CiiAP. XXV. THE MADURA PAGODA. 419 



innermost sanctuary of Siva's temple, to expire and be united 

 with their God. Parallel with this holy of holies dedicated 

 to the worship of Siva, in the form of his mystic emblem, 

 is the temple of his wife Parvati, here better known as 

 Minakshi, or the fish-eyed. 



We then went into the hall of the thousand pillars, which 

 are carved into the shape of gods or dancing-girls, and 

 support a flat stone roof. Here some nautch-girls came 

 dancing before us in silk trousers, long tunics, golden head- 

 dresses, and rings on their ears, noses, and toes ; as we 

 walked down the long vistas of pillars. Their motions are 

 stiff and without grace, like the contortions of galvanized 

 corpses, and they are generally very ugly, with black teeth. 

 I was glad when they relieved us of their disgusting pre- 

 sence, as we were shown into a chamber near the outer door, 

 where the horses and bulls used in the great processions are 

 kej)t. These are made of solid silver, ornamented with 

 precious stones, and on festivals the God and Goddess are 

 mounted on them, and carried round the town. 



This great pagoda is very richly endowed, and is one 

 of the most famous in Southern India. It was originally, and 

 for several centuries, the centre of Tamil civilization, and 

 it is a very characteristic specimen of Hindu architecture. 

 All originality and intellectual vigour has disapj)eared from 

 amongst the Tamil people, under the bhghting influence of 

 foreign domination, but their devotional feeling appears to 

 have survived ; together with respect and veneration for the 

 doctrines and aphorisms of their classic sages, among the 

 more educated. Aghastya stands at the head of the Tamil 

 authors, and the following confession of faith, in the Njana- 

 nuru is attributed to him : — 



" Worship thou the light of the Universe, wlio is Oue : 

 Who made the workl in a moment, and placed good men in it ; 

 Who afterwards himself dawned u])on the earth as a Guru ; 



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