managed, danced before the holiday crowds who clustered the trees, the house-tops and the walls, with thronging groups, or who, in a dense moving mass, filled the streets. This festival is called the garudastavum, and celebrates the Avatar of Vishnu, when he descended upon the earth. For ten successive days his image is either thus borne through the streets, or exhibited in the courts of his pagoda, when the streets are thronged with brahmins and faqueers, with pilgrims from distant places, or peasants from the neighbourhood. It is a season when nothing but the frenzied shout of the excited fanatic is heard, or the song of the merry idler. My path lay through the midst of them, and a brahmin addressed me, requesting a contribution as an offering for the festival, without success, though I regretted my inability to communicate freely to him the knowledge of a more excellent way. But in this very multitude were poor deluded votaries, some with iron rods forced through the skin, festered or bleeding; some suspended head downwards, swinging from the branch of a tree over a smoking fire; and others with their heads buried under a heap of earth, exposing their naked and disgusting body to the highway passenger. A part of the festival scene consists in the performances of the nautch girls, poor young women, prostituted at the temple, and employed to dance with luxurious dress and amorous and measured steps before the idol.

The performance of the Ruth Jatra takes place without any human sacrifices so far as visible acts of immolation-occurring. A display of sectarian strife usually precedes it on the previous night, between the followers of Vishnu and Seva: the former carry their idol on a huge gilt elephant to insult the pagoda of the latter; even in this there is now no danger. There is no bloodshed in this war; a boundary-line, or a pillar of separation, being agreed upon by the belligerents: a servant of the Hon. East India Company presides to prevent any breach of the articles of war or violation of the treaty; so that the Sevaites and the Vishnuites, if they do fall out, shall not come to blows, or break each other's heads. The elephant and the god turn their posterior parts toward the front of Seva's temple, and are thrice forced back to the line of demarcation with the shout and gesture of insult; and at that moment, some of the more furious polemics seem maddened with zeal, leaping on each other's shoulders, shaking their flaming torches, brandishing their fists, and singing defiance. The ruth is in dimension more like a building than a car: its platform is thirty-five feet from the ground, and a tapestried canopy, with its decorations and pillars, stands thirty-five feet higher. The whole is solid and strong. It is strangely carved, and heavy; thirty brahmins may stand under the canopy. The wheels are ten feet in diameter, of enormous thickness, and solid. Four cables, a hundred yards in length, are attached to it; and two thousand labourers, whether over their shoulders or by their hands, are required to drag it. Numbers of young brahmins, armed with thongs of deer, leap about in the crowd, now whipping those who drag the car, and now striking those who press upon their path. Some of the wealthy and self-righteous do touch the burden with one of their fingers: you will see wealthy and well-dressed men come nigh, and just put their hand over to touch the rope that they may claim the merit of having dragged the car. It moves onward, towering above the gazing faces of the admiring worshippers. The women hold up their little children above their heads; and every sight and sound speaks tumultuous joy; they are mad upon their idols. Many press forward, that, being near enough, they may throw up their offerings of money and cocoa-nuts. The latter are broken, presented to the idol, and cast down again, thus consecrated, to the deluded and exulting devotee, who shares them with the family or friends he brought up to the feast. When the ruth has been dragged through the principal streets, it is restored to its place of rest; and as it approaches within about one hundred yards of that spot, there is a hideous yell, as if they would shout-" A long pull," &c. the movement becomes more rapid; and, at the greatest peril of an overthrow, its ponderous wheels rush onward till the course is finished. If now we should enter the temple, we should observe nothing but feasting and gratulations, complacent smiles, and luxurious indulgences. Here is a dark-complexioned wealthy merchant, a pilly or modeliar, of the Vhasya caste, who has provided an entertainment for these sleek, corpulent, or well-favoured children of craft, the officiating brahmins. But where are the votaries who came to the festival for good to their souls? A deceived heart has led them astray, they are feeding on ashes, and toil-worn with exhausted resources, they must return to their homes without such consolation as will abide the day of calamity

and trial.

About the time of one of my visits to this city, wholly given to idolatry, a drought and scarcity prevailed; the waters in the tanks subsided much lower than usual; and the brahmins announced that this was in consequence of Mahadevah's displeasure, because one of his representations, or most sacred images, had been left deposited in the mud at the bottom of his tank. A great solemnity was proclaimed; vast preparations, and even the civil authorities of the district, English civilians, were convened to take part in the ceremony; offerings, prayers, and sacrifices, were required; and the idol was taken from the mud and carried to his place, in procession, and with much display. Such was the delusive imposture practised upon the people, while a British functionary presided, and gave directions as to the times and movements of the solemn idolatry!

It would be justly reckoned intrusive and improper for Europeans to force themselves into the

I

sanctuary or sacred recess of these pagodas. I have seen, however, the common pooja performed by the officiating priest at the open shrine of a small pagoda, when Hindoo worshippers were standing barefooted, their hands united over the breast, and muttering their muntrums, or supplications; and the priest was ringing a bell in one hand, and scattering incense, with the other, round the body of the idol. Perhaps it may be supposed, that the more secret and mysterious performances differ from this simple folly. A kind and liberal friend, a brahmin, has furnished me with a description of one service, where he was a listener. shall give it in a condensed form. "As soon as the party entered the sanctuary, they were oppressed with heat, from its cavernous closeness and the smoke of the lights burning near the god and goddess. The ceremony was performed by the officiating brahmin, who lighted a little camphor on a circular brass plate, and turned it more than three times toward the god: he then threw over it some leaves and flowers of various descriptions; after which, as it is usual among the brahmins in their temples, he brought to the company the light of the camphor, that they might individually receive a portion of its perfume and smoke. He gave also a few flowers and a little ashes. To the left of the male idol, about six feet, stood the female image. Here the idolater performed similar ceremonies to the goddess: at the conclusion, the same gifts were bestowed, except the ashes; instead of