74 Some Account of the Rdmsanehis, a Sect of [Feb. 



their modest quaker-like demeanour, as they respond " Ram, Ram" to 

 the salutation of the traveller, prepossesses him strongly in their favour. 



Of the Laity. 



The laity, known by the general name of girhist, are at liberty at 

 any time to enter the hierarchy, and the office of mahant is open to 

 them. They are particularly enjoined to speak the truth ; to be con- 

 stant in their affections, and just and honest in their dealings. I omit- 

 ted to inquire, if females are forbidden to become Sati, but rather 

 think they are not, as two of the wives of the late Raja of Shahpura, 

 who was a Ramsanehi, burnt in 1825. It might be that the force 

 of ancient custom was in this case too strong to be overcome, and the 

 noble often indulge licenses which would not be countenanced in the 

 peasant. 



The girhist celebrate their weddings with none of the pomp and 

 rejoicing usual with the brahmanical Hindus, but conduct the ceremo- 

 nial in a quiet unobtrusive manner. Like the byragis, they are for- 

 bidden to mourn for the dead, as an act answering no purpose, since 

 death is the doom of all, and also because it implies a want of resigna- 

 tion to the divine will. They burn their dead, and chaunt Sabd over 

 a corpse. 



Neither priests nor laymen observe Tija, Dashahra, Devvali, Holi, 

 nor any other Hindu festival, that I am aware of ; they keep a strict 

 fast from sun-set until sun-rise, nor even when sick, are they per- 

 mitted to take any nourishment, but medicine during those hours. 



The laity at Shahpura are in number about two hundred, of which 

 perhaps a hundred and twenty are of the male sex, and they are inter- 

 dicted turning Bedehi and Mohani, as attention to the rules of those 

 orders are incompatible with the discharge of temporal duties. 



Co?iverts. 



The Ramsanehis are composed of all castes of Hindus, and although 

 no members of other sects have been converted, nor so far as I 

 could learn, have any applied for admission to the order, the tenets are 

 characterised by so much of liberality that I see nothing to oppose it. 

 Both Christians and Muhammadans are freely admitted to their places 

 of worship ; all that is required of them, being to remove their shoes : 

 but in the matter of diet, the force of prejudice and ancient custom are 

 so strong among the sectaries, that I doubt if they would allow apos- 

 tates of any other faith to eat with them. 



Converts can be admitted to the society by the superior alone in 

 the temple at Shahpura, and they are conducted for this purpose by 

 the priests from different parts of India. The superior makes the 

 novice over on his arrival to the twelve Sadh of the pillars, who are 



