Page:Vizagapatam.djvu/245

 lesser carvings—among them more stupas. These figures are again much worn. They all exhibit the lengthened ear lobes and the closely curled hair which is characteristic of such images. Limits of space forbid any more detailed account of all these sculptures, and in any case no description would be very intelligible without the aid of drawings.

On the side of the hill a little above this upper chamber is a square pillar, 7 feet high, which is a conspicuous object from the fields below, and not far from it is a small detached cell about 18 ft. by 6 ft. and 7 ft. high, supported on four pillars ornamented with the conventional lotus and containing yet another seated Buddhist figure and certain other images.

Above all these, on the summit of the hill, are a large quantity of bricks, some in position and some scattered in every direction among the grass. It may perhaps be conjectured that these are the remains of a stupa which was built above the rock-cut temples.

There appear to be no inscriptions on any part of these interesting remains.

At the Pongal feast a large gathering of some thousands of Hindus takes place at the foot of these two hills. Sundry religious ceremonies are performed and the village cattle are taken up to the lower of the two chambers above described and driven eight times round the stupa in the centre of it. The crowd then disperses and the shrines are left to the bats and owls for another year. Similar rites are performed at other caves in this district.

At this feast, the curious stone image standing in the hollow between the two hills also comes in for some attention. This represents a woman surrounded by a border made up of tiny human figures and is locally declared to be the image of one Erinamma, who used to kidnap children and eat them. Every woman who comes to the Pongal feast hurls a stone at her, and she is now all but buried beneath the pile so formed.