DOG-DEVOTEES 



devotees, who are rough-looking specimens, wearing black, 

 hairy caps, red sashes, and are of a generally shaggy 

 appearance all over. 



The presiding priest, on receipt of baksheesh, produces 

 some bananas, which he slices up, and placing them on small 

 brass troughs, calls up the " dogs." These come scrambling 

 along on all fours, barking and yelping, and even fighting, 

 growling and biting at each other over -the troughs, till 

 having secured a trough each, return to a corner to eat 

 it in solitude. 



They do not use their hands, but eat too, like dogs from 

 the troughs, which are beautifully made in solid brass and 

 very old. One of my friends was lucky enough to pick 

 up one of these, as they are difficult to buy, and also 

 some of the little images of horses from the temple. The 

 god himself is not repulsive to look at, and his images often 

 have the symbolical five cobras over their heads. 



After the dog-devotees have been fed, and if the baksheesh 

 has been generous, and the supply of bananas plentiful, 

 they will give a further exhibition of their dog-like antics, 

 growling, fighting, leaping, howling, and rolling about in 

 a ridiculous and most repulsive manner, and finally canter 

 barking down the hill by way of giving their departing 

 visitors a good send off. 



These people also attend the larger fairs, attracting 

 huge crowds by their many tricks with knives and skewers, 

 which they pass through the muscles of their arms, thighs, 

 and calves, till they are streaming with blood. It is said 

 that by certain methods of massage and manipulation they 

 are able to place the knives between the muscles, and thus 

 avoid any serious injury resulting from the wound. Doubt- 

 less this strange worship with its many corruptions will 

 eventually die out, and the sooner the better, for though 

 the ridiculous antics are amusing for a time, and evidently 

 enjoyed by the performers themselves, their mode of life 

 cannot fail to be degrading. 



125 



