Indru-dhoomnŭ now invited all the gods to be present at the setting up of this image: Bramha himself acted as high priest, and gave eyes and a soul to the god, which com pletely established the fame of Jugunnat'hŭ. This image is said to lie in a pool near the present temple, at Júgŭnnat’hu-kshétrů in Orissa, commonly known among the English by the name of Jugunnat'ho's pagoda. The particulars of this place will be found in the account of the Hindoo holy places, the resort of pilgrims.

Jăgănnat'ho has many temples in Bengal, built by rich men as works of merit, and endowed either with lands, villages, or money. The worship of this god is performed in these temples every morning and evening; at which times people come to see the god, or prostrate themselves before him. During the intervals of worship, and after the god has partaken of the offerings, he is laid down to sleep, when the temple is shut up till the next hour of worship.

Bramhuns may make offerings of boiled rice to this or to any other god, but sliōōdrus cannot they are permitted to offer only dried rice.+ The food which is offered to Júgŭnnat❜hŭ is either eaten by the bramhuns and their families at the temples, or by passengers and others, who purchase it of those shop-keepers that have bought it of the bramhŭns; a little is given to the

poor.

There are two annual festivals in Bengal in honour of this god; the Snanu-yatra, and the Rut'hu-yatra.

At the snanŭ-yatra in the month Jyoisht'hŭ, this lord of the world, wrapped in a cloth, is carried out and placed in a seat on a large terrace built in an open place near the temple. Here the bramhŭns, surrounded by an immense concourse of spectators, bathe the god by pouring water on his head, during the reading of incantations. The people at the close of the ceremony make obeisance, some by lifting their

* The images of the gods in all the Hindoo temples, at certain hours, are laid down as to sleep; at least, all those that are small enough to be laid down and lifted up again.

+ The brambůns do not eat the boiled rice of the shōōdrus. Sweatmeats, fruit, the water of the Ganges, &c. are things received from shōōdrūs. Yet there are a few brambŭns who refuse even sweetmeats and water from

the hands of shōōdrus.

bands to their foreheads and others by prostration, and then depart, assured by the shastrus that they shall be subject to no more births, but be admitted to heaven after the death of this body. The bramhuns then wipe this creator of the world, and car

ry

him back to the temple, after which the ceremonies of worship are performed before him with great shew. This snanŭ, however, is not confined to Jugănnat’hŭ, but at this time all the different images of Vishnoo, throughout the country, are bathed. It is the custom of the Hindoos to feed their children with rice for the first time when they are six, seven, or nine months old. On this day, before the ceremony of feeding the child, they bathe it, repeating incantations. Krishnu partook of his first rice at the full moon in Jyoisht'hu; in commemoration of which, this snanŭ-yatra is performed annually by the worshippers of any separate form of Vishnoo.

About seventeen days after the snanu-yatra, on the second of the increase of the moon in Asharhu, the Rŭ'thŭ or car festival is held. Before the god is taken out of the temple to be placed on the car, the usual ceremonies of worship are performed. The car belonging to the image near Serampore is in the form of a tapering tower, between thirty and forty cubits high. It has sixteen wheels, two horses, and one coachman, all of wood. Jugunnat'hu, his brother Bil -ramă, and their sister Soobhůdra are drawn up by ropes tied round the neck, and seated on benches in an elevated part of the carriage, when a servant on each side waves a tail of the cow of Tartary, called a chamŭrů.* The crowd draw the carriage by means of a hawser; their shouts, as the carriage proceeds, may be heard at the distance of a mile. Being arrived at the appointed spot, the bramhuns take out the images, and carry them to the temple of some other god, or to a place prepared for them, where they remain eight days: At Serampore, Jugunnat'hŭ, and his brother and sister, visit the god Radha-vüllübhŭ;† and here the wives of bramhuns, who are never seen at shews, and who seldom leave home, come to look at Jugünnat'hů. The car stands empty during this time, and the crowd flock to gaze at the indecent figures, alluding to the abominations of the gods, which are painted all over it. Temporary shops are erected near the place where'

* The chamŭrů is a necessary appendage to royalty among the Hindoos.

+ Another form of Krishnů. The name intimates that this god is the paramour of Radha. Romans i. 27.

the car stands, like booths on a race-ground.* At the end of eight days, the god is again drawn up by the neck, placed in the car, and carried back to the place from whence he but the crowd is not quite so great as when the carriage is drawn out. Many recent instances might be collected of persons, diseased or in distress, casting themselves under the wheels of this ponderous car, and being crushed to death.

came,

This festival is intended to celebrate the diversions of Krishnŭ and the milkmaids, with whom he used to ride out in his chariot.

SECTION LVI.

Bulu-ramů.

THIS god was cotemporary with Krishnů. His image, painted white, almost always goes with that of Jugŭnnat'hŭ, though in a few temples it is set up alone. At the worship of Jŭgŭnnat'hŭ, and also at that of Krishnŭ, a short service is performed in the name of Bŭlŭ-ramů, whose image also sometimes accompanies that of Krishnu. Some place the image of Révŭtee by the side of her husband. From the sutyu to the kŭlee-yoogů this female, the daughter of king Révătă, remained unmarried.‡ The king, at length, asked Brumha, to whom he should give his daughter in marriage; Brumha recommended Bulŭ-rami, who saw her for the first time when ploughing; notwithstanding her immense stature, (it is said her stature reached as high as a sound ascends in clapping the hands seven times,) Bălă-ramŭ married her; and to bring down her monstrous height, he fastened a plough-share to her shoulders.

