East

of the Jaina shrines we find the older sites of nature worshipers—the Achal-Garh (“abode of fire”), or Achal-Gadh of Siyaite and Vishnuva Hindus. The Sivaites say the name, Achal-isvar, means ‘‘stable, or immoveable god.” For, in the little attached shrine of the Brimh-Khar (“hot spring”), which i ues from a deep fi ure over which presides Parvati (typifying woman), the god’s “Toe” is shown in the water, as an oval whitish button; and, as long as the “Foot” here rests, the mountain will remain, and the faithful need not fear its rumbling and quaking—often very alarming. By this thermal spring the bi-sexual creator appears as Ardanar-[svara (see Rivers of Life, ii, Plate XIV.), who made male and female. The whole mountain is called “the womb of Parvati”; and the fi ure is her Yoni, whence Faith i ued as a “two months’ foetus.” No European may pa its barred entrance; but we managed to enter the shrine, and to look closely at the white button in the bubbling hot spring. On an altar is a silver Parvati, with two side figures, one being Siva. They face the great brazen bull of Gawala (‘the guardian ”)—the Nandi which ikon ok lasts stole or destroyed. All round this it is holy ground. On the N.E. lies the sweet wooded undulating vale of Agni-Kund, with a pilgrim tank (350 by 150 ft.) once warm, as the name shows, but now cold and ruined, like the numerous surrounding shrines scattered up and down the pretty green valley. Among them is a Jaina shrine of Santi-nath, the 16th Tirthankara; but there are no Buddhist remains. In the centre of the Kund rises a lingam rock—a shrine now dedicated to Mata the dreaded gode of small pox, Other rural shrines—mostly Sivaite— are falling into decay, with broken Nandis and lingams, which are scattered about the valley; on one mandap (“porch”) Vishnu was | carved as Narayana, reclining with Lakshmi on Sesha, the Serpent of Eternity, as when creating the world (see Vishnu). On the high overhanging cliffs to S.E., is the ruined fort and palace of the Ranas of Chitor, reached by a steep rocky path, fitly named after Hanuman, the monkey god. Here are found a small shrine, and the house of the pujdri, or priest in charge. He shows three equestrian statues of bra , representing the founders, or patrons, _ of his office in the 15th century a.c—believed to be Kumbha, the - famous Rana of Medwada (1419-1469.c.), and two of his Rajas.