Fergusson, James; Burgess, James: The cave temples of India (London, 1880)

BUDDHIST CAVES AT KUDA. 207

by the fore part of an elephant. The verandah is about 24J- feet
long by 7 feet 8 inches wide, and has two octagonal pillars in front
standing on a bench with a low back to the outside. The door into
the cave is fully 6 feet wide, and on each side of it is a window.
These light the cave quite sufficiently. The hall is 28 feet 9 inches
wide by 29 feet 4 inches deep, with a seat surrounding the three
inner sides. In the back is an antechamber measuring about 23
feet by 7, and separated from the hall by two plain octagonal pillars,
between which is the entrance. These also stand on the ends of
short benches, whose backs are towards the hall, and are covered
with animals and gana along the middle, and with floral patterns
above and below. See Plate VII., fig. 1.

At the end of the antechamber is a cell with a stone bench or bed
on the right side of it, and at the back of the bench a recess 2 feet
8 inches by 5-| feet, apparently intended for storing away valuables.
The shrine is 15 feet 4 inches wide by 20| feet deep, and about 10^
feet high, containing a perfectly plain dagoba 7 feet 3 inches in
diameter, and reaching to the roof.

This is the only cave here in which there are any sculptures; but

except the half elephants that support the projecting rock in front,

and the carving on the rail at the back of the hall already mentioned,

it appears to have all been executed after the cave had been finished.

The two principal panels are at the corners on the back of the hall,

and measure each about 5 feet by 6 feet 9 inches. That in the left

corner contains life-sized figures of a man and woman, with a dwarf

attendant. The man wears a heavy turban and large ear-jewels, and

nolds up his left hand. He wears no covering above the waist, but

has long, heavy, tubular bracelets ; his clothing is held together by a

belt and round his loins is a roll of cloth. The woman has a similar

abundance of head-gear, but of a somewhat different style, with a

round plate on the forhead, and wears little else besides this and

some bells round the lower part of the trunk, with heavy round

ailklets. She rests one hand on the head of the dwarf, who kneels

at her left side holding up her foot as if adjusting the heavy anklets.

fi corresponding panel in the left corner is very similar : the male

gwe points upwards with his left hand; the head-dress of the

enjale differs from that in the other sculpture; she had no wristlets;

^d she holds up in her right hand three flower buds. These figures

ear a Tei7 striking resemblance to those in the front wall of the