Book III. Travels in India. 



177 



On the other fide' of the Street where the Colledg is built, there ftands another 

 Pagod, call'd Ricbourdas, from the name of the Idol, which is within upon the AU 

 rar : and fomewhat lower upon another fmall Altar ftands another Idol, which they 

 call Govpaldas, the Brother of Ricbowdas. You fee nothing but the face of all 

 thefe Idols, which is either of wood or jet; unlefs it be the Idol of Morly-Ram, 

 which ftands in the great Pagod ftark naked. As for the Idol Ram-Kam, which 

 ftands in the Raja's Pagod, it has two Diamonds inftead of eyes, which the Prince 

 caus'd to be fet there, with a Coller of Pearl, and Canopy over his head, fup- 

 ported with four Silver-Pillars. . 



Some eight days journey from Banarous, bending Northward, you enter into 

 a Mountainous Countrey j but which fometimes op'ns it fejf into very large 

 plains, fometimes three or four leagues in length. They are very fertil in Corn 

 Rice, Wheat and Pulfe. But that which is the plague and ruine of the people of 

 that Countrey, is the vaft number of Elephants that breed there, and devour their 

 Harveft. If a Caravan pafs through any part of that Countrey where there are 

 no Inns, in regard the people are fore'd to lye in the op'n Fields, they have much 

 ado to defend themfelves from the Elephants that will come to take away their 

 provifions. To skare them, the people make great fires., Ihoot off their Muf- 

 kets, hooping and hollowing ever and anon. In this place there is another Pagod, 

 well-built, and very ancient, adorn'd with many figures both within and without, 

 which are only the reprefentations of Maids and Women ; fbthat Men are feldom 

 known to repair thither for devotion's-fàke ; and therefore it is call'd the Wo- 

 mens Pagod. There is an Altar in the middle, as in other Pagods; and upon the 

 Altar an Idol of maffy Gold., four foot high, reprefenting a Maid Handing upright, 

 which they call Ram-Marion. At her right-hand ftands a Child of mafly Silver, 

 about two foot high ; and they fay that the Maid liv'd a very holy life , that that 

 Child was brought to her by the Bramins to be inftrufted in her belief, and in the 

 knowledg of well-living : but that after two or three years that the Child had liv'd 

 With her, the Infant grew fo knowing and ready-witted, that all the Raj a 1 s of the 

 Countrey long'd for her company ; fo that being ftoll'n from her one night, me 

 was never feen afterwards. Upon the left-hand of this Idol ftands another Idol, 

 Feprelenting an old Man $ who, as they fay, was the fervant of Ram-Marion 

 and the Infant : for which reafon the Bramins do very much reverence this Idol. 

 They never come but once a year in devotion, but they muft be there upon a pre- 

 fix'd day, which is the firft of November, though they never, op'n the Pagod till 

 the full of the Moon. During thole fifteen days, the Pilgrims, as well Men 

 as ; Women, faft from time to time, and wafh themlelves three times a-day, not 

 leaving a hair in any part of their bodies, which they take off with a certain 

 earth. 



CHAP. XÏÏ. 



A Continuation of thé defripion of the principal Tagods of ? 



the Indian Idolaters. 



NExt to the Pagods of fngrenate and Banarous, the môft confiderable , 

 is that of Matura, about eighteen leagues from Agra, upon the way to, 

 Dehly. It is one of the moft fumptuous Edifices in all India, and the place to 

 which the greateft number of Pilgrims was wont to refort : But now there are 

 very few or none ; the Idolaters having infenfibly loft the reverence which they 

 had for that Pagod, fince the River of Gemena, that formerly ran by that Pagod, 

 has chang'duts courfe, above half a league from it. For it requires fo much 

 time to return to the Pagod, after they have waftYd in the River, that they were 

 many times defil'd again before the.y could reach it. Though this Pagod ftand in 

 a bottom, yet you may difcover.it five or fix leagues before you come at it, the 

 building being very lofty and magnificent. The Stoues are of a red colour^ 



