of the god. At the op- 
pofite end is the goddefs Cali with eight arms, mounted 
on a fingam, or lion. Beyond this temple, at a confidera- 
ble elevation, is a fmaller, wrought from a Angle mafs of 
ftone. Adjoining to this is a temple in the rough, and a 
large mafs of rock, the upper part roughly fafhioned for 
a pagoda. If a conclufion may be drawn from thefe un- 
finifhed works, an uncommon and aftonifhing perfeverance 
was exerted in finiihing the ltruCtures here ; and the more 
fo, from the ftone being a fpecies of granite, extremely 
hard. 
The remains of feveral ftone edifices are feen in the vil¬ 
lage; and a .large tank, lined, with fteps of ftone. A ca¬ 
nopy for the pagod attracts the attention, as by no means 
wanting in magnificence or elegance. It is fupported by 
four columns, with bale and capital, about twenty-feven 
feet in height, the fhaft. tapering regularly upwards ; is 
compofed of a Angle ftone, not round, but fixteen-fided; 
meafuring at bottom about five feet and a half. 
Eaft of the village, and wafh'ed by the fea, which, per¬ 
haps, would have entirely d'emolifhed it before now, but 
for a defence of large ftoiies in front, is a pagoda of ftone, 
containing the lingam, and dedicated to Siv.a. Befides the 
ufual figures within, one of a gigantic ftature is obferved 
ftretched out on the ground, and reprefented as fecured in 
that pofitron. This the Brahmins fay was defigned for 
a rajah, who was thus fecured by Vifhnu. The Turf here 
breaks far out over the ruins of the ancient city, which 
Was incredibly large and magnificent. Many of the mafles 
of ftone near the fhore appear to have,been wrought. It 
is faid that in the laft generation the gilded tops of five 
pagodas were feen in the fuff, now fwailowed up by the 
fea. It appears from good authorities, that the fea on this 
part of the coaft is encroaching by flow, but no lefs cer¬ 
tain, fteps ; and will perhaps in a lapfe of ages entirely 
overwhelm thefe magnificent ruins. 
Of all the moft curious architectural works of antiquity 
in India, (if forming or mining a fubterraneous temple 
in a folid rock might be lb called,) the “ Cave of Ele¬ 
phanta” claims fuperior attention. 
It is fituated in a fmall ifiand about five miles from 
Bombay; and an elephant, carved out of a black ftone, 
as large as the life, ftands near the landing-place; and 
from which the ifiand took its name of Elephanta. The 
cave is diftant nearly a mile from the landing-place; 
and is excavated out of the central part of the rock. 
Its maffive roof is fupported by rows of columns regu¬ 
larly difpofed; gigantic figures, in relief, are fculp¬ 
tured on the walls; thefe, as well as the columns, are 
fhaped out of the folid rock, and by artifts pofTefted of 
obvious ability, unqueftionably of aftonifhing perfever- 
ance. The wall at the upper end of the cave rs crowded 
with fculpture. The attention is firft arrefted by a grand 
bnft, reprefenting the gods of the Indian triad. The mid- 
