4 On a sect of Hindu Dissenters. [Jait. 



the propagation of tbe new doctrine ; shortly after a place of worship was 

 established at Malbeharpur in Kellah Banky ; other places were opened in 

 Bome of the remaining Tributary States as well as in Sambalpur, Purl 

 and Cuttack. At some of these places of worship, the Mahima Gosain 

 gave large feasts, which were numerously attended. In 1875 in the month 

 of Kartic on the day of the full moon, a fair was held at Jacka in Dhen- 

 kanal, where a large number of the followers of the Gosain assembled with 

 rich presents including valuable clothes, silver utensils, &c. It is said that 

 the Babaji, or Swami as he was also addressed, offered these presents to the 

 late Maharaja of Dhenkanal, and on his declining to accept them they 

 were openly burnt in the fire of the sacred Dhuni (fire kept up by religious 

 mendicants). Thus in a few years the Mahima Gosain succeeded in making 

 many disciples and followers, and on the days of £he full moon thousands 

 of men and women from distant parts of the country might have been seen 

 wending their way to the tungis, with bangy loads of ghee, sugar and 

 other valuable presents. It is said that at present the new faith is more 

 popular in Sambalpur than in any other district. It is confined mostly 

 to the ignorant and illiterate people of the lower classes of the Hindu 

 community, who were, it is said, induced to adopt the new religion by 

 hopes of enjoyment if they followed, and threats of perdition if they did 

 not follow, its precepts. 



*' 5. The disciples of the Mahima Swami inculcate self-denial and re- 

 signation to God as the sources of salvation ; they do not aspire after worldly 

 greatness or pleasure ; extreme humility is one of their characteristics. 

 They have no prescribed mode of worship except praise of God and prayer 

 for His mercy. They recognise the Bhagavata, one of the religious books 

 of the Hindus, but interpret it in a different waj^ from the Hindus. They 

 have a.Malika, or book of predictions, which treats of the incarnation of 

 Alekli in the shape of Mahima Swami to redeem the world from sin and to 

 indicate the way to salvation. Besides this they have got another book 

 containing songs and dialogues interpreting the truth of Alekh. Most of 

 these songs, &c., are said to have been composed hy Bhima Bhoi, a Khond, 

 who is said to have been born blind, and afterwards endowed with sight by 

 the Mahima Swami. 



" 6. The following extract from the report of the Manager of Dhen- 

 kanal throws some light on the real sentiments of the Swami. 



" * The man who was at first called the Phalahari Gosain was after- 

 wards designated Mahima Gosain, and was believed to be an incarnation of 

 the Almighty God. In the year 1874, while I was on tour in the interior 

 of Dhenkanal, the founder of the Mahima or Alekh religion went with me 

 from place to place and was with me for about a week, and I also saw him 

 on several other occasions, but I never heard from him that he professed 

 to be the Creator of the world as his disciples and followers believed him 



