Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-26

The most interesting thing in Bombay Is
the people, but there are several excursions
into the country around well worth making.
particularly those which take you to the
cave temples of the Hindus, which have
been excavated with infinite labor and
pains out of the solid rock.
With their primitive tools the people of
ancient time chiseled great cavities In the
sides of rocky cliffs and hills and fashioned
them after the conventional designs of
temples, with columns, pillars, vaulted CELL
ings. platforms for their idols, and pupits
for their priests.
The nearest of these wonderful examples
OF stone cutting is on an island called File
phanta. in the harbor of Bombay, because
at one time a colossal stone elephant stood
on the slope near the landing place, but it
was destroyed by the Portuguese several
centuries ago. The island rises about 6JO
feet above the water, it's summit is crown
ed with glorious growth of forest, its
sides are covered with dense jungles and
the beach is skirted by mangrove swamps
You get there by steam launch provided
by the managers of your hotel, or by the
tourist agents, whenever a sufficient party
is willing to pay them for their trouble.
Or II you prefer sail, you can hire one of
the native boats with its peculiar rigging
and usually get good breeze in the m,:rn-
ing, although it is apt to die down in the
afternoon, and you >have to take your
chances of staying out all night. The only
landing place is a wall of concrete which
has been built out across the beach into
four or five feet of water, and you have to
step gingerly lest you slip on the slime.
AT the end of the wall solid stairway cut
in the hillside leads up to the temple. 1t
vas formerly used daily by thousands of
worshipers, but in this degenerate age no.
body but tourists ever climb it.
Every boat load that lands is greeted by
group of bright-eyed children, who fol-
low the sahibs (gentlemen) and mem sahtbs
Qadies) up the stairs. begging for back
sheesh and offering for sale curious beetles
and other insects of brilliant hues that
abound on the island. Coolies are waiting
at the foot of the stairs with chairs fasten-
ed to poles, in which they will carry per-
son up to the temple for 10 cents. Reach
ing the top you find solid fence with
gateway. which is opened by a retired
army officer who has been appointed Gus
todian of the place and collects small fees,
which are devoted to keeping the temples
clean and in repair.
silva, the Destroyer.
The island is dedicated to silva, the de-
mon god of the Hindus. and it is therefore
appropriate that it's swamps and jungles
should abound with poisonous reptiles and
insects. The largest of the several temples
is 100 feet square and from thirty-two to
fifty-eight feet high. an artificial cave CHS
eled out of the granite mountain side. The
roof is sustained by sixteen pilaSterS and
twenty-six massive fluted pillars. In a re-
cess in the center is gigantic figure OF
silva in his character as The Destroyer. His
face is turned to the east and wears a
stern, commanding expression. His head
dress is elaborate and crowned by a tiara
beautifully carved. In one hand he holds
a citron and in the other the head Of a
cobra. which is twisted around his arm
and is reaching toward his face. His neck
is adorned with strings of pearls from
which hangs pendant in the form of a
heart. Another necklace supports hui
man skull. the peculiar symbol of silva,
with twisted snakes growing from the head
instead of hair. This Is the great image of
the temple and represents the most cruel
and revengeful of all the Hindu gods. Ten
centuries ago he wore altogether differ
ent character. but human sacrifices have
always been made to propitiate him.
Around the walls of the cave are other
gods of smaller stature representing sew
eral of the most prominent and powerful of
the Hindu pantheon. all of them chtseled
from the solid granite There are several
chambers or chapels also for different
forms of worship. well which receives its
water from some mysterious source, and Is
said to be very deep.
The Portuguese did great damage here
several centuries ago in war with India,
for they fired several cannon balls straight
into the mouth of the cave. which carried
away several of the columns and destroyed
..
Asiatic Society has taken the trouble to
make careful and accurate repairs.
Caves of Ellora.
Although the caves at Elephanta are
wonderful. they are greatly inferior in size
and beauty to a larger group at Ellora, a
days journey by train from Bombay. and
after that carriage or horseback ride of
two hours Here are 1903 of these rock tenn
pies. carved out of the solid rock by the
ancient Hindus between the second and
the tenth centuries They are scattered
along the base of range of beautifully
wooded hills about so feet above the plain,
and the amount of labor and patience ex
pended in their construction Is simply ap-
palling especially when one considers that
the men who made them were without the
appliances and tools of modern times, knew
moi hing of explosives. and were dependent
upon chisels of flint and other stones. The
greatest and finest of them Is as perfect
in its details and as elaborate IN It's orna-
mentation as the cathedral at Milan or at
Toledo, except that it has been cut out of
a single piece of stone instead of being
built up of many small pieces.
The Architects Plans.
The architect made his plans with the
most prodigal detail and executed them
with the greatest perfection. He took a
solid rock an absolute monolith, and carved
out of 1t a cathedral $50 feet long, 1872 feet
wide and 98 feet high, with four rows Of
mighty columns sustaining vaulted roof
that is covered with pictures in relief illus
trating the power and the adventures and
the achievements of his gods. 1t would
accommodate 5000 worshipers. Around
the walls he left rough projections, which
were afterward carved into symbolical fig
ures and images. eight ten and twelve feet
high, of elephants, lions, tigers, oxen. rams,
swans and eagles, larger than life. In the
corner inches and recesses have been carved
with the most intricate ornamentation, and
in them, still of the same rock, without the
introduction of an atom of outside material,
his sculptors chiseled the figures of forty
or more of the principal Hindu deities. And
on each of the four sides is massive altar
cut out of the side of the cliff with the
most ornate and elaborate traceries and
other establishment.
Indeed, my pen is not capable of descrfb-
ing this most wonderful achievement of hui
man genius and patience. But all Of them
have been described in great detail and with
copious illustrations in books that refer to
nothing else. / can only say that they are
the most wonderful of all the human monu.
ments in India.
From one vast mount of solid stone,
mighty temple has been. cored
BY nut-brown children Of the sun,
When stars were newly bright, and blithe
OF song along the rim Of dawn
mighty monolith.