1837.] condition of Oujein or Ujjayani. 821 



Siddh Ndth presents a pleasant contrast to Kaliya-deh by the luxuri- 

 ance of its surrounding groves : though itself unshaded it seems to 

 have derived its name, for it was originally called Siddh Ndth, from 

 some sacred tree, "olim venerabile lignum," that once hung over it. 

 The Jains claim a portion of the sanctity of the spot. One of their 

 Jattis was sitting under an old leafless stump of a bur, when a gosain 

 ridiculed him for choosing such a shady, situation : judge for yourself, 

 said the jain. The other was no sooner seated, than he felt an agree- 

 able coolness ; he looked up, the withered tree was groaning with 

 foliage . This ghat is reputed a place of much antiquity, but of the old 

 buildings nothing now remains, save a circular- domed open mandir 

 whose ling has long ceased to be oiled. On the ancient ruins a 

 temple and ghat of the modern white-washy fashion were erected 

 about 13 years ago by some Indore merchant. 



I was spelling through a staring, fresh-blackened, elaborate inscrip. 

 tion cut in modern Hindi on the wall, when a facetious religieux 

 saved me the trouble by informing me that it but recorded the vanity 

 of some Indore Banidh who built the place some 13 years ago, and 

 stuck on it the year, month, day, hour, of its erection, with the names 

 of his grandfathers, uncles, cousins, &c. The information was accom- 

 panied with a whine, a " da obolum," and " you have fed Mahadeo's 

 fish, we are also his servants." A trifle rewarded his wit — -in a moment 

 the whole ghat was in an uproar, scrambling for a share of the mite. 



The brahmans of large towns are proverbially avaricious and 

 quarrelsome. Those of Oujein being perhaps worse than elsewhere 

 are consequently held in little esteem. I gave a rupee to one 

 of the attendants at Bhairo's temple ; hardly had we crossed the 

 threshold before the usual wrangling commenced. Am not I so and 

 so ? Am not I a brahman ? shouted one voice. You may be a brah- 

 man or any thing else was the retort, but we'll share the money for 

 all that. Lamenting to a Canouje pandit at my side the degradation 

 of his sect, he explained that nearly all the brahmans of Malwa are of 

 the Guzerdti classes, which are looked down upon by those of Hin- 

 dustdn, and are notorious for their rapacity and avarice : he assured me, 

 that in the larger temples, not one even of his own class could escape 

 their extortions, for that they would not let a visitor quit the shrine, 

 without his leaving what they chose to consider a donation propor- 

 tioned to his means : but perhaps, added he, they are not so much in 

 fault as the people amongst whom they dwell — Jaisa dds taisa b£$. 

 Pilgrims on arriving at Oujein hire guides to go with them the 

 5 w 



