. Annals and antiquities of Rajasthan, or The central and western Rajput states of India . s, all cut outof the rock ; and again, on the exterior, are numerous squarecells, called the apartments of the Srawaks, or Jain laity ; inone of which there is a supporting dagoba, and in another twostatues of the twenty-third pontiff, Parsva. A part of thevaulted roof of Bhims treasury, as it is called, has fallen in sothat the vault of heaven is seen through the aperture of the moun-tain. This is also attributed to Kaurava Chor (thief), whosestatue appears on the pinnacle of the temple of Barolli, indi
. Annals and antiquities of Rajasthan, or The central and western Rajput states of India . s, all cut outof the rock ; and again, on the exterior, are numerous squarecells, called the apartments of the Srawaks, or Jain laity ; inone of which there is a supporting dagoba, and in another twostatues of the twenty-third pontiff, Parsva. A part of thevaulted roof of Bhims treasury, as it is called, has fallen in sothat the vault of heaven is seen through the aperture of the moun-tain. This is also attributed to Kaurava Chor (thief), whosestatue appears on the pinnacle of the temple of Barolli, indicatingthe old enemy of [725J the Pandus, who robbed them of theirkingdom. Close to the armoury is an apartment called theRajloka, or for the ladies ; but here tradition is at fault, sincewith the exception of Kunti, the mother, Draupadi alone sharedthe exile of the Pandavas. ^ [This is a Buddhist Chaitya cave surrounded by a Vihara. Thesecaves are probably the last constructed Buddhist caves in India, and canhardly be dated before the eighth century {ibid. 393 ; ASR, ii. 272 f.).]. THE DHAMNAR caves 1777 Still further to the right, or south-west, is another vaulted androof-ribbed apartment, tliirty feet by fourteen, and about sixteenin central height, supported by another image of Sumeru. Thesacred bar, or fig-tree {Ficus religiosa), had taken root in the veryheart of this cavern, and having expanded imtil checked by theroof, it found the hne of least resistance to be the caves mouth,whence it issued horizontally, and is now a goodly tree over-shadowing the cave (pide Plate). Around this there are manyPausiddhsalas, or halls for the Yatis, or initiated disciples, whostand in the same upright meditative posture as the pontiffs. But it is impossible, and the attempt would be tedious, to give,by any wiitten description, an adequate idea of the subterraneantown of Dhamnar. It is an object, however, which wiU assist inillustratiug the subject of cave-worship in India ; and thou
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