402

Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

In all this tract between Ganjam and Jagarynat, the vifible god in mod efteem isGopalfami, whole temples, as I faid before, are decorated with obfcene reprefentationsof men and women in indecent podures, alfo of demons and caco-demons, whofegenitals are of a prodigious fize in proportion to their bodies. The filthy image iswordlipped by all the Heathens of both fexes; but barren women are his greated de-votees, and bring him the belt oblations.

Jagarynat has vad crowds of pilgrims to vifit him from all parts of India . His tem-ple Hands in a plain about a mile from the fea, and no mountains nor outlets of riversnear it. It is built of a free hard done, the pededal of large fquare done, and clofeby it is a cidern built about with large oblong fquare dones of different colours, viz.brick-colour, light blue, gray and white. The cidern has deps that run the whole lengthof the cidern, which is about 40 or 50 yards, and, at the end oppofite to the pagod,Heps of the whole breadth of it, which is about 25 or 30 yards, each dep about afoot deep, defcending by gradation, under the furface of the water, which did notfeem to be clear, but, they fay, is three fathoms deep in the middle. This cidern,or tank, is walled round with a done wall about five feet high, with two irongates to let in pilgrims, and keep out unfanctified pefons, as Chridians, Mahometans,&c.; for all pilgrims, are obliged to wafh in that tank before they go into the temple toworfhip. The temple is built in the fhape of a Canary pipe fet on end, about 40 or 50yards high ; about the middle is the image of an ox cut in one entire done, bigger thana live one. He looks towards the fouth-ead, and his hinder parts are fixed in the wall.The fabrick is crowned with a top about the fame diameter that it is in the middle, andthe temple being exactly round, makes no contemptible figure in architecture. Onthe wed fide of the pagod, there is a large chapel that joins it, wherein fermons aredaily preached ; and there are fome convents at a little didance for the prieds to lodgein, who daily officiate. There are, in all, about 500 of them that belong to the pagod,who daily boil rice and pulfe for the ufe of the god. They report, that there are fivecandies daily dred, each candy containing 1600 lb. weight. When fome part has beencarried before the idol, and the finoke had faluted his mouth and nofe, then the re-mainder is fold out, in finall parcels, to thofe who will buy it, at very reafonable rates,and the furplus is ferved out to the poor, who are ever attending the pagod out of apretended devotion: and this focd, that is dred for the pagod, has a particular privi-lege above other eatables, that the purified heathen is not contaminated by eating out ofthe fame difh with polluted Chridians or Mahometans, though, in another place, itwould be reckoned a mortal fin.

I daid there one day and two nights, and my lodgings were in an houfe very near thepagod. The nights were fpent in beating on tabors and brafs cymbals, with fongs ofpraifes on Jagarynat, who is only a done god, hot carved into a figure, but an irre-gular pyramidal black done of about 4 or 5001b. weight', with two rich diamondsplaced near the top, to reprefent eyes, and a nofe and mouth painted with vermillion,to fliew his devotees that he can both fmell and taste. There are no windows in thetemple to give light, fo that he has ufe for about 100 lamps continually burning beforehim. He is railed about, that none may approach near him but his prieds; and onlythofe of the fird quality dare enter into the Sanclum fanclorum.

I would fain have gone into the temple, but could not be admitted, though I prof-fered the value of three guineas for admittance ; but I fent one of my fervants, whowas a Gentow, to obferve what he' could, and he brought me the foregoingaccount,

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