1833.) of the Jats of Bharatpur. 285 
people of rank and wealth. The mohrarat, however, is never 
violated even by the poorest Hindi, and judging from my experience 
at Bharatpur, 1 would say their faith in its efficacy is as firm as ever. 
On passing through the city, the Raja stops at the “ Behari ji 
mandir,” the temple of the playful god Krisuna, and makes his 
obeisances to the Mehant or high-priest of the establishment. 
There is a tradition still current at Bharatpur of the ‘“ sable god*’”’ 
being the killedart of the fort (though not properly within the land 
of Bruj), and for this reason, both he and his ministering priests are 
entitled to greater honors than are rendered to the other forms of the 
deity. On entering the mandir the Raja seats himself on the ground 
near the Mehant, who does not rise from his gaddi or cushion. 
The Raja humblyt invokes the blessing of the holy man, which is ac- 
cordingly given, the Mehant throughout the interview maintaining 
the tone and manner of a superior, whilst the Raja acts the part of 
the suppliant. The same forms are observed when the priest visits 
the Prince in fulldarbar. The Raja rises to meet the saint as he en- 
ters the hall of audience, and taking him by the hand, seats him on the 
masnad, himself sitting on the ground beside him. Some idea may be 
formed from this circumstance of the important part which these Mehants 
play in Hiwdt states. The high esteem in which they are held by 
all classes of Hindus, from the Raja down to the ‘‘ unwashed artizan,”’ 
necessarily gives them the greatest influence in state affairs, should 
they be of an intriguing turn of mind, and especially when they con- 
trive to become the Guru or spiritual adviser of the Raja. The 
notorious Sri’ Jz of Jeypur, the Guru, and as the Jats affirm 
evil adviser of Dursan Saut, whom he instigated to his hopeless resist- 
ance to our arms, may be taken as a good specimen of an unprinci- 
pled intriguing Mehant ; nor is Bharatpur without a similar character, 
as is well known to the supreme authorities. In general, however, the 
Mehants are said to be quiet, well disposed personages, and I believe 
that a political Mehant subjects himself to as much odium among the 
Hindis as a political priest does with us. As all the mandirs$ have 
* The favorite epithet applied to Krisona SYAMARE. 
+ During the assault in 1804-5, our Sipahis protested that they saw the god 
distinctly ! ‘‘ dressed in yellow garments, and armed with his peculiar weapons the 
bow, mace, conch, and pipe !”’ 
t Previously to sitting, he performs the dandavat, a salutation which consists in 
‘raising both hands joined to the head, which is, at the same time, slightly bowed. 
§ The two principal temples at Bharatpur are those of Brwarti Ji and Lacu- 
MAN Ji, the former belonging to the Nemdwat, the latter to the Rémdwat sect of 
Byragls. The Mehants of these temples have each a Chanda or cess allowed 
