Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-01-26

secret door OF the concealed temple
was opened, and l found myself at
the entrance of the excavation be-
low. There was not a moments
time to be lost, for the priest had
run off to the Khenger palace,
calling loudly on the Arab guard,
and | knew that if | waited for
their arrival l should never see
the Amjhara. So l at once light
ed small piece of candle which |
had brought with me, and proceed
ed to descend into the cave or un-
derground chamber by steps cut in
the rock, and going down from a
small aperture in the stone floor of
the temple.
On this the remaining attendants
begged me to allow one of them to
go down with me, also with light,
in order to see that no PROCLAMATION
occurred, which of course was at
once assented to. / heard after
ward that the seryitor was secretly
put to death for his share in the
business, but trust and believe that
this statement was one Of those
numerous inventions which are
added on to anyunusual occurrence
by the natives of India, and not by
them alone. At all events ] did
not ask the man to conduct me or
to go down with me at ali, though.
as will appear, it was vel for me
that he did so.
The Jain tenderness for life Of all
kinds ought surely have protected
him from such a fate as that which
ne was said to have met with, but |
would not place much dependence
on that argument, for the Jains
show their tenderness for life in a
curious way at times, and, not
withstanding their affinity to the
Buddhists, appear to have aided
Brahmans in finally extirpating
the Buddhists from India by means
Of torture and slaughter-which
was not only inconsistent, but also
intensely cowardly and mean on
the part of the jams. The aper-
ture is rather narrow and the step:
high which lead down into the
underground chamber.
That chamber, which seems tt
have been excavated out Of the
rock, is of course quite dark, and
J Judging roughly, is only about sil
: feet high, little more in breadth, ant
about eight or nine feet long; bu
} that does not include the consider
: able space of the inches in which
; four statues, if sitting figures may
; be so called, are placed. The Ami
jhara itself is figure of Parash
vanatha, over life size, seated squat
ting. and made of very fine, clos,
white marble. | did not see any
"hollow in the shoulder, said t
have been caused by water tina
dropped from the ear" but a silvel
plate had been let into the fleshl
part of the upper right arm, anc
possibly this may cover the hollow
alluded to; and beneath this, at thu
Saints side, there is a trough about
foot long aud few inches in
depth, for the perspiration to run
into. There were silver ornaments
on the wrists and body, and, l wa,
told afterward, silver plates on the
Soles Of the feet, but these | did mol
myself notice.
On tho right hand side of the
visitor, as he faces the Amijhara
there are three other shrines-onC
with another but smaller, white
marble figure of the same firth.
Iankara. The other two figure,
were somewhat larger, in black
stone, aud ! came to the conclusion
(though | could not now give any
sufficient reason for it) that they
were images of Mahavira. Indeed
there was not much time for a close
inspection, Both Kooshal and the
servitor Of the temples were urging
me to ascend Immediately; and aS
| they had aided me so far, felt that
lit would not have been right, and
much less considerate, to have re-
sisted their request. Any long de.
lay in the sanetum would inevitably
have suggested tue idea that some
process OF sacrilege was going on,
and ] thought it best to oonten,
myself with a hasty but close ex
animation Of the sacred excavation,
On ascending TO the surface, | found
that the Arab guard had been kept
in the inside of the temple, in the
courtyard Of that of Neminatha,
land that three or four of the Jain
priests were awaiting my ascent
| indignant enough, hut disposed tc
treat the aGair qHietly.
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