Engraved by T. Jeavons, Drawn by S. Prout and Sketched by R. Elliot.

London: Fisher Son & Co., 1833. Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

Engraved by W. Woonoth, Drawn by S. Prout and Sketched by R. Elliot.

London: Fisher Son & Co., 1833. Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

The Elephanta Caves are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri (literally "the city of caves") in Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the east of the city of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The island, located on an arm of the Arabian Sea, consists of two groups of caves—the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves. The Hindu caves contain rock cut stone sculptures, representing the Shaiva Hindu sect, dedicated to the god Shiva.
The rock cut architecture of the caves has been dated to between the 5th and 8th centuries, although the identity of the original builders is still a subject of debate. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. All the caves were also originally painted in the past, but now only traces remain.
The island was called Gharapuri and was a Hindu place of worship until Portuguese rule began in 1534. The Portuguese called the island Elephanta on seeing its huge gigantic statue of an Elephant at the entrance. The Statue is now placed in the garden outside the Bhau Daji Lad (erstwhile Victoria & Albert) Museum at the Jijamata Udyan (erstwhile Victoria Gardens) at Byculla in Mumbai. This cave was renovated in the 1970s after years of neglect, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 to preserve the artwork. It is currently maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Engraved by H. Wallis, Drawn by D. Cox, and Sketched by Capt. R. Elliot.

London: Fisher Son & Co., 1846. Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

Singham Mahal, Torway The ruins at Torway (or Toorvee) are between four and five miles distant from the West Gate of the City of Bejapore; and a little more than half a mile within the line of what remains of the great wall, which, in an earlier number of this work, has been mentioned, as having formerly defended a city of greater magnitude, or as having been raised as an outwork to protect the town that now exists. In the account given of Bejapore in the Indian Gazetteer, the only notice that is taken of these ruins is contained in the few lines that are here quoted, " About five miles from the great western gate is a village called Toorvee, built on the outskirts of the former city. At this spot there are still to be seen the remains of a royal palace, (the Singham Mahal,) of a mosque, and of various other erections of less note".

Engraved by J. Bishop and Drawn by G. Cattermole.

Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

The Karla Caves or Karle Caves are a complex of ancient Indian Buddhist rock-cut cave shrines developed over two periods – from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD, and from the 5th century AD to the 10th century. The oldest of the cave shrines is believed to date back to 160 BC. Located in Karli near Lonavala, Maharashtra, the caves lie near a major ancient trade route, running eastward from the Arabian Sea into the Deccan. Karli's location in Maharashtra places it in a region that marks the division between North India and South India. Buddhists, having become identified with commerce and manufacturing through their early association with traders, tended to locate their monastic establishments in natural geographic formations close to major trade routes so as to provide lodging houses for travelling traders. Today, the cave complex is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.
The caves were historically associated with the Mahāsāṃghika sect of Buddhism, which had great popularity in this region of India, as well as wealthy patronage. The caves house a Buddhist monastery dating back to the 2nd century BC. The monastery was once home to two 15-meter grand pillars. Now only one of these remains, and the remaining space is occupied by a temple dedicated to the goddess Ekveera, who is worshipped most notably by the Koli community of Mumbai.

London: Fisher, Son & Co.,1850. Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

This is one of the centre excavations in the range at Ellora, and its name is derived from the supposition that the ten Avatars, or Incarnations, of Vishnoo are represented in the compartments of sculptured figures, that adorn the sides of the Cave. "But on this ground," says Captain Sykes in his account of Ellora, "every other Cave has an equal claim to the appellation. Like every Braminical Cave at Ellora, (with the exception of a small one dedicated to Daivai, found in the rocky Nulla,) it is sacred to the Lingham; and Mahadeo and Vishnoo appear in attendance on, and inferior to, this mystic emblem, since it occupies the place of honour in every Cave."

Engraved by W. Woolnoth, Drawn by G. Cattermole and Sketched by R. Elliot.

London: Fisher, Son, and Jackson, 1832. Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

Cave temples of the Hindoos are found in various places on the western side of Hindoostan. In travelling down from the upper or northern provinces through Central India, these excavations are first met with in the Berar mountains, more than fifty miles to the northward of Aurungabad, near the Adjunteh pass, by which the north side of the Deccan table land is ascended. The Caves here spoken of lie among the hills, about four or five miles to the westward of the village of Adjunteh, and they are very beautiful excavations, though on a small scale, compared with those at Ellora, and some other places. There is an obstacle met with in exploring these caves, that at the first mention of it appears to be of a less serious nature, than those who have encountered the difficulty, have found it to present. Wild bees hive, in immense numbers, in the Caves, and on the sides of the ravine in which they are situated; and when once these vindictive animals have been disturbed, they not only prove a great annoyance to visitors, but render all attempts to enter the Caves extremely dangerous to those who have, in all probability, gone quite unprepared for such an opposition. Tigers are very numerous in this wild and unfrequented neighbourhood, which is seldom invaded by human beings, and then only for the purpose of hunting that formidable animal itself, or with the object of exploring these extraordinary excavations. Under such circumstances, together with something that a short time ago was to be apprehended from an inferior class of robbers in this country, called Bheels, these Caves have hitherto remained but comparatively little known.

