173 
HINDOOSTAN. 
it, you come to tlie paflage under another fmall bridge, 
beneath which there is, on one fide, a gigantic fitting 
.figure of rajah Bhoja, iurrounded by a group of other 
figures. Oppofite to which is as gigantic a figure of 
Guttordhuja, with his ten hands. At the end of this 
Ihort paflage commences the body of the grand temple 
(4), the entrance of which is in the upper Itory, that is 
here afeended by flights of heps on each fide (5). 
The right-hand tide of the- temple below is adorned 
with a very full and complex fculpture of the battle of 
Ram and Rouon, in which Hunomaun makes a very con- 
fpicuous figure. Proceeding from this field of battle, the 
heads of elephants, and fome imaginary animals, are pro- 
jefted as though fupporting the temple, till you come to 
a projection (6), in the fide of which, funk in the rock, 
is a large group of figures, but much mutilated. This 
projection was connected with the apartments on the 
right-hand fide of the area by abridge (7), which has 
given way, and the ruins of it now fill up the lides of the 
area. It is laid to be upwards of one hundred years fince 
it fell. 
Palling the projection of the main body of the temple, 
it leflens for a few paces, then again projects (8), and af¬ 
ter a very fmall 1'pace on the line of the body of the tem¬ 
ple, the length of this wonderful ItruCture, if what is fa¬ 
bricated downwards out of a folid mafs can be fo called, 
terminates in a fmaller degree of projection than the for¬ 
mer. The whole length is lupported, in the manner 
above-mentioned, by figures of elephants, projecting from 
the bale, to give, it Ihould feem, the tfdiole vafl: mafs the 
appearance of moveability by thole mighty animals. The 
hindmoft, or ealtern, extremity of the temple, is compofed 
of three diftinCt temples elaborately adorned with fculp¬ 
ture, and lupported like the fides by elephants, See. many 
of which are mutilated. The left-hand fide differs fo little 
from the right, that it is unneceflary to be particular in 
mentioning any thing, except that oppofite the deferip- 
tion of the battle of Ram and Rouon, is that of Keyfo 
Pando, in which the warriors confilt of peons and others 
mounted on elephants, and cars drawn by horfes. The 
principal weapon l'eems to be the bow, though maces and 
llraight fwords are difcoverable. 
The gateway or grand entrance which conducts to the 
ftoiy above, confifts of three centre rooms (9), and one on 
each fide (9). From the centre rooms, eroding the bridge 
(10), you afeend by feven fteps (n), into a fquare room 
(12), in which is the bull Nundee, the vahan of Siva. 
This room has two doors and two windows. Oppofite the 
windows are the obelilks (1), before-mentioned. 
From the ftation of Nundee, you crofs over the fecond 
bridge (13), and afeend by three fteps (14), into a hand- 
forne open portico (15), lupported by two pillars, (above 
each of which, on the outiide, is the figure of a lion, that 
though mutilated,' has the remains of great beapty; and 
on the infide, two figures refembling fphynxes,) towards 
the bridge, and two pilafters that join it to the body of 
the temple, the grand apartment of which (16), you enter 
from the portico by four handlome fteps and a door-way; 
on each fide of which are gigantic figures. Advancing a 
few paces into the temple, which is lupported by two 
rows of pillars, befides the walls that are decorated with 
pilafters, there is an intermiflion of one pillar on each 
fide, leading to the right and left to an open portico (17), 
projecting from the body of the temple; from the right- 
hand one of which, the bridge already mentioned as 
fallen down, connected the main temple with the fide 
apartments (24); to which there is now no vifible accefs, 
but by putting a ladder for the purpofe. The accefs to 
the oppofite fide is by flairs from helow. The recefs (18), 
to the Lingam (19), to which there is an afeent of five 
fteps, forms the termination of this fine faloon ; on each 
fide of the door of which is a profufion of fculpture. The 
whole of the ceiling has been chunamed and painted, great 
part of which is Hill in good prefervation. 
