Buchanan’s journey through

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perfons, they excommunicate. Many of them read Sanfkrit, and ftudy every kind ofbook, except the Vedas, which they never prefume to infpedt. My informers are wor-fhippers of Vifhnu; yet their Guru is a Smartal Brahman, who bellows confecratedvictuals and holy water, and receives their dharma. When they are 6 or 7 years ofage, they receive from the panchanga their firft thread, and upadefa, at a ceremonycalled Upanena. At this the panchanga reads mantrams, as all'o at births, marriages,full and new moons, at Sankrantis, or the firft days of the folar months, at funerals,and at the Mala-pakfha lately mentioned. Thefe Ladas facrifice to the Saktis , efpeciallyto the goddefs Bhawam. The pujaris or priefts in the temples of this idol are calledBombolas, who obferve the rules of Sannyafi, efpecially celibacy, and yet go abfolutelynaked. They have difciples who are alfo Sannyafis, but who are not confidered as fuffi-ciently holy to be allowed to fhow their nudities. Part of the facrifices are eaten by thevotary, and part by the Bombola; but the animal is fometimes made a burnt offering tothe idol, which in this country is done by rto other caft. This burnt offering is by theLadas called Homam, which is the fame name that the Brahmans ufe for their burnt-offerings ; but thefe always confift of flour, /or other vegetable matter. It is true thatthe Brahmans have a burnt facrifice of animals, which they call Yagam ; but it muft bepreceded by fuch a feverity of penance, and is attended with fuch enormous expence thatno one in thefe degenerate days is either willing or able to undertake fuch an offering.The proper Sakti Puja, that ought to be performed to Bhawani, has alfo fallen intodifufe here among the Ladas; but my interpreter fays, that at Madras it is very common.The votary takes an animal, and offers it as a facrifice to the idol in prefence of a beau-tiful young woman, who is perfectly naked. It is fuppofed that any perfon who, whilein the performance of this facred ceremony, fliould even look with defire at the charmsexpofed to his view, would be inftantly ftruck dead; no one, therefore, undertakesit who has not great confidence in the power which he has over his paflions. By theBrahmans this ceremony is much condemned, and ought to deprive any one of his caftthat attempted its performance j yet fome of them are faid in a private manner to haverecourfe to this fuperftition, as it is fuppofed to have wonderful efficacy in procuringtemporal fuccefs and felicity. Some of the Ladaru take the vow of Daferi, and at thefame time receive chakrantikam. Thefe beg only one day in . the week, following onthe other fix their ufual profeffions ; and they never travel about as vagabonds makinga noife with bells and conchs. The Ladus burn their dead, who ought to be accom-panied on the pile by their widows ; but this cuftom has become obfolete. Widowsare not permitted to become concubines of the kind called Cutigas, nor are the menallowed to keep thofe called Madras. A girl after ten years of age is no longer mar-riageable. The men may take as many wives as they can procure, but can only divorcethem for adultery. Perfons of this caft drink no fpirituous liquors ; and, as is ufual inBengal, eat no animal food, except that which has been offered as a. facrifice.

Chap. VII. — From Sira to Seringapatam .

AUGUST 7th, 1800. — Having been informed, that in the woods to the north andnorth-eaft of Sira many cattle are bred, and that in the hills to the eaftward much fteelis made, I determined to take a fhort journey in thefe directions, although it was infome meafure retracing my fteps. For the cattle, Pauguda and Niddygul are the prin-cipal places; there being twelve large herds in the one diftrift, and ten in the other.Thefe places, however, being much out of my way, I determined to proceed toMadighefliy, where, I was told, there were feveral herds. In the morning I went five

7 coffes