Indian Antiquary Vol 05

SR No.: 032497
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 438
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1876.
it has three plain facias round the door, and a grouped together, as at Elora, Mominâbâd, thin partition, now broken through, divides it Karusa, Aihole, and Bådami. from a larger apartment apparently intended for At Någanath, a few hundred yards to the a four-pillar cave, but the two on the west side north-west of this, a fragment of an old cave or are scarcely separated from the walls. Crawl. caves has been so bailt over by a Bhairagi that ing along between the débris of the fallen front it is impossible to make out what it has originand the remaining walls we find two more cells, ally been. Outside stand a snake-stone and a in one of which is a broken linga, and separated bearded figure seated cross-legged with the palms from it by a thick wall is another fragment of of the hands placed together in front of his a four-pillared chamber. All the pillars are breast.-both very old. square with bracket capitals roughly blocked | A little up the river from this, and just above out. At the east end, facing west, is another a pool at the foot of a small waterfall, is the LAcell but without any figure sculptures. The chandar Lena, consisting of two rude cells, and whole frontage is about thirty-five yards. on the opposite bank, a cave nearly filled up,
To the east of this and also facing north is consisting of three chambers one behind the another cave, varying in width from 26 to 31' | other, the first two about 20 feet from end to end 7", and in depth from 25 to 28' 6'',- for none and from 73" to 8' 4" deep, and the innermost of its walls are straight nor at right angles. The measuring 9 1" by 8' 1". It is impossible to front is supported by two octagonal pillars and say what these small plain caves have been-procorresponding pilasters, and the roof inside by bably the dwellings of Jogis of olden times, eight pillars in two rows across, the four at the without much regard to sects. ends of the rows being unfinished square masses, The question of age is still a difficult one with the intermediate pair in the front row of sixteen regard to rock-excavations. As yet almost the sides, and in the back row octagons. The bracket only fixed' date we have found on a Brahmaņical capitals are only about 7" deep, and but rough- cave is that of Mangaliśa on the great cave at ly finished. The door of the shrine has a Badami. On the Dhårásinva caves I could not moulded architrave with pilasters on each side, find any inscription except a trace of a few letters very similar to the doors to the shrines at Ba. on a pilaster of the well at the Narayan Bhau dâmi, or to the fourth cave at Elephanta. The or Torla Lena first described : but of these the shrine measures 77 10' by 7' 8", and contains only syllable legible was the initial Sri with the an altar 4' 5" by % 8" with a hole a foot long downstroke found at Badami, Pattadkal, square in the middle, and with the spout to the and Aibole of the sixth and seventh centuries. west. This is sufficient to decide that the cave On architectural grounds I would tentatively is Brahmanical, and, judging from analogies assign the Jaina caves in Dabarwali or Torla with other instances, I have little doubt but this | Lena to a date not later than the middle of the was a Vaishmava shrine. And it may be re- seventh century, and the Chamar Lena caves marked here that all over this part of India we to the early half of the sixth, if not earlier. find Saiva, Vaishnava, and Jaina caves closely | Karusd, 1st January 1876.
NOTICE OF A SCULPTURED CAVE AT UNDAPALLI, IN THE
GANTUR DISTRICT.
BY SIR WALTER ELLIOT, K.C.S.I. In looking through an old portfolio of scale sheet No. 94, is situated at the foot of a low drawings I came upon some sketches of a range of rocky hills running nearly north and sculptured cave-temple in the Northern Sarkars, south opposite Bezwara (Bejav å d A) and the which, as such works are rare in Southern anikat across the Krishna, from which it is distant India, may prove interesting to readers of the about one and a half miles. The cave, which is Antiquary.
easy of access, is excavated in the face of the rock Und & palli, or Vunda palle as it ap- about half-way up the hill, and appears to have pears in the Gt. Trigonometrical Survey 4-inch been intended to consist of two stories. On the
Ind. Ant. vol. III. p. 805.