Page:Oriental Scenery — One Hundred and Fifty Views of the Architecture, Antiquities, and Landscape Scenery of Hindoostan.djvu/297

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ORIENTAL SCENERY.

No. V. Plans A.

PARASWA RAMA SABHA.[1]

No. 9, A passage leading from the Sabha of Jagannatha to this Sabha. 10, The apartment of the idol. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, Recesses without sculpture. o, o, Passages leading to the upper story of Indra Sabha, which will be described after the lower part of it.


No. VI. Plans A.

THE ENTRANCE OF INDRA SABHA.[2]

You enter this magnificent cave, or assemblage of caves, by a handsome gateway cut from the rock, on which there are two lions couchant. There is a small cave much choked up, No. 1, on the right hand before entering the gateway, No. 2. No. 3,3,3,3, The area. No. 6, A pillar richly ornamented. No. 5, An elephant. Opposite the entrance, in the centre of the area, stands a temple of a pyramidal form, No. 4, in which is placed a kind of square altar, with figures of Adinatha (one of the epithets of Vishnu, and sometimes of Budha, signifying the First Lord) on each side No. 7,7,7,7.

In this view, higher up in the mountain, is an unfinished excavation of curious workmanship, now nearly choked up with earth, the plan of which is marked by the letter A.

Adinatha Sabha is on the left hand of the area; the apartment, No. 13, of the idol Adinatha is facing the entrance. No. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, Are recesses containing abundance of sculptured figures. The outside is decorated with elephants, lions, &c. No. 19 and 20, Small excavations, those on the right are imperfect above and below. No. 21, The entrance to the lower story of Indra Sabha, which is in a very unfinished state. 22, The staircase leading to the upper story. 23, An apartment, with sculpture. 24, Masses of unwrought rock. 25, The principal apartment of this story. 26, The recess, with the idol Adinatha. The front row of pillars, including base and capital, fifteen feet high; the rest about fourteen. In ascending the staircase, No. 22, which leads to the upper story about half way up, is a small apartment containing Indra with his wife Indrani, and Sesh at each end. In the recess fronting the entrance is the idol Adinatha.


No. VII.

INDRA SABHA, LOOKING OUTWARDS.

Adinatha Sabha is on the right; the other parts conformably to the plan already described.


No. VIII. Plans A.

INDRA SABHA.

The upper part of Indra Sabha. No. 1, The verandah. 2, The gigantic figure of Indra sitting on an elephant. 3, Indrani, his consort, seated on a lion, the same size as the former figure. 4, A pedestal, on which has been placed a sexual emblem of Maha-Deva, the great god, or the divinity in his quality of destroyer. 5, A recess with Adinatha, who seems the presiding idol of these caves. 6, The staircase leading down to the lower apartment. The height of the pillars fourteen feet.


No. IX. Plans B.

DOOMAR LEYNA.

The entrance to this stupendous excavation is through a cut or lane in the solid rocky mountain, one hundred feet in length; on the left is a cave, No. 2, nearly choked up with earth; the lane is terminated by a door-way, through which you enter an area, 3; at the end of which, opposite the door, is a small cave, 4. On the right hand of the area is the great excavation, having at its entrance two lions couchant, 5,5; one of which has lost his head. 6, A large figure of the goddess Sita, the consort of Rama. 7, Dharma-Raja, the god of justice. 8, Shadi-Maha-Deva. 9, Maha-Deva and his consort Parvati. 10, Maha-Deva and Parvati, supported

  1. The temple of Paraswa Rama, another of the supposed incarnations of Vishnu.
  2. The temple of Indra, the god who presides over the heavens.