English
thing erected, there are no representations of it in any other part of the building, and till one is found the exact form of the ornament must remain doubtful. As before suggested, my ee is that there: was a repetition of Trisuls. : Fig. 1. Plate LXXXITI. contains in its two- compartments what are evidently intended as parts of the same story. On the left hand a man steps into the scale. of a steelyard which another is holding in his hand, while another in the foreground holds a bird in his hand as if intending.it should be weighed against the man. In the second compartment: the first man seated on a throne holding the bird in his hand expounds the moral of the transaction for the delight and benefit of his hearers, if not for that of modern mankind, though I have no doubt the legend might be traced.+ In the lower lithograph we have, first, the Trisul emblem on the throne, with-two priests behind (compare Plates LXVIII. and LXXI.). Then a procession, with a palanquin, elephant, horsemen, &c. (compare Plates LXIV. and LXXXIV.). In the centre the sacred feet on the lotus shaded by’ the Naga, and worshipped by Naga people (compare Plate LXXIX. Fig. 2.). Then Buddha, in his usual attitude, . preaching to a female congregation. There does not seem to be any attributes by which the figures in the smaller central compartment can be identified, Fig. 2. Plate LXXXII. is scarcely historical. It: only contains figures of the Naga Raja in various attitudes and with various accompaniments. The principal object in Fig. 3. is the adoration of Buddha by the wale elephant. It unfortunately is very much weather-worn. Figs, 4, and 5. are portions of two smaller friezes. In the first it is the horse that is honoured (compare Plate LXXX.). In the other the relic borne on a man’s head. This is so well preserved. that if it were not so small we might almost hope to make out what is intended. Till access can be obtained to the slab itself it must remain a puzzle. Figs. 6. and 7. belong to the principal frieze, but are so weather-worn and.so fragmentary that their subjects can hardly be made out. Fig. 8. belongs to another frieze, and does not seem to form part of the Rail, but belongs apparently to some detached building. a The inscription in Fig. 1. wil be found, Appendix E. Fig. XX., and translated in so far as its weather-worn character will allow. It is one of the most interesting of the series, as it records a gift to the Maha Chaitya of Danakakata. If this 1s established, it settles the question of this being the place described by Hiouen Thsang as Danakacheka. The other long inscription, Plate LXXXIII. Fig. 1., will be found in the same Appendix, No. IJ. It is unfortunately: only known from a transcript by Colonel Mackenzie’s draughtsman, who did not know the character, but it can be made out tolerably satisfactorily. { Is it the legend. J. A. §.B. vol. XVII. part IT. p. 73. | ny b ts \ is 6 he the ¥ = Dn) ( we : - iy) f\ As x i SNC? De e Ar ay 7 Ct i OT : TAWA raerod WNYC CA WENIAN ~ al nad ait Wl IG Dleiteeiucieiaeasieles i ee NANO NWN dy. ERACMENTS Of ¥RULZES, INDIA MUSEUM. . 3 Kas EA eta FN Q al —=Z ———s Zong aS Wrepy PEWALE FIGURES FORMING PORTION OF INNER ENCLOSURE, 7 a tm P 3 a “PLATE a a ote take aes # ‘ ai i +m PRAGMENT, OF *OIS RELIEE,, ee we % dA Ne ‘ ; y ‘Ry. : as < ee wf _ ~ ‘ _ i | Pp? a > DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 207 PLATES LXXXIV., LXXXV., anp LXXXVI. PLATE LXXXIV. Fies. 2. and 3. of Plate LXXXIV. represent two other portions of the frieze of the inner Rail. From the style of sculpture and the arrangement of the lotus discs, they evidently belong to a different part of the Rail from those previously quoted, and have all the appearance of being the most modern of the sculptures at Amravati. From. their character I should guess that they might belong to the sixth century, but’ as something of this appearance may be due to the draftsmen, this indication must not be implicitly relied upon. The figure seated on the couch between his two wives’ in 1 Fig. 2. is probably the same as is depicted in Plate LXXIII. Fig. 1. The interest of the storv evidently ‘hangs on the three old women in_the foreground, whoever they may be. In Fig. 3. we have Buddha represented in the usual attitudes in which he appears in all sculpture subsequent to the fourth or fifth century, but in which he’ hardly appears before that time. Fig. 1. is also of an inferior character as a piece of s mereee but is curious as representing what appears to be a kind of litter borne on men’s shoulders, in which - five persons are seated. Two men only are represented as carrying it, though it must have required at least a dozen. It is introduced here not because of its beauty, but because it may serve to. illustrate a somewhat similar representation in Plate LXIV. Fig. 1. If, however, it is only a litter or palanquin, this would seem , ta, militate against the idéa expressed when describing that Plate, that it was the boat-shaped ark bearing relics from Ceylon.