162 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



hot springs at Lakhi (!No. 36) having been produced by the interven- 

 tion of a saintly personage. Here it T^ould seem that if a visitor 

 " plunges in without confessing to the priest [and paying his dues] 

 he comes out covered with boils." ^ 



Several of the explanations are connected with the story of the 

 adventures of Eama and Sita, the spring called Sitakund, in Monghyr,. 

 for instance, being thus accounted for : — " Sita having been suspected 

 of having been unfaithful to her husband, while a captive to Eavan, 

 underwent the ordeal of fire, but this was not considered sufficient, 

 so she was compelled to throw herself into a pit filled with fire, and 

 when she came out pure from the flames, warm water flowed from the 

 rock and continues to do so to this day." - 



At Jamnutri,^ in the State of Garhwal in the north-west Hima- 

 layas, near the source of the Jamna river, there are numerous hot 

 springs, from one of which a column of water of considerable size 

 issues, all the springs have their own special names. In the centre 

 there is a reservoir, the heat of which (Temp. 194° F.) is explained by 

 the Hindoos, who say that in it the monkey god Huniman extinguished 

 his flaming tail after he had set fire to the palace of Eavan in. Ceylon- 



At Jawalamukhi,* in Dehra, Kangra District, there are six hot 

 mineral springs which are impregnated with common salt and iodide 

 of potassium, there are also jets of combustible gas, which are kept 

 constantly burning as a manifestation of Devi, to whom a temple has- 

 been, erected. According to the local tradition the flames issue from 

 the mouth of the Daitya king or demon, who was overwhelmed by 

 Siva under a pile of mountains. 



Near the town of Islamabad,* in Kashmir, there are one or two 

 springs the temperature of which is only 10° above that of other 

 springs close by ; the water is sulphurous and large quantities of gas 

 exhale from it. A legend connects the origin with a creative act of 

 Yishnu. The water swarms with sacred fish. The reservoir used to 

 be called Anai Nag. 



Sometimes when there are accumulations of calcareous tuff, or 

 travertin, especially of that variety which presents some resemblance- 

 to the cancellous tissue of bones, we find stories about their being the 



1 Todd, " Eajasthan," vol. ii., p. 234. 

 - Martin, " E. India," vol. ii., p. 43. 

 3 Hunter, Imp. Gaz. of India, suh voce Janinntri. 



* Hunter, Imp. Gaz. of India, suh voce JawalamuMii. 



* Hunter, Imp. Gaz. of India, sab voce Islamabad; and Adams, " "Wanderings- 

 of a Naturalist in India," 1867, p. 200. 



