Indian Antiquary Vol 01

SR No.: 032493
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

Page 39

JANUARY 5, 1872.]
ORIENTAL RESEARCH IN 1869-70.
25
bay expedition, none of the results of their labours have been sent home; and no attempt was made to follow up these experiments during the last cold weather. Nor, so far as is known in this country, have any expeditions been organized, either in Bengal or Bombay, for operations during the next season.
In the meanwhile Dr. Hunter, at Madras, has been most successfully employing the pupils in his school of design in photographing some of the numerous temples which abound in that part of India, and also in casting some of their sculptures ; none of the latter have reached this country, but the photo graphs are a valuable contribution to our knowledge, and, combined with those taken for Government by Captain Lyon, convey a very perfect idea of the enormous architectural wealth of that Presidency.
During the cold weather of 1868-9 Lieut. Cole, R.E., was deputed to Kashmir to photograph and make plans and drawings of the temples in that yalley. A work giving the result of his labours is on the eve of publication by the India Office. It promises to be a most valuable contribution of our knowledge of the style of architecture there prevailing, and worthily completes what was so well cominenced by General Cunningham in 1848.
During the last cold season the same officer has been employed under the auspices of the Science and Art Department at South Kensington, in casting the eastern gate-way of the great tope at Sanchi. It is understood that he has successfully accomplished this object, and is now on his way home with the moulds. Lieut. Cole took with him from this country a party of draughtsmen, with the intention of drawing all those sculptures which had not hitherto been delineated by General Cunningham and his brother, or by Col. Maisey. We may therefore hope that before long the means will be available in this country for obtaining a perfect knowledge of that remarkable monument.
Besides these expeditions, which are all more or less dependent on Government support, Mr. James Burgess, of Bombay, has just completed a splendid work on the great Temple city of Palitana. This work, which is illustrated by 45 photographs by Mr. Sykes, is preceded by an introduction by himself, full of interesting local information and antiquarian knowledge regarding the sect of the Jains, to whom all the temples on that hill belong.
The same author has also published 41 photographs taken by the same artist during an expedition to the caves of Talája and Sana, and the temples of Somnath and Girnar. The text to this book is not so elaborate as that of the previous work, but is sufficient to describe and explain the history of the monuments it illustrates.
Messrs. Sykes and Dwyer have also photographed the caves and temples at Nasik and Karla, but no text has yet been added in illustration of them by any such competent hand.
Besides these, Mr. T. C. Hope of the Civil Ser vice, has published a valuable work illustrated with 20 photographs by Mr. Lindley, of "Surat, Bharoch and other old cities of Gujarat with descriptive and architectural notes," by himself.
From the above it will be seen that our knowledge of the architecture and antiquities of some parts of our Indian Empire is progressing, though not so rapidly as might be desired. More, however, may be doing in India than we are aware of here; for unfortunately there is no agency either there or in the country where photographs by amateurs or local societies are collected, or from which a knowledge can be obtained of what is being done in this respect.
In continuation of their report on the present state of literary and antiquarian research on the Indian continent, the Council, now desire to refer to the neighbouring island of Ceylon, and to offer a few remarks on the condition of that seat of Buddhism and Pali learning They have noticed with no little satisfaction that the Pali language and literature and the religion of Shakya Muni in general have, during the last year or two, received a great amount of attention at the hands of European as well as of Singalese scholars. Several important works bearing on the subjects have been published in England and abroad during the past year; and it is but fair to mention that this Society also has contributed its share to the promotion of these studies As is testified by the communications of Messrs. Childers and Fausboll, printed in its Journal, besides several papers on Buddhistic antiquities. A great and long-felt want will, at last, be supplied by the Pali Dictionary about to he published by Mr. Childers, who, it is to be expected, will by this work give & fresh and more general impulse to Pali studies.
A Singalese scholar, Pandit Devarakkhita, has published, a few months since, an excellent edition of the Balavatara, the most popular Pali Grammar in Ceylon; and the Pali text of the Digha Nikava has been promised by another native scholar.
The Ceylon branch of the Asiatic Society also, has just issued a new and highly interesting number of its Journal, containing, amongst other articles, the continuation of Mr. James d'Alwis' paper on the Singalese language, the Aryan origin of which he maintains in an able and convincing manner, together with a Lecture on Buddhism, delivered shortly before his death by Mr. Gogerly the late eminent Pali scholar, and edited, with an ictroduction and notes, by the Revds. J. Scott and D. de Silva. Another number of that Journal is reported to be already in preparation. It is further gratifying to learn that Mr. T. W. R. Davids, a young promising Pali scholar of the Ceylon S. O., has undertaken to collect the Pali inscriptions which are scattered in great number over the island. Whether he may succeed in deciphering, or whether he may have to content himself with copying and publishing, these