London: W.H. Allen and co., 1860. Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

The fortress of Daulatabad, a rocky hill which in shape has been likened to a compressed bee -hive, rises abruptly from the plains with the Mughal pavilion perched at the top. This has been beautifully illustrated in the adjoining plate which also shows the powerful wall built around the city. Chand Minar, the four tiered circular tower with three balconies stands out distinctly in the distance. A few travelers walking down the winding road, the landscape sparsely dotted by trees and the setting sun on the horizon make a very pretty picture.
This extraordinary fortress which is situated some thirteen kilometers from the city of Aurangabad was built in 1187 by Bhillamraja of the Yadav dynasty and was called Devgiri. Subsequently the Mughal emperor Mohamed-Bin-Tughlak invaded Devgiri and renamed it as Daulatabad. He was so enamored with the place that he decided to make it the second capital of his empire. He forced his officials and many residents of Delhi to move there but the ill-conceived plan did not last long and had to be abandoned. In his absence the Muslim governors of Deccan revolted and took over the city.

Engraved by W. J. Cooke and Drawn by W. Purser.

London: London Printing and Publishing Co., 1858. Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

Twenty kilometers north of Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh and on the banks of river Tapti is the Kings Fort popularly known as the Asirgarh Fort. This fortress commands a pass through the Satpura range connecting the valleys of Narbada and Tapti strategically located on the most important route from North India to Deccan. It was the key to the Deccan, he who controlled Asirgarh controlled the Deccan.

The region was called Khandesh, Burhanpur was its capital and Raja Ali Khan its Muslim ruler. Raja Ali Khan built the upper part of the fort and the Jama Masjid inside it. He built various other monuments in Burhanpur. Burhanpur derives its name from the well known Sufi Saint Burhan-ud-din in whose memory a grand mausoleum was raised eclipsing the imperial sepulcher of Aurangzeb in Rauza. It has a large quadrangular courtyard having open fronted buildings on all sides. The tomb of a holy person is called a ‘Dargah’. This dargah lies facing the main entrance built in white marble with metal plated doors having trees and flowers engraved on it. Numerous devotees throng to this dargah. The sarcophagus has a green velvet canopy over it (green is the sacred colour and may be used only for the descendents of the prophet or the pious who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca). The precincts of the building house the devout muslims who are in daily attendance at the tomb. Upon great occasions large drums are beaten by the faithful and the Sufi singers sing in praise of the saint.

Sketched by Capt. R. Elliot.

Hildburghausen: The Bibliograph Institute, 1850. Steel Engraving, Size: 180x270 mm.

The tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah, the most popular monarch of the Adil Shahi dynasty is popularly known as the Gol Gumbaz. The meaning of Gol Gumbaz is the round dome and it is the second largest dome ever built, being second only to Saint Peters basilica in Rome. Mohammed Shah was crowned at an early age of sixteen and he was fortunate to have inherited a large treasury, a flourishing country and a well appointed army.
The monarch was considered to be wise, just and had an amiable character. His taste for splendor and personal fame made him launch this massive project of constructing a monument surpassing all others in the vicinity. He assigned the renowned architect Yaqut to design the most outstanding building in Bijapur. The tomb is raised upon a terrace of granite two hundred yards square; below are many gloomy chambers, now almost choked up with rubbish, but the quadrangle in front of the main building is well kept and adorned with fountains.

Engraved by E. Finden and Drawn by W. Purser.

Steel Engraving, Size: 260x200 mm.

Bijapur is located in the modern-day state of Karnataka in the south of India. The city was established by Chalukyan dynasty of Kalyani between the 10th and 11th centuries and originally named Vijayapura or the ‘City of Victory’. From 1489 until 1686 it was the capital of the Adil Shahi sultanate, a period of great prosperity when many splendid mosques and tombs were constructed. The golden age of Bijapur ended with its conquest by the last great Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. After this time the town declined so that it now occupies less than half the area it once did however it still boasts over 50 mosques, 20 tombs and a number of palaces.