SURVEY OF THE- GANGES,. bSOr 



during the months of pilgrimage, the deity is well clothed, and fares 

 sumptuously every day ; but, as soon as the winter commences, the 

 priests take their departure, leaving him to provide for his own wants, 

 until the periodical return of the holy season. The treasures, and valua- 

 ble utensils, are buried in a vault, under the temple. It is said that a 

 robbery was once committed by a few mountaineers ; who, taking ad- 

 vantage of a sudden thaw, found their way to the san61:uary, and carried 

 off eleven maunds of gold and silver vessels. The theft, however, was 

 discovered, \and the perpetrators put to death. The only persons who 

 have access to the inner apartments, are the servants of the temple; and 

 none but the Raiihil is permitted to touch the image. The Brdhmens 

 who reside here, are chiefly men from the Dekhin, who have been led 

 hither by the prospect of acquiring a subsistence from the funds of the 

 temple, and from the small fees or donations presented by the pilgrims. 

 As they all arrive in a state of cehbacy, colonization is prevented, by 

 the insuperable obstacle of there being no women here of their own cast, 

 with whom they could form a lawful alliance. During their residence at 

 this place, they are most strictly enjoined to maintain a state of carnal pu- 

 rity ; but on their return to Jdstmat'ha, they give a greater scope to their 

 pleasures ; and the above restrictions may probably be the cause of their 

 running more eagerly into acts of profligacy, very inconsistent with the 

 sacerdotal chara6ler. Our short acquaintance would have enabled us to 

 gain very little insight into their moral conduct, had not the hopes of 

 relief induced several of them to make a confession of complaints they 

 laboured under. Nara'yena Rao, the present Rauhil, is a man about 

 thirty-two or thirty-three years of age ; his appointment was conferred 

 on him by an order from J\^apdl; not, we may presume, on account of 

 exemplary condu(5l, for he was the first who applied for remedies to cure 



