190 Notes and Queries suggested by a Visit to Orissa. [No. 3. 



Vaishnav work, Basanianjari and Rasapanchak with several Mahdt- 

 meas or temple legends. 



11. Fractions of Languages. Valuable as is the Uriya language 

 for imparting to the common people an elementary education, it 

 is not likely to be much cultivated : the people of Orissa are too 

 few to render it probable that the expenses of creating a litera- 

 ture can be borne by them or by Government, it will be much 

 easier for Uriyas who wish to acquire knowledge to gain it through 

 the Bengali, a kindred language, which is rapidly developing it- 

 self. The Bengali is already rapidly encroaching on the Uriya. The 

 cultivation of the smaller dialects or " fractions of languages" in In- 

 dia promotes division and isolation, even natives when left to them- 

 selves prefer the cultivation of a more refined Indian language-^ 

 thus in the Sonthal districts Hindi is being studied, as also in 

 Chota Nagpur, while among the Karens of Burma the Burmese 

 language must be ultimately the vehicle for communicating to them 

 literature and science. Both in Assam and Orissa Government 

 teaches Bengali to the highest classes in the schools. 



12. Bali elements in Uriya. When the Buddhists held sway in 

 Orissa, Pali was probably in use, it would be interesting to trace out 

 what Pali elements are in the Uriya language and also if there be 

 any Telegu elements, as Caldwell in his " Dravidian languages" 

 states that " Telegu was formerly spoken as far north as the mouths 

 of the Ganges." We very much need a Comparative Grammar of 

 the Bengali, Hindi, Mahratta and Uriya languages, pointing out 

 their Scythian, Sanskrit and Pali elements and their various dialecti- 

 cal changes. 



13. Orissa and Bengal little connected. Orissa seems in very 

 early times to have had little direct connection with Bengal. Though 

 Adisur sent Brahmans from Kanauj to Bengal, because probably of 

 the influence of Buddhism there, the Pal kings of Gaur being Bud- 

 dhists — and Sakhya Muni the last great prophet of Buddhism had 

 died in Assam, there is no mention of Orissa in connection with 

 them. Even now there is not a single Bengali Mahant at Jagannath, 

 though there are about 120 of that class, some of whom realise half a 

 lac a year income. Hence customs differ much in Bengal and Orissa, 

 the following prevail or prevailed in Orissa as distinct from Bengal. 



