T h e furface of multitudes of the rocks are covered with
fculptures of varieties of kinds ; numbers exprefs the human
form, defcribing the aérions of the'heroes celebrated in the Ma-
habarat.
Antient O th e r figures defcribe the Hindoo mythology, fiich as Kir-
ScuifTUREs. attending the herd's of Nundagbofe. In another place is a
gigantic Vifhnou afleep on à couch, with a vaft fnake, in numbers
of coils, ferving as for. the head o f the great deity ; all cut
out of the body of the rock. There are befides numbers- of
figures o f animals : Among them an elephant as big as life-;
and a lion larger than the natural fize, well executed, and each
hewn out of the feme ftorie. The name given to thelaft animal
Is Sing, which always means in the Hindoo tongue a lion.
The feme name is alfo beftowed to the- monftrous figures frequent
in Hindoo ftulpture, from the diftorted figures which
feem originally copied from the lion, but either by fancy or
want of ikill turned rnto real monfters.
M o s t o f t h e f c u lp t u r e s u p o n t h e t em p le - r o c k s o f th is c i t y
a r e -w e l l e x p la in e d b y a n u m b e r o f Brahmins, w h o r e f id e in an
a d ja c e n t v i l la g e , f t i l l r e t a in in g it s a n t ie n t n am e : a n d th e f e h o l y
m e n f e em p e r f e é r i y a c q u a in t e d w i t h t h e h i f t o s y o f t h e o r n a m
e n t s o f t h e p la c e .
T he antient name o f this place is Mavalipqram in th_e Lu-
muiic tongue, but in that of the more northern Hindoos,. Mw-
bâbalipur, or the eity of the great Bali, a hero famed in Hindoo
romance *. It had been a city of vaft extent, built,' or perhaps
in part formed, by excavating the numerous rocks which rofe
* Afiatic Refearches, i. p. 146.
out