PART I.

PERSONNEL

  During the year 1938-39, I was in charge of the Office of the Superintendent, Archaeological Survey, Southern Circle, Madras, in addition to my own for-over two months, i.e. from 11th October to 19th December 1938 (vide Government of India, Notification—Education, Health and Lands No. F. 1-17/38-F, dated 10th November 1938).

TOURS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE ASSISTANTS

  2. I was on tour during the year a total period of about 2 months. I visited Bapatla and Arumbāka in the Guntur district to secure 2 important Eastern Chālukya copper-plate grants which would have been lost but for my timely intervention. I inspected the monuments at Nāgārjunakoṇḍa also along with the Superintendent, Archaeological Survey, for about 10 days in September 1938, and later in November while holding charge of the Archaeological Superintendent’s office, I conducted some excavations at the place. I also visited in addition Mācherla, Amarāvati, Dharaṇikōṭa and Uṇḍavalli in the same distrcit and Mogalrājapuram near Bezwada where I examined the so-called Akkanna and Mādanna caves. Later on I camped at Hampi where my assistant Mr. R.S.Panchamukhi joined me in connection with the preparation of a popular edition in Kannaḍa and Telugu of a guide on ‘ the Hampi Ruins’

   3. During my stay at Nāgārjunakoṇḍa opportunity was taken to explore some more sites in this area. In the cavern called Siddhuladari on the bank of the Kṛishṇā were discovered two dwarf-images in white marble with peculiar head-dresses. These had been lying neglected for a long time and were removed to the local museum for better preservation. They appear to have originally functioned as dvārapālas of some Buddhist shrine the nature of while is hard to guess now. They are undoubtedly counterparts in the round of the dwarfish figures sculptures in Chaitya slabs below the Buddha (The Buddhist Anti- quities of Nāgārjunakonḍa : A. H. Longhurst, plate XXII, b). From the absence of the yajñōpavīta it is certain that are not of Brahminic origin. From the style and technique of the images they must be assigned to a late Buddhist period (circa 4th to 5th century A.D.), and barring the statues of Buddha found in the several stūpas of the area, these are the only two images discovered in the locality which are carved in the round. One of the images is lamentably broken to pieces, but its value lies in serving as a complement to the other in revealing the nature of the object held in the hand. The other image which is not damaged in other respects is lacking in this interesting object. The faces of these images are full of animation and feeling. One is depicted in a happy mood while the other presents a depressed aspect. So far as I know, statues of these characters, whatever they may stand for, are found nowhere else in India.
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   In site No. 11, was discovered an interesting stūpa slab, though broken, in association with the remains of a maṇḍapa marked by 3 rows of 4 pillars in each bay. In the vicinity was discovered a hitherto unnoticed inscribed white marble pillar bearing an epigraph in Brāhmī characters of the 3rd century A.D. belonging to the reign of Siri Vira Purisadata. The pillar has been removed to the local museum. Within a few yards of this site was noticed a small mound composed of stone and earth bearing clear signs of having been formed by human agency. It is not unlikely that when opened this might prove a prehistoric burial. Mr. Longhurst has already drawn attention to the existence of a primitive cist in the neighbourhood of the monastery near the store shed. Remains of a very large maṇḍapa or more probably a river-side quay were noticed on the very bank of the Kṛishṇā. Several pillars with the upper portion broken off

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