336 Account of a visit to the Shrine of Sakhi Sarwar. [No. 4. 



The town of Sakhi Sarwar contains about five hundred houses, 

 and about 2,500 inhabitants, out of which number, the attendants at 

 the Shrine, including young and old, amount to 1,650 ; and who, 

 within the last thirty years, (according to their own account) have 

 never been below or above this number. Each of them, whether 

 " the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms" or " second 

 childishness and mere oblivion," each is entitled to an equal share 

 of the offerings made by the visitors at the Shrine. 



The Shrine itself is enclosed within a building with high walls 

 about seventy paces in length and breadth, which is entered by a lofty 

 gateway with minars from the south side. Three sides of the 

 interior are open, but to the north there are two buildings opening 

 one into the other. The eastern one, the pilgrims assemble in : the 

 western apartment contains the tomb of Sakhi Sarwar, which is 

 breast high and covered with a black pall. At the head is placed a 

 green turban over which the visitors strew flowers On this side, 

 seated on the floor, is the majdwir or attendant who receives the 

 money, before whom are heaps of copper coins and cowrie shells, 

 which have been thrown there by the humbler class of pilgrims. The 

 larger sums, from a rupee upwards, are placed on the tomb itself. 

 JProm the personage just referred to, each visitor receives a small string 

 to fasten round the neck, which is made of black lamb's wool, and is 

 considered a powerful charm by the simple-minded people. The Shrine- 

 room is quite dark, and so exceedingly close from want of ventilation 

 and from the oil of the lamps which are continually burning, as to 

 be almost unbearable to any one but a native. The walls too from the 

 smoke from the lamps have become quite black. The whole range of 

 buildings is strongly built of brick and lime. 



It is imperative on all pilgrims coming here, to sleep on the 

 ground ; and I imagine that such a thing as a charpai or bedstead 

 will not be found in the whole place. The reason advanced is, that 

 as the cold earth was the martyr's bed, so must it be the bed of his 

 votaries also. 



The town also contains about sixty shops, of whom ten are occu- 

 pied by sellers of sundries, such as needles and thread, women's 

 bracelets, drawer strings, and such like nick-nacks ; six sweetmeat- 

 sellers ; and the remainder sellers of grain, flour, sugar and ghee. 



