DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0075
SITA MABHI. 53
miversally to be found in the other caves here. The jambs of the
doorway also slope inwards nearly in the ratio of 3 to 4, from both
which peculiarities I would infer that this may be the oldest cave in
the neighbourhood. "We must however have a more extended series
of examples before we can form a reliable sequence in this direction,
but it is only by quoting new examples as they turn up that we can
hope to arrive at such a chronological scale; in the meantime, how-
ever, we may feel sure that this hermitage belongs to the great
Mauryan age, but whether before or after Asoka's time must be left
at present undetermined; my impression at present is that it is the
oldest thing of its class yet discovered in India.
On the banks of the Sona river, above Eohtasgarh, there are
several excavations, some of them apparently of considerable extent,
but they have never yet been examined, so far at least as I can
learn, by anyone who could say what they were, nor of what age.
We must consequently wait for further information before attempt-
ing to describe them. Further up, in the valley of the same river,
at a place called Harchoka, there are some very extensive excavations,
regarding which it would be very desirable some more information
could be obtained. The place is situated in latitude 23° 51' 31",
longitude 81° 45' 34", as nearly as maybe 110 miles due south from
Allahabad, and as it is only 70 miles south-east from Bharhut, it
seems a pity it was not visited by General Cunningham, or one of
his assistants, while exploring that country in search for fragments
of that celebrated stupa. What we know of it is derived from a
paper by Captain Samuells in Vol. XL. of the Journal of the Royal
Asiatic Society, p. 177 et seq., which is accompanied by a plan and
section very carefully drawn, but the latter unfortunately on so
small a scale that its details are undistinguishable. As Captain
Samuells does not profess to be an archaeologist his text does not
afford us much information, either as to the age of this excavation,
nor as to the religion to which it was dedicated. If an opinion may
be hazarded, from the imperfect data available, I would suggest
that this cave is contemporary with the late Brahmanical caves at
Elura, and consequently belongs to the 7th or 8th century, and that
the religion to which it was dedicated was that of Siva.1
1 In the year 1794 Captain Blunt visited two extensive sets of caves at a place called
Mara, in the neighbourhood, and described them in the seventh volume of the Asiatic
miversally to be found in the other caves here. The jambs of the
doorway also slope inwards nearly in the ratio of 3 to 4, from both
which peculiarities I would infer that this may be the oldest cave in
the neighbourhood. "We must however have a more extended series
of examples before we can form a reliable sequence in this direction,
but it is only by quoting new examples as they turn up that we can
hope to arrive at such a chronological scale; in the meantime, how-
ever, we may feel sure that this hermitage belongs to the great
Mauryan age, but whether before or after Asoka's time must be left
at present undetermined; my impression at present is that it is the
oldest thing of its class yet discovered in India.
On the banks of the Sona river, above Eohtasgarh, there are
several excavations, some of them apparently of considerable extent,
but they have never yet been examined, so far at least as I can
learn, by anyone who could say what they were, nor of what age.
We must consequently wait for further information before attempt-
ing to describe them. Further up, in the valley of the same river,
at a place called Harchoka, there are some very extensive excavations,
regarding which it would be very desirable some more information
could be obtained. The place is situated in latitude 23° 51' 31",
longitude 81° 45' 34", as nearly as maybe 110 miles due south from
Allahabad, and as it is only 70 miles south-east from Bharhut, it
seems a pity it was not visited by General Cunningham, or one of
his assistants, while exploring that country in search for fragments
of that celebrated stupa. What we know of it is derived from a
paper by Captain Samuells in Vol. XL. of the Journal of the Royal
Asiatic Society, p. 177 et seq., which is accompanied by a plan and
section very carefully drawn, but the latter unfortunately on so
small a scale that its details are undistinguishable. As Captain
Samuells does not profess to be an archaeologist his text does not
afford us much information, either as to the age of this excavation,
nor as to the religion to which it was dedicated. If an opinion may
be hazarded, from the imperfect data available, I would suggest
that this cave is contemporary with the late Brahmanical caves at
Elura, and consequently belongs to the 7th or 8th century, and that
the religion to which it was dedicated was that of Siva.1
1 In the year 1794 Captain Blunt visited two extensive sets of caves at a place called
Mara, in the neighbourhood, and described them in the seventh volume of the Asiatic