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bouse of the British Government, the splendour and gorgeous effect of 

 which compensate in a great measure for other deficiencies of decoration. 

 After the images have been safely lodged in their vehicles, a box is brought 

 forth containing the golden or gilded feet, hands, and ears of the great 

 idol, which are fixed on the proper parts with due ceremony, and a scarlet 

 fccarf is carefully arranged round the lower part of the body or pedestal. Thud 

 equipped and decorated, it is worshipped in much pomp and state by the 

 Raja of Khurda, who performs before it the ceremony of the Chandalo, or 

 sweeping, with a richly ornamented broom. At about this period of the 

 festival, bands of villagers enter the crowd dancing and shouting, with mu- 

 sic playing before and behind, each carrying in his hand a branch of a tree. 

 They are the inhabitants of the neighbouring Pergunnahs, Raheng, Lim- 

 bai, &c. called Kalabetiahs, whose peculiar duty and privilege it is, con- 

 jointly with the inhabitants cf'Puri, to drag the Raths. On reaching the 

 cars, they take their station close to them, and soon as the proper signal 

 has been given, they set the example to the multitudes assembled, by seiz- 

 ing on the cables, when all advance forwards a few yards, hauling along 

 generally two of the Raths at a time. The joy and shouts of the crowd on 

 their first movement, tlie creaking sound of the wheels as these ponderous 

 machines roll along, the clatter of hundreds of harsh sounding instru- 

 ments, and the general appearance of so immense a moving mass of human 

 beings, produce, it must be acknowledged, an impressive, astounding, and 

 somewhat picturesque effect, whilst the novelty of the scene lasts, though 

 tlie contemplation of it cannot fail of exciting the strongest sensations ot 

 pain and disgust in ihe mind of every Christian spectator. At each pause, 

 the Dytahs or Charioteers of the god advance forwards to a projecting 

 part of the stage, with wands in their hands, and throwing themselves into 

 a variety of wild and frantic postures, address some fable or series of j )kes 

 to the multitude, who grunt a sort of response at the proper intervals. Of- 

 ten their speeches and actions are grossly and indescribably indecent. 

 The address generally closes with some peculiarly piquant allusion, when 



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