il 6 Travels in India. Part. 11 



Under the Portal of the Pagod fits one of the principal Bramins with a great 

 Bafon by him, full of a yellow colour mix'd with water. All thefe poor Idola- 

 ters come and prefent themfelves before him, who gives them a mark from be- 

 tween the eyes to the top of the note, then upon the arms, and upon the ltomach ; 

 by which marks they know who have wafh'd themfelves in Ganges, and who not. 

 Thofe that never wafti'd themfelves but in the waters of their own Wells, or have 

 only fent for it from the River, they do not believe to be perfectly purifi'd, and 

 by confequence they are not to be mark'd with that colour. By the way take 

 notice, that thefe Idolaters are mark'd with different colours, according to the 

 Tribe they are of. But in the Empire of the Great Mogul, they who are painted 

 With yellow compofe the biggeft Tribe, and are the leait dehTd, For when they 

 are necelfitated to the deeds of nature, fome think it not enough to wafh the part 

 defiPd ; but they firft rub the part with a handful of fand, and then icour it with 

 water. After fo doing, they affirm their bodies to be clean, and that they can 

 cat their food without fear. 



Neer to this great Pagod upon the Summer-weft, ftands a kind of a Colledg, 

 which the Raja, f&Jfemg, the molt Potent of all the Idolaters in the Mogul's Em- 

 pire, built for the education of the youth of the better fort. I law two of thé 

 children of that Prince there at School, who had for their Mafters lèverai Bra- 

 rnins, who taught them to write and read in a language peculiar to the Idolater* 

 Priefts, and far different from the fpeech of the common people. Encring into the 

 Court of that Colledg, and carting my eyes up, I dilcoverd two Galleries that 

 went round the Court, where I faw the two Princes fitting , attended by feveral 

 petty Lords and Bramins , who made feveral Mathematical Figures upon the 

 ground with chalk. The two Princes leeing me, fent to know who I was ; and 

 underftanaing that I was a Franks, they lent for me up, and ask'd me feveral 

 queftions touching Europe, and particularly touching Francs. Whereupon there 

 being two Globes in the room which the Hollanders had giv'n the Bramins, I 

 ihew'd the Princes where France lay upon one of them. After I had taken leave, 

 Iask'd one of the Bramins when I might fee the P^god open : he anlwer'd me, 

 the next morning before Sun-rifing. When I came there, I obferv'd before the 

 door, a Gallery fupported with Pillars, where there was already a great crowd of 

 men, women and children expecting when the Pagod would be open'd. By and 

 by, the Gallery, and a great part of the Court being full, there came eight Bra- 

 mins four of each fide of the Gate, with every one a Cenfer in his hand, follow'd 

 by a rabble of other Bramins that made a hideous noife with Drums and other In- 

 ftruments. The two eldeft of the Bramins fing a Song 5 and then all the people, 

 falling into the tune, fall a finging and playing, with every one a Peacock's-tail, of 

 fome other kind of flabel, to drive away the flies, that the Idol may not be an- 

 annoid when they op'n the Pagod. This fanning, and the Mufick, lafted a good 

 half hour. Then the two principal Bramins made a great noife three times with 

 two little Bells, and with a kind of a Mallet knockt at the Pagod-door. Which 

 was prefcn:ly open'd by fix Bramins within, difcovering^ fome fix or (even paces 

 from the entrance, an Altar with an Idol upon it, which they call Ram,. Ram, the 

 Sifter of Morli-Ram. Upon her right-hand me has a child made like a great Cu- 

 pid, which they call the God La-kemin, and in her left-arm a little Girl, which 

 they call the Goddefs S it a. So foon as the Pagod was open, and that a great Cur- 

 tain was drawn, the people, who perceiv'd the Idol, fell upon the ground, laying 

 their hands upon their heads,and proftrating themfelves three times.l hen rifing up, 

 they threw great quantities of Nofegays and Garlands to the preifts ; with whichr 

 the Bramins touch'd the Idol, and thenreftor'd them again. Before the Altar ftood 

 a £ram:n, who held in his hand a lamp of nine weeks lighted, upon which he caft 

 incenfe every foot, and then held it to the Idol. AH thefe ceremonies lafted above 

 an hour ; after which the people departed, and the Pagod was fhut. They pre- 

 iented the Idol with great ftore of Rice, Meal, Butter, Oil, and Milk-meats, of 

 which the Bramins lolè nothiag. Now in regard this Idol is the reprefentation of 

 a Woman, the Women all invoke it, and call her their Patronefs : which is the 

 reafon that the place is generally crowded with Women and Maids. The Raja, to 

 have this Idol in the Pagod of his own houfè, and for taking it out of the great 

 Pagod, has expended as well upon the Bramins, as in alms to the poor, above five 

 lucres of Roupies, or 7^0000 Livres of our Money. On 



