RELIGIOUS SECTS OF THE HINDUS. 231 



SAURAPATAS, OR SAURAS. 



The Saurapdtas are those who worship Suryapati, the Sun-god 

 only ; there are a few of them, but very few, and they scarcely differ from 

 the rest of the Hindus in their general observances. The Tllaka, or 

 frontal mark, is made in a particular manner, with red sandal, and the 

 necklace should be of crystal : these are their chief peculiarities : besides 

 which they eat one meal without salt on every Sunday, and each 

 Sankrdnli, or the sun's entrance into a sign of the Zodiac : they cannot 

 eat either until they have beheld the sun, so that it is fortunate that 

 they inhabit his native regions. 



GANAPATYAS. 



These are worshippers of Ganesa, or Ganapati, and can scarcely be 

 considered as a distinct sect : all the Hindus, in fact, worship this deity, 

 as the obviator of difficulties and impediments, and never commence any 

 work, or set off on a journey, without invoking his protection. Some, 

 however, pay him more particular devotion than the rest, and these are 

 the only persons to whom the classification may be considered applicable. 

 Ganesa, however, it is believed, is never exclusively venerated, and the 

 worship, when it is paid, is addressed to some of his forms, particularly 

 those of JBaktratunda and Dhundhirdj. 



NANAK SHAHIS. 



A sect of much greater importance is that which originated with Nanak 

 Shah, and which, from bearing at first only a religious character, came, in 

 time, to be a political and national distinction, through the influence of 

 Mohammedan persecution and individual ambition. The enterprising 



