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You are on a small island in a bay on the western coast of India. Bombay is only seven miles distant straight ahead and a little to your right.

This spot where you are now is part way up the northern slope of a hill covered with trees and undergrowth. There are three of these great cavern-temples cut out of the solid rock of this hillside. Western archaeologists, after close study of the style of the sculptures (see those queer, dragon-like tigers and the huge bas-relief beyond), are inclined to estimate their age at about one thousand years. This particular cave seems to have been a shrine for the worship of Siva, the Hindu divinity who stands for the reproductive forces in nature. He is symbolically represented by a lingam, or small stone pillar, farther in among the dark, mysterious hollows cut out of the heart of this hill. For a thousand years at least , possibly much longer pious Hindus have come to pray before the symbols of a mysterious Power they could not understand and to make sacrifices born of fear.There is a special Siva festival in February which brings thousand of devotees here at one time. When Sir Edwin Arnold lived in India he mad a most serious study of the religion of the people. His "India Revisited" gives some interesting glimpses into native thought along such lines. One highly educated Brahmin priest said in a answer to his questions about the satisfaction gained from the fait: "Who knows more than is known,Sahib? We do as our fathers taught us and we believe as we were taught; but the goddess is silent, and nobody comes back from the burning ground to say if we ar right or wrong" 

For a thousand years at least, possibly much longer, pious Hindus have come to pray before the symbols of a mysterious Power they could not understand and to make sacrifices born of fear. There is a special Siva festival in February which brings thousands of devotees here at one time. When Sir Edwin Arnold lived in India he made a most serious study of the religion of the people. His "India Revisited" gives some interesting glimpses into native thought along such lines. One highly educated Brahmin priest said in answer to his questions about the satisfactions gained from the faith: "Who knows more than is known, Sahib? We do as our fathers taught us and we believe as we were taught; but the goddess is silent, and nobody comes back from the burning ground to say if we are right or wrong."

(See Carpenter: "From Adam's Peak to Elephanta," and Karageorgeovitch: "Enchanted India.")

From Notes of Travel, No. 11, copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood.

A wonderful rock-hewn temple at Elephanta, India.

Un merveilleux temple, creusé dans le roe à Elephanta, Inde.

Ein wunderschön, in Felsen gehauen Tempel zu Elephanta, Indien.

Un aso ubroso tempe labrado en un roca en Elephanta, India.

Ett un lerbart, i klippan uthuggel tempel vid Elephanta, Indien.
  
Удивитедъный храмъ, [[smudged]]енный въ скадв у Эдефанта, Индiя.

Transcription Notes:
"lingam" should be italicized. I can't handle the Cyrillic characters.