In the neighbourhood of Peshawur, there are monasteries at Jamalgiri, Takht-i-Bahi, Shah Dehri, and Sabri Balol. The sculptures and architecture are highly classical,—Ionic Corinthian capitals; and some antiquaries regard them as acquired from the Bactrian Greeks, while others attribute them to western influence after the age of Constantine. There are many figures of Buddha, and numerous other figures with nimbus or glories or circular discs at the backs of their heads ; they are on the base of the altars or stupas, on the walls and in the cells.
The Brahmanical caves of India were excavated after those of the Buddhist and Jain% The more prominent are as follow :— Saiva cave at Aihole, in the Kaladgi district, S. of Bijapur, A.D. 500 to MO.
2. Badami caves, one Saiva and two Vaisbnava, A.D. 550-579.
3. Karma caves, between Ausa and Kalyana in the Hyderabad territory, A.D. 500-700.
4. Amba Jogi Saiva cave near Monninabad and Bhamburde cave near Poona, A.D. 550-600.
5. Dhokeswar, between Junnar and Ahmadnaggur, A.D. 550-600.
6. Rameswara cave at Ellora.
7. Ravana ka Khai and Des Avatara at Ellora, A.D. 6C0-700.
8. Dumar Lena and Ellora caves, N. of Rameswara, A.D. 650-725.
9. Mahavallepur Rana, S. of Madras, A.D. 650-700.
10. Undavalli, Vaishnava cave on the Krishna at Bezwara, A.D. 650-700.
11. Elepbanta, Jogeswari, and Mandapeswari caves near Bombay, A.D. 725-775.
12. Patur in Bera, Rudreswara, near Ajunta, Patna in Kandesh, and caves near Satara, A.D. 700 800.
13. Kailasa monolithic Saiva temple at Ellora, A.D. 725-800.
14. Dhumnar Brahmanical caves, A.D. 750-800.
The Behar caves are in the neighbourhood of Rajagriha. The Milkmaid's cave and Brahman Girl's cave have inscriptions in the Lat character. They are of about 200 B.C., and are the most ancient caves of India. The Nagarjuni cave and Haft Khaneh or Satghur group are situated in the southern arm of the hill at some little distance from the Brahman Girl and Milkmaid's cave. Another group is the neighbouring Karna chapara and Lomas Rishi cave.
The caves of Udyagiri and Khandagiri hill, about 20 miles from Cuttack, and 5 from Bhuvan eswara, are next in antiquity to those of Behar. They are built on the hills of Udyagiri and Khandagiri. The former are Buddhist and the older ; the latter, probably, are Jaina. Many of the inscriptions are in the Lat character, and this gives their age as anterior to the Christian era. The frieze sculpture in the Ganes gumpha is superior to any in India, and resembles that of the Sanchi tope at Bhilsa. In it there are no gods, no figures of different sizes, nor any extra vagance. On the Buddhist caves here, there are no figures of Buddha, or any images. In a Jaina cave in Khandagiri, the twenty-four thirthankara, with their female energies, are sculptured.
The Ajunta are the most complete series of Buddhist caves iu India, without any mixture of Brahmanism, and contain types of all the rest. They are in a ravine in the ghat south of the Tapti. At Bang, also in a ravine or small valley in the ghat, on the north side of the valley of the Tapti, are three ancient Buddhist caves.
Those of Karli are not so extensive as the Ajunta, but still purely Buddhistical, and con taining the largest and finest chaitya cave in India. Karl is about halfway between Poona and Bombay on the right-hand side of the valley as you proceed towards the sea.
The Salsette or Kenheri caves in the island of Salsette are also purely Buddhist, but very inferior to the former. The Kenheri caves are excavated in a hill situated in the midst of an immense tract of forest country, and Mr. Fergusson supposed their date about the Oth and 10th century of the Christian era. The monastic system of the Buddhists has its finest illustration in the series of dormitories, chapels, halls, and temples at Kenheri.
Dhumnar, about 40 miles south-east from Neinuch, but close to Chundivassa, contains Buddhist caves with a Brahmanical rock temple behind.
The Ellora caves are excavated in a porphyritic greenstone or amygdaloid. The Kailas at Ellora is a wonderful work of art—is a small hill cut into a temple. The caves of Elephants overlook the harbour of Bombay. The Elephants caves are cut in a harder rock than those at Ellora. Those of Dhumnar and Ellora contain a strong admixture of Brahmanism, and those of Eleplianta are entirely Brahmanical, though perhaps of the same age as those of Ellora.
The Orissa cave temples are in two isolated hills of sandstone rock, about 20 miles from Cuttack, and 5 from Bhuvaneswar. The oldest are in the hill called Udayagiri, the more modern in that portion called Khandagiri. They became Jaina about the 10th or 11th century, and at the close of the 18th century a Jaina temple was erected in Khandagiri hill. The oldest cave is called Hat'hi Gumpha. The Aswatama rock near by has on it a copy of Asoka's edicts ; and there is another at Aska, near the N. end of the Chilka lake. They are supposed to have been excavated about the time of Asoka. Another natural cave is stated in an inscription to be that of Chulakarma; and others the Pawan Garbha, Jodev Garbha, the Ganesha, Ananta Garbha, and the Rani Gumpha. In the last-named the sculptures represent hunting scenes, fighting, dancing, drinking, and love ' making. The sole emblems which can be regarded as Buddhistic are the swastika, the trisul, and shield.—Fergitsson, pp. 105, 132, 143; Fergussun and Burgess, pp. 403, 484 ; Cunningham's Archeo logical Report.