OR CUTTACK. Wk 



a superb tank which hears his name. Either the author of the Ayin 

 Acberi, or his translator, has confounded things together, in calling him 

 Uaja Indra Dummun of Nilkurpurbut (Nilgiri Parvatj instead of stating 

 that he visited the sand hills at Pari called by that name in the Hindu 

 writings. The assertion also of A bulfazl that the image of Jagannath is 

 made of sandal wood, is founded apparently on some confusion between 

 the material appropriated to that purpose, and a bar of timber used for clos- 

 ing the entrance of the temple during the Chandan Jatra, thence called the 

 Chandan Dam or sandal wood. 



The principal ceremonies of the temple of Jagannath, its festivals, the 

 rules for the collection of the tax, and general system of management, 

 have been described with sufficient accuracy and detail by Hamilton. The 

 monstrous idols of the place may be seen daily, "with few exceptions, seat- 

 ed on their Sinhasan, or throne, m ithin the sanctuary, but they are pub- 

 licly exposed to view on two occasions only in the year, the Asnan and 

 the Rath Jatras. At the Asnan or festival of the bath, Jagannath and his 

 brother, after undergoing certain ablutions, assume what is called the Ga* 

 nesh Bhues or form of the elephant-headed god, to represent which the 

 images are dressed up with an appropriate mask. Thus arrayed, they are 

 placed on a high terrace overlooking the outer wall of the temple, surround- 

 ed by crowds of priests who fan them to drive away the ^lies, whilst the 

 multitude below ^gaze in stupid admiration. 



At the Rath Jatra, the images, as is well known, are indulged with an air- 

 ing on their cars and a visit to the god's country house, a mile and a half 

 distant, named the Goondicha JNour, after the Rani of Maharaja Indra- 

 dyumna who founded the worship. The display which takes place on this 

 occasion has been often before described, but some brief notice of it will 

 naturally be expected in a paper treating professedly of Cuttack. 



On the appointed day, after various prayers and ceremonies have been 



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