OF THE HINDUS. , 57 



nothing under the cloth, but a heap of flowers : one half of these Bana^r, 

 Eqja or Birsinha Raja, then Raja of Benares, removed to that City, 

 where they were burnt, and where he appropriated the spot now called 

 the Kabir Chaura to the reception of their ashes, whilst Bijili Khan 

 Patan, the head of the Mohammedan party, erected a tomb over the 

 other portion at Magar near Gorakhpur, where Kabir had died. This 

 latter place was endowed by Mansur Ali Khan with several villages, 

 and it divides with the Chaura the pilgrimage of the followers of this 

 sect. 



The Kabir Panthis in consequence of their Master having been the reput- 

 ed disciple of Ramanand, and of their paying more respect to Vishnu, than 

 the other Members of the Hindu triad, are always included amongst the 

 Vaishnava sects, and maintain with most of them, the Rdmdwats especially, a 

 friendly intercourse and political alliance : it is no part of their faith, however; 

 to worship any Hindu deity, or to observe any of the rites or ceremonials of 

 the Hindus, whether orthodox or schismatical ; such of their members as are 

 living in the world conform outwardly to all the usages of their tribe and 

 caste, and some of them even pretend to worship the usual divinities, although 

 this is considered as going rather farther than is justifiable. Those how- 

 ever who have abandoned the fetters of Society, abstain from all the ordi- 

 nary practices and address their homage, chiefly in chanting Hymns, ex- 

 clusively to the invisible Kabir : they use no Ma?itra nor fixed form of 

 salutation ; they have no peculiar mode of dress, and some of them go nearly 

 naked without objecting however to clothe themselves in order to appear 

 dressed, where clothing is considered decent or respectful — the Mahajits 

 "Wear a small scull cap : the frontal marks, if worn, are usually those 

 of the Vaishnava sects, or they make a streak with Sandal, or Gopi- 

 chandan along the ridge of the nose, a necklace and rosary of Tulasl 

 are also worn by them, but all these outward signs are considered of no 



