THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[Dec. 6, 1872.
ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE KRISHNA DISTRICT.
Ertracts from a Report by the late J. A. C. Boswell, M.C.S. (‘Proceedings of the Madras Government, 14th Dec. 1871.) WE generally find that the conception of a divine being is associated, among most races, with the power of destruction, before men's minds attain the idea of beneficence or wisdom.
Hindus readily
admit that the worship of Siva is of much greater antiquity than the worship of Vishnu. And now we see how the serpent is brought into the worship of Siva. One of his great titles is Nāgabhushana, the snake-adorned one. The serpent, worshipped originally as a fetish, becomes naturally and appro priately, like the Greek idea of the snaky locks of the Gorgon, a symbol in the representation of Siva, the destroyer. With this power of adaptation, we can readily imagine how the religion of the Scy thians was calculated to find acceptance with the aborigines in this country, the Dasyus, or whatever name they went by ; and we see how the worship of the snake instead of ceasing became naturally an accessory and development of a more advanced system.
In connection with this I may here mention the recent discovery of a very interesting stone at Inkol in the Bapatla Taluk. There is a temple here dedicated to Siva under the designation of Bhimes'varasváini. Close to the temple there are two very ancient sculptured stones. Upon one there is a large representation of the Nāga, and on the other side of the same stone there is a male figure in what I venture to call the ancient Scythic costume, the cap and the tunic.
On the second stone there is
another figure sculptured in the same costume in the same style of art. Now, this serpent is to this day an object of worship. It is painted with ver milion and turmeric, and receives offerings of
of some chief; sometimes to commemorate boun
daries or grants. There is one, he states, by the roadside within a mile of Mangalor, bearing a male and a female figure, side by side, standing with crossed legs, both with high caps and tunics which, he takes it, are nothing but the old Hindu or Polygar costumes coming down to recent times and exhibit ed on numberless temples of known date. Offerings are made to some of these sculptured figures whose deeds are still remembered.
We have here a very
interesting subject of ethnological research. We know what the dress and appearance is of modern Tartars. In the Amravati sculptures, nearly 2,000 years old, we have these Scythic Tartars clearly portrayed in their characteristic costume, almost invariably in connection with horses, and then we have occasional allusion to the axwºol, Skuthoi, in ancient classical records that have come down to
us. A careful and systematic examination and com parison of the contents of the cairns and kistvaens all over the country will probably afford much use ful material from which to draw deductions as to
the stage of civilization reached by that early race, and the influence they exerted upon succeeding generations. But at present private individuals open these ancient tombs and ransack the contents in a most reckless manner. Curiosity satisfied, the few articles found may be kept, or, more probably, are thrown away as useless, and no record is pre served of the result. If this state of things goes on, the remaining Scythic remains in the country
will, in a few years, be entirely destroyed. I would strongly urge that Government issue orders for the protection of all such ancient remains and then let
fruits and flowers ; but in regard to the Scythian
research be made by qualified persons under official
figures even Hindu imagination is for once foiled.
authority, and let all that is found be brought to gether to one Indian Museum to be carefully pre served, where those who take an interest in such matters may be able to examine them. To return to the Krishna. In another Sivalayam, in the same village of Inkollu, there are built into the wall parts of a frieze, apparently taken from an older temple, representing animals, &c., with figures. There are portions of similar friezes to be seen in a choultry at Winukonda and in a temple at Pärchar
It is not often that the natives of this country are at a loss to give the name of some one of their
gods to any piece of sculpture that may turn up ; but with regard to these figures the people confess utter ignorance. There they stand among their objects of veneration, but they do not worship them ; they do not know what they are. If we can really identify these figures with the Scythic period, the age of the cromlechs and tumuli, then we shall
have gained an important step º' The style in which
in the Bapatla Taluk. This is what we find, indeed,
these works are executed, though the stone used is very coarse, is considerably in advance of the mode of sculpture employed in many of the serpent stones. On the other hand, I have been informed by Mr.
in many of the old temples in the district. Stones have been used in their construction which are evi
dently the relics of more ancient buildings.
I have briefly adverted to what I conceive to
M. J. Walhouse, Civil and Session Judge of Manga
have been the order of transition from a fetish to
lor, that such, or somewhat similar stones, abound in Kurg and all through Maisur, and are called
Kolle kallu, slaughter-stones, usually set up to
the Linga as a symbol, up to the representation or ideal embodiment of the thing symbolized in Siva, the destroyer. The next stage seems to have been
commemorate the deaths in battle or by wild beasts
the adorations paid to the sakti as the symbol of
- Mr. Boswell unfortunately adopted and advocated a
very unsound hypothesis respecting these remains, and it
vitiates much of his reasoning. Mr. Walhouse's views are well deserving of developunent.—ED. º
