ANTIQUITIES. 
And miagnificence according to the 
richnefs of the church. 
_ The relative fituation which thefe 
buildings have to each other being 
explained, J fhall proceed to a more 
particular defcription of the temple 
_and choultry at Madura. 
_ . The temple is facred to the deity 
‘under the name of Chocalingam;and 
indeed the fame name (that of Lin- 
gam) is adopted all over India. 
The image or reprefentation of 
the deity is placed in the middle of 
the apartment facing the door. It 
is a block of black granite, about 
four feet high, of a conic fhape; 
with the outlines of a human face 
on the top, and a gold arch over it, 
-arved in open work, refembling the 
glory. 
This figure is never moved from 
its place; but the bramins upon par- 
ticular occafions bring out a repre- 
fentation of the deity to gratify the 
public, at which time he is fappofed 
to have aflumed a human form, of 
about three feet in height, with four 
arms, made of gold, and in a very 
fingular manner richly ornamented 
with jewels and filks. 
' This image is carried on men’s 
fhoulders in this form feated on a 
throne, attended by the bramins as 
his fervants, and {eldom appears in 
public without being accompanied 
his wife Minachie. 
The temple is four ftories high, 
and meafures about fixty-eight feet, 
and at the bafe forty-three feet 
fquare, is built in the form ofa py-. 
_ tamid; the firft ftory is of ftone; be- 
’ 
59 
ing much the largeft ; the others are 
of brick, covered over with a pars 
ticular kind of plaifter called chu- 
nam*, becoming fmaller as they» 
grow up; the upper ftory: being co- 
vered with copper very richly gilt. 
Ca external furface is ornamented 
every where with different repre- 
fentations of the deity and panda- 
rams, or religious beggars, inter- 
{perfed with animals. ‘Ihe bafe of. 
the figures is brick; and the other 
part plaifter,-or chunam, which takes 
a fine polifh, and is very durable. 
Moft of the ftories are very ob{cure 
and fabulous. 
The temple is fufficiently-large for 
the performance of the religious 
ceremonies, which is the bufinefs of 
the bramins, and confifts chiefly in 
wafhing the figure with water, an- 
nointing it with oil, burning per- 
fumes, and decorating it with flow- 
ers. - Thefe ceremonies are per- 
formed daily, with mnufic and dan¢- 
ing +. 
All thofe who comé to pay their 
devotions do not enter the temple; 
but fome make their applications in 
the area, being fatished if they fee 
the figure. 
Heretics are never admitted into 
the temple, nor even into the area 3 
and, fhould it ever happen, the place 
is defiled, and to purity it the bra- 
mins perform certain ccremonies; 
which confift in rubbing the walls 
with cow dung, fprinkling them 
with the urine, and making an of- 
fering. 
The outer building or fteeple is 
* Mortar made of pounded alabafter or thells beat, mixed with thin fyrup td 
make it adhere. 
- t Every temple, whofe revenues can afford it, has a fet of dancing girls and 
thufic men dependent on it, who are flaves to tht pagodas, and bear the mark of 
the temple, which is a trident burnt on their right arm. ‘They do not refide in the 
temple, but muft attend whenever required, The number of girls attached to this 
temple at Madras is about 300, 
Hz built 
