I was, however, so fortunate
as to see a martyr, to whom great numbers of people flocked. This
holy man had, for three-and-twenty years, held one of his arms
raised up with the hand turned back so far that a flower-pot could
stand upon it. The three-and-twenty years were passed, and the
flower-pot was removed; but neither hand nor arm were to be brought
into any other position, for the muscles had contracted, the arm was
quite withered, and presented a most repulsive appearance.
The Island of Elephanta is about six or eight miles distant from
Bombay. Herr Wattenbach was so kind as to take me there one day. I
saw some rather high mountains, which, however, we did not ascend;
we visited only the temples, which are very near to the landing-
place.
The principal temple resembles the larger viharas at Adjunta, with
the single exception, that it is separated on both sides from the
solid rock, and is connected with it only above, below, and at the
back. In the sanctuary stands a gigantic three-headed bust. Some
believe that it represents the Hindoo Trinity; one of the heads is
full-faced, the two others in profile, one right, the other left.
The bust, including the head-dress, measures certainly as much as
eight feet. On the walls and in the niches, there are a number of
giant statues and figures; in fact, whole scenes of the Hindoo
mythology.
