New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-23
pAYARD TAYLOR's LETTERS.

A Visit to the Cave-Temples OF Eicphantn.
sS,o,,,l G Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune


are brought face to face with periods remote that
they lie more than half within the realm of Fable yet
there the cropping antiquarian has pierced the mystery
and leads you down from dynasty to dynasty, ON the
crumbng steps of hieroglyphic lore But here IN In
da-the cradle as many believe of the Human Race
We have no such helps, and while We gaze upon the
tokens of Faith which preexisten to that OF the
PharOahs Science sits down ba1ed and leaves ia 70 wan
der in the dark No Wilkinson or Champoion writes on
the alters OF the gods " b. Csc and so much The
whole backward vista of time is thrown upon, and
free to the ages to the days when there
giants | no longer marvel at any of the ancient
Faiths only wonder that those vast, strange and g0r
geous systems of mythology ever should have disap-
peared from the religions of the world while such types
of them remain IN existence.
The Hindoo faith in its original and pure form,
consistent monOtheism, and doubt is still so under
stood by the intellectual of its professors The pa
rent Deity Brehm, invisible and OmnipOtent God,
the maker of Heaven and Earth, and like the Divinity
of the Buddhsts too great for mortal comprehension
The three detes who sprang from him may be regarded
rather personfcatOns OF his attributes than as dis
tnct personalities These detes, who form the Tri-
muri HindOo Trinity Brahma the Creator, Wish
nu the Preserver and silva, the Destroyer Among the
embems of the latter is newborn infant showing that
Life is continually reproduced Death From these
three spring host of inferior deities, whO with their
progeny amount to the number OF 33O0O0O0, of whom
three millions evil and the remainder good. Here
the prepODderance of Good over Evil in the government
of the world, and consequently the benecence OF the
ruling Deity, is strihingly acknowledged The original
faith has greatly degenerated, as all the old religions
have and among the ignorant millions exists only IN the
most extraordinary supersOns and the Srossest forms
of dOatry but deny the simple grandeur OF
its first conception.
However, as am traveller, and not theologian let
me return the subject which my visit to the Cave
temples of Eephanta. These celebrated remains are
upon the Island of Elephanta in the Bay, and about
seven miles distant from Bombay. | was accompanied
by the captain of an American bark. We engaged "A
bunder.bOat craft with small cabin, something like
the kdnga of the Nile embarked at the Apollo pier
and went up the Bay with the food tide We passed the
fort and hOatCd along the shore as far as MaZagaun
where the wind favored for out to the island
The scenery of the Bay is beautiful the different islands
rising from the water in bold hills covered with vegeta
ton while the peaks of the Malabar Ghauts cut their
sharp outlines against the sky the opposite side Butch
ers Island which lies between Bombay and Eephanta
is comparatively low and flat, and has a barren appear
ance but it contains a number of European bungalows
and seems to be favOrite place OF residence Eepha
ta on the contrary, which is about mile III length, Is
lofty and covered with palm and tamarlnd trees It's
form very beautiful the summit being divided into two
peaks of unequal hight.
The water is shallow the western side, and as we
approached several natives appeared the beach, who
waded out two by two, and carried us ashore on her
shoulders. wellwOrn fOOpath pointed out the way up
the l and in a few minutes stood on the little ter
race between the two peaks and in front OF the temple
The house of the sergeant who Keeps guard over SUN
iuteryened between and the entrance ana before pass
inc If stood for some time looking across TO Bombay
and Saseite enchanted with the beauty of the prospect
before me- More than half the charm, found, lay in
the rich tropical foliage Ofthc foreground
Turning passed around the screens Of some banana
trees and under the bOughs of large tamarlnd The
original entrance to theempe as destroyed so That IL Is
impossible to tell whether there was solid front and
doorway as in the Egyptian rOcktempes whetherthe
whole interior stood Open as new. The front view OF
Elephanta is very picturesque. The rock Is draped
with uxuriant foliage and wild vines, brilliant with many
cOored blossoms Tightening the mysterious gloom OF
the pared hall below, the arthest extremity OF which
the eve dimy discerns the colossal outlines of the tr
formed god of the temple The chambers on each side
of the grand hall are open to the day so that al us
sculptures can he examined without the ad OF torcheS
The rows of rockhewn pillars which support the rootare
surmouned by heavy archtraves from which hang the
capitals and shattered fragments of some whose bases
have been entirely broken away. The Portuguese, IN
their zeal for destroying heather idols planted cannon
before the entrance of the and destroyed many OF
the columns aud panels but the faces OF the
colossal Trinity have escaped mutllatlon
This. the Trimurti is grand and imposing piece of
sculpture not unworthy of the best period OF Egyptian
art 1t reminded me of the colossal figures at AbooSlm
bel though with less OF serene grace and beauty III Is
triple bust, and with the rch y-adorned mlres that
crown the heads rises the hight of twelve feet The
central head which fronts the entrance, is that OF Bra
ma the Creator whose large calm features are settled
in the repOse of conscious power as II creation were 10
him merely action of the WILL and not an effort On
his right hand Vishnu the Presever represented IN
profile His features are soft and feminine, full OF mid
ness and bengny and are almost Grecan in their out
lines except the under lip which is remarkably thick
andfu The hair falls in ordered rlngets from under
cap, something between helmet and mltre The
right arm which is much mutilaed, is lifted to the
shoulder and from the halfclOsed hand drOops lotus
blossom The third member of the Trinity the terrible
silva the DESTROYER, is the LETT OF Brama, and, like
Vishnu his head is turned 10 present the prOhie
His features are totally different from the other two
His forehead is stern rdged at the eyebrows his nose
strongly aqune and his lips slightly parted, 50 as to
show his teeth set with expression OF herce cruelty
and magnty cobra twists around his arm and hand
bcb prasps the snake BY the neck and holds on hgh
with hood expanded, ready to strike the deadly blow
Nothing astonshed me more, in this remarkable group
than the distinct individuality of each head With the
exception of the thick under lip, whichS common to all
three the faces are those of different races Brahlna
approaches the Egyptian and Visnu the Grecian type
while silva is not unlike the MephStopheles OF the
modern German school The group stands in an eXca
waited recess shrine, at the entrance OF winch, on
each side are two cossa statues They are more rude
" executed and the faces exhibit grosser type the
nose being broad and slightly fattened and the lips
thick and projecting The hand holds the otus-ii0wer
and the eyes are closed but the expression OF the face
is that of happy revere rather than sleep Had the
temple been Buddhist should have said that they were
meditating their final beatifc absorption into the Divine
Essence The same figures seen in other parts OF
the temple and their aspect perfectly harmonzes with
the symbols introduced into the purely ornamental parts
of its architecture.
This reminds me of the columns supporting the roof
which are unlike any others have seen The lower
mart is square resting on pinth but at about halt the
hight becomes circular and uted-Or rather hleted
the compartments having plane and not concaye
surface The capital is tattened sphere OF nearly