ps a mile farther, and came to a wonderful group of
temples, dating about the same period, known as Prambanam, where we saw
what excited our wonder and admiration. Though the ruins did not contain
a single genuine Buddha figure, holding only many images of Hindu gods,
archaeologists find ample proof that they were built by Buddhists (they
have been called Hindu temples).

[Illustration: _The ruined temple of Prambanam_]

[Illustration: _Bas-reliefs in the Siva Temple, Prambanam_]

[Illustration: _The stairs leading to a Prambanam temple_]

Time will not, however, permit an elucidation of them further than to
state that Dr. Gronneman, a celebrated writer and archaeologist and an
accepted authority, believes that a number of monuments and bo-trees
have within a few years been hewn out around the base of each of the
temples, these being covered with the traditional parasols; many of the
dagoba-shaped bells have also been found,--a symbol of the tree under
which Prince Siddhartha attained Buddha-hood. Dr. Gronneman also calls
them Prambanam. The ruins form a group of eight temples or
chandis,--three greater and three lesser ones in two parallel rows,--the
former on the west, the latter on the east side of the spacious square,
with two smaller ones at the ends. These were doubtless mausolea built
over the ashes of princes or chiefs. The temples were probably
constructed toward the end of the eighth century, and unfinished
sculptures show that the work was stopped before completion. It is
stated that possibly this may have been caused by the overthrow of the
Empire at that time. There are two flights of stairs on each side, the
lower leading to a landing which is raised a few feet above the terrace,
but in the corners between the stairs and the wall of the basement are
miniature temples of exquisite workmanship, the front and side walls of
which had niches, each containing a high-relief figure of a man or a
woman. The upper flight of stairs (three sides lead to the entrance to
three chapels with pyramidal roofs of their own) have suffered much
devastation.

The largest of the temples has a broken image of Siva, more than life
size. This, together with the nature of the bas-reliefs, has caused
archaeologists to name it the Siva Temple. In like manner the second
temple has been called Brahma, and the third Vishnu, thus including the
Indian triumvirate of gods. On the upper walls of the basements of all
the principal temple