*The spirit of gambling is very prevalent at this festival. I have been credibly informed, that, a year or two ago, at Serampore, a man actually sold his wife for a slave, in order to supply himself with money for gaming. He who pursues pleasure, or bestows it, in his own strength.

This old maid must have been 3,888,000 years old at the time of her marriage, if we date her birth from The beginning of the sutyu-yoogů.

SECTION LV.

Ramu.*

THE following history of this god forms a brief table of contents of the Ramayŭnů, an epic poem, much celebrated among the Hindoos.

At a certain period, king Dushi-rut'hu, having been cherished with great affection by his wife Kékoiyee,‡ promised her whatever she should ask. She told him that she would avail herself of his promises on some future occasion; and when Ramă called to the coadjutorship by the voice of the people and to which Dushŭ-rut'hŭ gladly assented, Kékoiyee reminded the king of his promise, and at the instigation of a deformed and revengeful female slave, whom Ramů had formerly beaten, she petitioned that Ramů might he exiled to a distant forest to live as an ascetic, and that Bhŭrütů her son might be installed in his stead. The king reluctantly complied. Ramů however readily submitted, and went into the forest, taking with him Sēēta and his brother Lukshmŭnů; Dushŭ-rut'hŭ soon died of grief for Ramă; after which a shoe of Ramu's was placed on the throne, Bhŭrătă refusing the crown. When in the forest, Sōōrpŭ-nŭkhaş the sister of Ravănă, a giant who reigned at Lunkas (Ceylon) proposed marriage to Ramu, who sent her to Lukshmŭnů; he sent her again to Ramu; Ramů sending her back to Lukshminů, the latter cut off her nose, on this she fled to her brothers Khŭrů and Dōōshŭnů, who immediately made war upon Ramů; Ramů, however, destroyed them, as well as their army of 14,000 giants (rakshúsŭs). · Ravănŭ on hearing of these events requested Marēēchu, another giant, to go to the residence of Ramů in the form of a beautiful deer, and tempt Ramů to pursue him, while he stole Seēta. Mareěchů

* The happy or he who makes happy.

+ I have omitted the long table of contents of this work' inserted in the firt edition, thinking it unnecessary, the Ramayůnă with an English translation is issuing from the Serampore press.

Důshu-răt❜hŭ had 250 wives.

A name given to her on account of her having nails like a Hindoo fan for winnowing corn,

consented, and Ramů, at the urgent request of Seeta, pursued the flying deer, leaving Lukshmănă to guard his family. When Mareechй, in the form of the deer, was wounded, he set up a loud cry like the voice of Ramů, which greatly alarmed Seēta, who prevailed on Lukshmŭnů to follow her beloved husband. While Seēta was thus left alone, Ravănă carried her off in triumph. The poem then describes the grief of Ramů and his brother for the loss of Seeta. Ravăn, in taking away Seēta, was met by Jutayoo, a vulture, formerly the friend of Dushu-rut'hu. This bird endeavoured to deliver Sēēta by fighting with Ravinŭ, but being unsuccessful, Sēēta directed him to inform Ramů, that Ravănŭ was carrying her away. Ramă in his search for Seeta met with this bird, which, as soon as it had delivered this account, died of the wounds it had received in fighting with Ravůnů. Ramů, and his brother, now went forward in pursuit of Ravŭnů, and met with the giant Kübŭndhů, whom they destroyed. This giant immediately assumed another body, and informed Ramů that he had formerly lived in the heaven of Indrŭ, but had been cursed, and sent down to take the body of a rakshŭsů. He further informed Ramů, that two brothers (monkies), Soogrēēvů and Balee, were in a state of warfare, Balee having seduced his brother's wife; he therefore advised Ramă to destroy Balee, and contract an alliance with Soogreevů, by whose means he should obtain Seēta. Ramů took this advice, and having destroyed Balēē,* restored Soogrēēvů to his kingdom. To prove his gratitude to Ramů, Soogrēēvů collected his army of monkies, and sent them to seek for Scēta. The monkies who went southward met Sumpatee, a vulture without wings, brother to Jutayoo, who informed them that he had seen Sēēta at Lunka (Ceylon). Hunooman, one of Soogreevů's generals, immediately leaped across the sea, (five hundred miles,)† to Lun'ka, where he found Seeta in a garden belonging to Ravănů; and to whom he gave a ring from Ramu, and she, in return, sent Ramů a jewel from her hair. Hunooman then began to destroy one of Ravŭnŭ's gardens; who sent people to kill Hŭnooman, but he destroyed those who were sent. Ravunŭ then sent his son Ükshŭyŭ against

* Rainů, compared with Krishnů, is a pure character; yet we see him here, without provocation, destroy

the rightful heir to a throne, and set up one who had seduced the wife of his brother.

+ No one can doubt the propriety of making a spy ofa monkey who can leap 500 miles at once.