Skeleton Group in the Ramedwur, Caves of Ellora

Supposed to represent the nuptials of Siva and Parvati.

He comes from Kilas, earth and sky,
Bright before the deity;
The sun shines, as he shone when first
His glory over ocean burst.
The vales put forth a thousand flowers,
Mingling the spring and summer hours;
The Suras* fill with songs the air.
The Genii and their lutes are there;
By gladness stirred, the mighty sea
Flings up its waves rejoicingly;
And Music wanders o'er its tide,
For Siva comes to meet his bride.

The above lines are a paraphrase of a translation from the Siva-Pooraun. It goes on to mention, besides the signs of rejoicing I have enumerated, that " The dwellers upon earth stocked the casket of their ideas with the jewels of delight ;" also, that " the eyes of the devotees flamed like torches," and that " Siva set off like a garden in full blow." Among the guests who attended his wedding were " Brahma, who came on his goose"—" the Kerokee and other serpents all drest in habits of ceremony." Query, What habits of ceremony did the serpents wear? Vide Maurice. Captain Sykes mentions, that one of the compartments represent Siva and Parvati playing at dice, her attitude expressing " unsuccess or denial." May not this allude to their celebrated quarrel, so often mentioned by Hindoo writers. The tale is as follows. Siva and Parvati parted, owing to a quarrel at dice. They severally performed rigid acts of devotion ; but the fires they kindled blazed so vehemently as to threaten a general conflagration. The other deities in great alarm supplicated him to recall his consort, but the angry god answered, that she must come of her own free choice. The river goddess prevailed on Parvati to return, on condition that his love for her was restored. Camdeo, the Indian Cupid, then wounded Siva with one of his arrows, and, for his pains, was reduced to ashes by a flash from Siva's eye. The shaft, however, had lost none of its honied craft. Parvati, as the daughter of a mountaineer, appeared before her immediately enamoured husband ; her conquest once secured, she assumed her natural form. Siva, in the joy of reconciliation, decreed, that Camdeo should be known again as the son of Crishna. Asiatic Researches.

* Good spirits.