REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



never be induced, people say, to enter into her previous 

 history, so there is a good deal of mystery attaching to her. 

 No one knows whence she came, or how she collected the 

 large sum of money which has enabled her to build the temple. 

 People say when she arrived here twenty-five years ago 

 she had an immense quantity of valuable jewellery about her. 

 She is still handsome, is much fairer than natives of these parts 

 and speaks intelligently and is not above accepting an offering 

 from any one. She has a brother disciple in the same temple, 

 who is also a native of Guzerat, and people say both are very 

 respectably connected ( some say the old lady is a Rani ) and 

 have left their home to become fakirs or sadhus being weary 

 of the vanities of this w r orld. The old lady has her hair tied in 

 a coil on the top of her head, which, with the ornaments she 

 puts on, gives her quite a dignified and queenly appearance.. 

 The temple of Hori. Hora Nath has at present an English 

 speaking mohant, by name Gobind Gir. He is a native of 

 Patna, and was adopted by the old Mohant and educated in 

 the Zillah school of Chapra. He is the junior disciple. The 

 senior disciple Jai Keshun Gir who ought to have succeeded, 

 turned out to be a spendthrift, and so the junior disciple was 

 elected. The present Mohant is very intelligent and affable 

 and claims acquaintance with all the big rajas of India. 



Previous to some fifty years ago, the Sonepore Race 

 Meeting was held on the Tirhoot side of the Gunduck at Ha- 

 jeepore, but the course got so cut away, that it was necessary 

 to choose a fresh site, and the present track at Sonepore was 

 laid out. Up to some ten years back, the ruins of the old 

 grandstand were still in evidence on the banks of the river. 

 Even in those days the fields were small, three or four being 

 the average number of starters in each race, but they were 

 the best horses in the country, and competition was keen. 

 Owners were not merely Military Officers and planters, but the 

 old Haileybury Civilians were keen as mustard, and patronised 