- In this case ‘the difficulty of ascer- taining what this action may represent is very much augmented by the fact that the’ marble.is only a fragment, and we do not see to whom or towards what object the | procession is tending. So far as can be made out, the persons in the litter are bringing as presents those objects—-jewels or relics—which are displayed in front of them, to some person or shrine that was depicted in the front part now broken off; and it may be that Danta Kumara and Hemachala were thus borne on their return to Dhanakacheka. At present, however, I am afraid the materials do not exist’ for determining this question. PLATE LXXXV. These two female figures, with several others, were used as pilasters either at the angles of the inner Rail or in the centre, when it was desirable to separate the subjects into groups. They cannot be said to be pleasing, showing all the defects of the style in an exaggerated manner, but they are certainly curious. That on the left bears apparently-a torch in her right hand, and behind her head is seen the | familiar snake. The figure on the right holds a dagger run through a human head, and in her left another head held up by a handle., Whether these are to be considered as heads severed from human bodies, or as vessels in the form of heads, 208 THE TOPE AT AMRAVATI. is by no means clear. ‘If the figuré were Durga, or any shadowing of her appearance on the stage, we would at once acknowledge them as skulls, but in the absence of the marble itself, we must not speculate too boldly. The niches in which these figures stand are. curious reminiscences of the Sanchi Gateways. — PLATE LXXXVI. The principal interest in this piece’ of sculpture centres in the bearded figure _in the lower division. Except those represented in. Plate LXX., he is the only man with that appendage* at Amravati. That he is of the same race as those I have called inate or Takshaks at Sanchi is evident, not only from this, but from the form of his kilt and his mode of dressing his hair. From the animals that accompany him he is intended to be represented as a dweller in the woods, and his hermitage is seen behind him— no longer a circular thatched hut, but a square-built cell. Beside it is a tumulus, in a square enclosure, similar to that represented in Plate XXXII., and with a pot of flowers at each angle. Still, from the absence of a Tee, it remains uncertain whether we are to consider this as a Dagoba, or a Tomp, or a Temple of the older people, from who: the Buddhist may afterwards have adopted this form for their _Dagobas. My own im;ression is, that the latter is the most likely hypothesis. From the reverential inode in which the women approach him, and the manner in which the man in the chariot brings his gift, it is evident that the bearded man is considered a holy hermit. So far, however, from this reflecting a priestly character on those of his’ race at Sanchi, it appears rather that the race had become nearly extinct, and that the first time the Hindus approach one of them with reverence is on one of the latest sculptures at Amravati, when the few who remained had acquired a character of sanctity from their scarcity. I am afraid from the style of drawing, that this bas-relief has been entrusted by , Colonel Mackenzie to an inferior artist to copy, which is to be regretted, as it is one of the most interesting in the series. So far as can be judged from the style, it is one of ¢he most modern of the whole. The chariot, the hermit, and the head-dress of the king do not occur in any other sculpture at Amravati. The altar in front of: the Pipal tree is peculiar, so is the mode in which the women dress their hair. Besides all this, it does not seem, either from its style or dimensions, to belong to . either of the Rails or to the central building. It probably was part of some later erection, of which no other fragment now: remains, but with such evidence as this drawing affords it is not possible to say what that was or when erected. The head-dress of the Raja in ‘the upper division ‘of this. bas-relief is ‘also worthy of remark. We have. only: once met-with it before, in’ Plate LX., but is similar to some that are found in the Caves at Badamee, belonging probably to the ninth or tenth century. A similar head-dress is also represented by Colonel Abbott, as found in a fragment of a statue at Mullote, in the Punjab. t My impression is, that it is of Persian or rather Yavana origin. * The Scythians, in Fig. 1. Plate LXXXIL, ought perhaps to be excepted, but they are evidently strangers. tJ. A. 8. B., vol. XVII. Plate IV. Fig. 2. WAXXX J1VId Ta RA ed LOR PLATE LXXXIX. AMBAY ATI.