Vol. X. No. 651, 
A door (20), on each fide of this recefs of flie Lingam, 
leads to an open platform (21), having on each fide of 
the grand centre pyramid, that is railed over the recefs of 
the Lingam, two other recefles (22), one on each fide, 
formed alfo pyramidically, but containing no image. 
Three other pyramidal recefles (23). without images in 
them, terminate the platform, ail of them elaborately or¬ 
namented with numerous figures of the Hindoo mytho¬ 
logy. Many of the outer as well as the inner parts of this 
grand temple, are chunamed and painted. The Brahmins 
fay, that the dilcoloration and fmoky blacknefs of the 
painting within, was occafioned by Aurungzebe; who, 
intent upon fulfilling the injunctions of the koran, “ to 
pull down the high places, and deftroy the idols of the 
heathen,” caufed the different apartments to be filled with 
combuitibles, and fet on fire; this was alfo done to elface 
the oblcenities of the Lingam, of which there are many 
in the fculpture. >. 
On the left-hand fide of the area, there are excavations 
of fome confideration below; from which you afeend to 
an upper itory called Pur Lunka, by an indifferent flair- 
cafe, into a fine temple (25), at the extremity of which 
is a recefs containing the Lingam; and oppofite thereto, 
near the entrance from the ftair-cafe, is the bull Nundee, 
with two large fine figures retting on maces on each fide 
of the recefs in which he fits. The ceiling of this tem¬ 
ple is lower than any of the foregoing. The whole of 
this temple is in fine prefervation, ftror.gly fupported by 
very maflive pillars, and richly ornamented with mytho¬ 
logical figures, the fculpture of fome of which is very fine.. 
The ceiling, like the others, has the remains of painting 
vilible, through the dufky appearance of fmoke, with 
which it is oblcured. Defcending from Pur Lunka, you 
pafs through a confiderable unfculptured excavation (26), 
to a veranda or gallery (27), which l’eems allotted to the 
perfonagesof the Hindoo mythology, (a kind of pantheon,) 
in open compartments, which are continued all round the 
area of this end of the grand temple, to an equal fpace 
on the oppofite fide, and contain nearly all the gods of 
the Hindoo mythology. 
The dimenlions of the grand temple are: Door of the 
portico, twelve feet high by fix feet broad,; length from 
the door of the portico entering the temple, to the back 
wall of the temple, 103 feet fix inches; length from the fame 
place to the end of the raifed platform behind the temple, 
142 feet fix inches ; greateft breadth of the inner part of the 
temple, lixty-one feet; height of the ceiling, feventeen 
feet ten inches. The two porches on each fide, meafured 
■without, are thirty-four feet ten inches, by fifteen feet 
four inches. Height of the grand fteeple or pyramid, is 
about ninety feet from the floor of the court; and of the 
fmaller ones about fifty. Height of the obelilks about 
thirty-eight feet. Bale eleven feet fquare, being eleven 
feet diftant from each fide of the room in which is the 
bull Nundee. The (haft above the pedeftal is feven feet 
fquare. The two elephants on each fide the court or en¬ 
try are larger than life. The annexed Engraving of the 
Plan of this Temple, and the (ketch of the ftyle ojf archi¬ 
tecture adopted in the elevation of the lides and ealtern 
extremity of the building, will enable the reader to form 
a more compreheniive idea of the majeltic appearance of 
this immenfe ftructure, at the time when Aurungzebe at¬ 
tempted to deltroy it by fire. 
The palaces of the principal rajahs are alfo ftruftures 
of prodigious extent; but have externally more the ap¬ 
pearance of a Hate prifon, than the royal refidence of a 
prince. Internally, however, they have fuites of rooms 
which do credit to their architects; and offices and apart¬ 
ments for all fubordinate purpofes, well contrived and ju- 
dicioully arranged, though deftitute of tire rules or prin¬ 
ciples of the Greek and Roman architefture. Their gar¬ 
dens and pleafure-grounds are alfo laid out with fuperior 
talte and judgment, and abound with groves of fragrant 
fruits and odoriferous fiuubs. Water is an indifpenfable 
Y y object 
