A Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of IndiaAcland, Charles
History
A Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of India
Acland, Charles
India -- Description and travel; India -- Social life and customs
In the solid rock of these hills have been excavated some tanks;
but the most marvellous thing of all is the palace of the ancient
rajahs. This, like all the rest, is hollowed out of the solid stone,
and consists of two stories; the lower comprises a good-sized square
court, surrounded on all sides by large excavated chambers. Into
this yard you are obliged to descend from above. The upper floor is
similarly cut, except that a large portion of the rock has been cut
away before the entrances were made to the chambers. The consequence
is that there is a broad terrace, overlooking the rooms beneath,
and upon which the several apartments of the upper story open.
What labour must have been employed in making these extraordinary
excavations! The chambers are narrow, about twelve feet wide, but
many of them are long; speaking from conjecture, I should say that
one of them was not less than forty feet, the length corresponding
with the direction of the side of the quadrangle. The entrance-walls
(if I may call them so) seem to have been much ornamented; but what
struck me most was a statue, cut, of course, out of the solid rock,
and supporting one side of an ornamented entrance to one of the
chambers. This statue, the natives say, is intended to represent the
rajah who founded the palace: it is nearly the size of life and well
preserved. The right arm hangs down by the side, the left is bent at
the elbow, the hand resting on the hip. On the head appears to be a
close helmet, with, I think, scales down each side of the face. The
dress consists of a short shirt of scale armour reaching down to the
thigh; below this hangs a cloth skirt to the knees; hanging from the
shoulders behind is a short cloak resembling that worn by our modern
horsemen; round the waist is a sash or loose belt; boots reaching
half-way to the knees; and at the side is a double-edged Roman sword.
Now, to what nation or people such a dress as this can have belonged
I cannot conceive. I feel confident that no people of India have ever
worn such garments; yet, when I look at this dress, and consider the
Grecian nature of many of the letters in the inscriptions, and the
un-Indian appearance of the pillars in the lion's mouth, I cannot
help asking myself whether it is possible that, when Alexander was
stopped by the Affghans, any of his people ventured still farther
into the country, and after various wanderings founded Cundeegurree,
as conquerors of the district. Or, if I wish to turn my speculations
in another direction, I may examine the dress, carved in stone, and
that statue, and think of the name of the reputed founder Lalal,
India, Kesari (quære Cæsar?). All this, however, is mere speculation,
as I have no sufficient data at present by which to arrive at any
conclusion. There is a much longer inscription very correctly copied
in Stirling's 'History of Orissa.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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