178 TTIE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL IXDIA. 



cliildren's card-liouses, are erected at some point of their 

 peregrinations to signify a desire for a mansion in Kailas 

 — the heaven of Siva. Many of the places which shoukl 

 in theory be visited are very inaccessible, such as the top 

 of the Chaoradeo peak, and very few of the pilgrims 

 make the whole round. 



I sat for some hours in the ravine sketchinoj the 

 entrance to the cave and the picturesque throng about 

 it. A few sulky looks from the professional religionists, 

 and a drawing closer of their garments by the ladies, 

 when they saw my occupation, were all the notice I met 

 with. The brioht colourins^ which gives such a charm 

 to congregations of Hindus was heightened by the 

 • general holiday attire of the worshippers on this oc- 

 casion ; and, in the mellowed light from above, which 

 percolated rather than shone through the canopy of 

 foliage, would have formed a subject worthy of a much 

 better artist than myself. It was hard to believe that 

 all this gay gathering had come in a day, and would go 

 in another, leaving the valley again to the bison and 

 the jungle-fowL Unlike most shrines where such pil- 

 grimages occur, no one remains to look after the god 

 when the pilgrims are gone. The bell is unslung and 

 taken away, being evidently looked upon as the only 

 thing of value in the place. When I first visited the 

 cave I found that the Great God had been better at- 

 tended to by the wild beasts of the forest than by his 

 human worshippers — a panther or hyena having evi- 

 dently been in the daily habit of leaving the only 

 ofi'ering he could make before his shrine ! 



It is a common idea amongst Europeans that the 

 worship at these Sivite shrines includes rites or mysteries 

 of an obscene character. I believe this to be wholly 



