THE CHURRACK POOJA. 
187 
and his eye glistened with thrilling lustre as he 
raised his head after the hooks had been fixed. His 
resolution was as painful as it was astonishing. At 
a certain signal from the presiding functionary, he 
started from his recumbent posture and stood with 
his head erect, calmly awaiting the consummation of 
his dreadful penalty. After a short interval he was 
suddenly raised into the air and swung round with 
the. most frightful velocity by a number of half frantic 
Hindoos who had stationed themselves for this pur- 
pose at the other extremity of the transverse pole. 
They ran round the area at their utmost speed, 
yelling and screaming, while their cries were ren- 
dered still more discordant by a deafening accom- 
paniment of tomtoms, tobries, kurtauls, and other in- 
struments so familiar to Indian devotees, and which 
are indispensable on these and similar solemn occa- 
sions, producing anything rather than “ a concord of 
sweet sounds.” 
The velocity with which the poor man was 
swung round prevented any one from accurately ob- 
serving his countenance, though, during one or two 
pauses made by his tormentors, who became shortly 
fatigued with the violence of their exertions, there 
was no visible expression of suffering. Had he utter- 
ed a cry, it would at once have neutralized the effect 
of the penance, though I do not think it could have 
been heard through the din by which this terrible ce- 
remonial was accompanied. The ministering brahmins, 
however, are said to have a perception of sound so 
acute on these occasions, that the slightest cry of the 
victim never escapes their ear. 
