156 On the ' KumbhupatiasS [Not. 



desses, but they do not respect their images, as they argue that it is impos- 

 sible to represent the form of the Supreme Being, whom no one has ever 

 seen, nor do they worship the Hindu gods and goddesses ; there is indeed 

 reason to think that, unlike the followers of Ramanand, Kabir, and Chai- 

 tunya, they have an antipathy to them, as they dislike to touch the tulsi 

 j)lant, because it is held sacred by the Hindus, and will not eat the flesh 

 of a goat, because it is offered in sacrifice to the Hindu goddess Kali. 

 They eat and drink only in the daytime ; if they feel hungry' or thirsty 

 at night they can drink water only. They pray in the open air every day 

 (morning and evening) with their faces turned towards the sun, and with 

 their hands folded and held at the nose. If four or more persons join in 

 the prayer, one of them recites, in humble words and suppliant voice, the 

 praises of the Almighty, the others repeating the words after him. They 

 bow down, prostrating themselves to the ground, 64 times, corresponding 

 to the number of disciples of their god. Their habits are very filthy. 

 They take no medicine^, but rely on the help of their god alone for recoverv : 

 in case of severe illness, they take a little earth from the prayer-ground, 

 mix it with rice-water, and drink the mixture. During the past two years 

 the Kumbhupatias have divided into two sections. Formerly Bhima Kondh 

 of Sonepore was the leader of the sect. Bhima was born blind, but he 

 appears to have been endowed with natural talents of a superior order. 

 Though unable to read and write, he had some Uriya religious books, such 

 as the Mahabharat and Srimat Bhagbat, read to him ; and the education 

 he thus received enabled him to compose two or three volumes of verses in 

 praise of the Almighty, which, it asserted, would do credit to any Uriya 

 scholar of the present day. He exercised great influence over his followers. 

 The relations existing between him and a female companion, however, 

 excited suspicion among his adherents, who, however, did not venture to 

 question the purity of his conduct until the woman became pregnant. 

 Bhima endeavoured to deceive his followers by telling them that the woman 

 would give birth to Arjun, who would root out all unbelievers. They 

 believed this story, and waited until the child was born, when, to their 

 great surprise, they found that the woman gave birth to a girl. Bhima 

 accounted for this by saying that it had recently been revealed to him that 

 the woman would give birth to a female, who would destroy all the un- 

 believers by means of her charms. The child, however, died a few days 

 later, and Bhima then tried to mislead his followers still further by saying 

 that the fairy had quitted this world because she had found it filled with 

 the vices of mankind. He was now deserted by most of his followers, 

 who formed a separate faction, but he is still highly adored and honoured 

 by the remainder. He has erected an altar, over which he and his wife 

 sit in the morning. His followers worship them and move round the altar 

 until the time for their morning meal arrives, when their feet are washed 



