1883.] J. W. V'AVvy—Notes on He Ndngis. 103 



The points most worthy o£ consideration seem to bo that there were 

 twoNangis, one a Baniani and the otlier a Bralimini, and that Churina is the 

 head quarters o£ the Panth, corresponding to Mecca of the Mussalmans or 

 Jerusalem of Christians. 



Their Tenets. 



The Nangis are Monotheists or Unitarians ; their chief dogma is to 

 abstain from kam, krodh, mob, lobh or adultery, anger, affection, and ava- 

 rice. They state that by singing and fixing the att<?ntion on the Deity a 

 state of prem, or love, and wajd, or ecstacy, is obtained which cannot be 

 reached in any other manner. They also hope in course of time to re- 

 generate the world. They have no caste and the women are not in purdah. 



Their Worship. 



The men and women sit on their haunches on the floor of the apart- 

 ment in which the worship takes place, the men on the right of Ram- 

 chandra and the women on the left — though it seems that this is not im- 

 perative, and the sexes may be mixed. In imitation of the patasa given 

 by Nangi to Dedraj, sweetmeats are handed round, which some evil-minded 

 individuals state are drugged. 



Each man and each woman, as he or she enters, is provided with a pair 

 of small cymbals. Each cymbal is fastened by strings at the back to the 

 thumb ; these cymbals can then be worked by combined action of wrist and 

 arm. The principal performers have drums and harps. Many of the 

 hymns have very pretty airs, e. y., " Jhagra bhari ho daiya", and several of 

 the women have very clear soprano voices which if properly trained would 

 have a good compass. Each member of the company while singing keeps 

 his (or her) body in a constant state of motion, shaking his head the while 

 in unison with the hymn. Gradually the pagris of the men and the saris 

 of the women fall off — the religious fervour is now rising. As the ' prem' 

 or love and ' wajd' or ecstacy mounts, two or three of the men who have im- 

 mensely long hair stand up and shake their hair in all directions. Mean- 

 while the music has been getting louder and louder till it swells like an 

 anthem with a full choir. The assembly then presents a most animating 

 and thrilling scene. This vociferation is continued until sheer exhaustion 

 requires a cessation. It will then be noticed that the perspiration stands 

 like beads on the foreheads of each member — even on a cold December's 

 night. It is stated that under excess of prem or wajd, the couples get up 

 and dance madly about, or roll on the floor in agonies of terror ; but it is 

 universally acknowledged that the bounds of decency are never exceeded. 



The paper concluded with several hymns of the Nangis, in the verna- 

 cular; with an English translation. 



