155
THE ASIATIC SOCIETIES.
MAY 3, 1872.]
Sir Walter Elliot made, I understand, a collection of these, but I am not aware what he did with them. It is a work which will require much care to select these inscriptions or shasanams, as some are no
doubt spurious, but those which are genuine would afford much information as to the old dynasties.
Mangalagiri is a town situated about eight miles south of Bejwada. It has a Vaishnava temple dedicated to Narasimhaswämi of considerable re
pute. The annual festival or celebration of the Kaleyana Utsavaru in the month of Phalgunam draws great crowds. The chief temple is situated on the side of a high hill. The approach is by
steps cut out of the rock. The old caves are evi dently of Buddhist origin, and have been trans formed to suit the worship of Vishnu.
At the foot
of the approach is a pillar of black granite with inscriptions in Telugu on all four sides. This was blown down some years ago, exhibiting a cavity in the lower stone or pediment in which coins or
other valuables were probably deposited. The tem ple is of two stories cut out of the rock, and there are also many rock-chambers. Sugar-water is the offering here made to the divinity. It is poured into a cavity in the rock and disappears. The god is supposed to take half of every offering and the other half goes to his priests. Behind the principal chamber is a passage into the hill, which has never been explored, but is said to afford subterraneous communication with Undavalli.
In the town of
Mangalagiri is another temple (old), though of more recent date, also dedicated to Narasimha swāmi. It has a very high gopuram of ten stories, but the priests are very exclusive, and will not ad
car which is kept outside is good, but much of it is abominably disgusting. The difference in the style of work, according as the subject is one worthy or not the study of art, is very marked. The grosser representations are evidently the work of inferior artists. There is a very large koneru or tank, hav
ing four sides of cut-stone steps. This is very much esteemed, and greatly resorted to for every sort of purpose, for bathing, for the washing of foul linen, as a receptable for dirt, and also very largely for drinking purposes. The tank is very deep, and never dries up. It has been proposed to
have it cleaned out, but the expense would be great. It is supposed to have a rich deposit of bangles and all sorts of native jewellery, which persons have lost when bathing. At Macherla in the Palnad there is an ancient
stone temple of much fame. On the surrounding walls are a series of sculpures representing scenes from the Mahābhārat and Bhāgavatam. There are also sculptures in the temples at Senkarapuram, Gamalapad, and Dachapalli. At Satrasala also in the Palnad, on the southern bank of the Krishna, there are a number of stone temples dedicated to Shiva. Many of them are in ruins, but worship is still kept up. At Gurjala in the Palnad there is ancient manta pam or portico, with regular Muhammadan ar ches cut in stone, but evidently of a date long be fore the Muhammadan era. An old temple here is said to have been built by Nalagama Rājā Nara simha Raya (Velama), of which many of the stones appear to have been taken from more ancient structures of Buddhist origin.
(To be continued.)
mit visitors. Some of the carving on the temple
THE ASIATIC SOCIETIES. Asiatic Society of Bengal. A PARTY of draughtsmen and moulders who had
been especially trained for the work by Mr. H. H. Locke, Principal of the Calcutta Government School of Art, went to Bhubaneshwar in 1869,” and there executed casts of the more remarkable of the mould ings and sculptured figures, which form the decora tion of the exterior of the ancient temples. Băbu
Rajendralāla Mitra accompanied
this field party,
and during the short time he was with them, selected subjects for their earlier operations. From Bhu baneshwar he visited the neighbouring rock temples, or caves of Khandagiri, on which he has since com municated his observations to the Bengal Asiatic Society.
the best and most characteristic carvings in the Khandagiri caves. He, however, made use of an opportunity which occurred to him, to go to Jājpur, and to procure some photographs of the cele brated monolithic figures, and column at that place. Such expeditions serve the double purpose of placing, so to speak, original materials within easy reach of every enquirer, and of taking evidence, as it were de bene esse, which otherwise might pass irrecoverably away. This risk of disappearance is by no means imaginary, for Mr. Locke infers from
a comparison of the sketch of Bhubaneshwar given in Sterling's paper on Orissa,t with the present features of the ground, that as many as eight or
A second expedition—also a party of Mr. Locke's
ten or even more of the smaller temples have, with
students, this time under his own personal super
intendence—proceeded to Orissa in the end of P*
in say the last forty years, sunk into confused mass es, or ill-defined jungle covered mounds of ruins.
cember 1ast. Mr. Locke's principal object on this se cond occasion, was to obtain casts and drawings of
told by the archaic remains of Khandagiri and Bhu
- Wide ante pp. 24, 25.
No one will doubt that the tale, which would be
+ Asiatic Researches vol. XI. (1823.)
-
