256 Mr. Manspaca’s Description of the 
BP Rasa Tatra Wiias Jdeee doses wees. Dancing festival. 
9. U'ni AD: Hoek dedvaeee ..eee. Warm clothing do. 
10. Abhishéca d0.....ssscoseosvoveees Anointing do. 
11. Macara do..sccseeeeesseceeseee The festival of Capricorn 
12. Dél dO.sssesees sens .... The swinging festival. 
13. Rama Navami do.....1eseceeees . The festival of the birth of RAma. 
The powder-festival, swinging, bathing, and Raz’h festivals, are those most 
attended. 
Such Hindus as perform the pilgrimage to Jaggannd?t’ha contrive to arrive 
from the month of October to the end of June, as the roads are extremely 
bad, most of the districts being inundated, and very unhealthy during 
the rains. Some pilgrims go and return after four or five days, while again 
others sojourn for two or three months. After the preliminary ceremonies 
are gone through, and the fees paid, the pilgrim, accompanied by his priest, 
goes and looks at the image ; he next bathes in the sea, and then returning 
to the temple, purchases some holy food called Mahdprasdd, sanctified by 
JaccannAt’Ha himself, and with it performs the ceremonies for his deceased 
ancestors. During his stay he performs and attends daily new solemnities, 
and makes offerings to JaccannAt’na through the priests; the officiating 
priests supply him for payment with food ready dressed, which is considered 
particularly nutritious, having been first presented to JaccaNNA1’HA, who 
eats by provy fifty times each day. The pilgrim or penitent also feasts the 
priests, and is permitted to eat with all descriptions of pilgrims of whatever 
caste they may be ; and various stories are told and causes assigned, all 
equally irrational, to account for the singular exception of permitting an 
act to be done here which, if performed anywhere else, would render the 
individual the most miserable outcast. ‘hat excess of fanaticism, which is 
stated erroneously in several missionary accounts to prompt pilgrims to 
court death by throwing themselves in crowds under the wheels of the car 
of JAGGANNAT’HA, has either never existed, or has long ceased to actuate the 
present worshippers of that idol. It is true that, during four Ra?’h festivals 
I have witnessed, three cases of this revolting species of immolation have 
occurred: but I may also be permitted to observe that one of them was 
doubtful indeed, and should probably be ascribed to a mere accident ; and 
in the other two instances the victims had long been suffering from that 
excruciating complaint the leprosy, and had chosen this mode of ridding 
themselves of the burthen of life in preference to other modes of suicide. 
