315 
18?2.] F. S. Growse — The T'irthas of Yrindd-vana and OoJcula. 
There is no reason to suppose that Brinda-ban was ever the seat of any 
large Buddhist establishment ; and though from the very earliest period of 
Brahmanical history it has enjoyed high repute as a sacred place of pil- 
grimage, it is probable that for many centuries it was merely a wild uninha- 
bited jungle, a description still applicable to Bhandir-ban on the opposite 
side of the river, a spot of equal celebrity in Sanskrit literature. It was 
only about the middle of the sixteenth century alter Christ that some holy 
men from other parts of India came and settled there and built a small 
shrine, which they dedicated to Brinda Devi. It is to their high reputation 
for sanctity that the town is primarily indebted for all that it now possesses. 
Its most ancient temples, four in number, take us back only to the reign of 
our own Queen Elizabeth ; the stately courts that adorn the river bank and 
attest the wealth and magnificence of the Bharatpur Bajas, date only from 
the middle of last century ; while the space now occupied by a series of the 
largest and most magnificent shrines ever erected in Upper India was fifty 
years ago an unclaimed belt of jungle and pasture-ground for cattle. Now 
that communication has been established with the remotest parts of India, 
every year sees some splendid addition made to the artistic treasures of the 
town ; as wealthy devotees recognize in the stability of British rule an 
assurance that their pious donations will bo completed in peace and remain 
undisturbed in perpetuity. 
At the present time there are within the limits of the municipality 
about a thousand temples, including of course many which strictly speaking 
are merely private chapels, and fifty ghats constructed by as many Bajas. 
The peacocks and monkeys, with which the place abounds, enjoy the benefit 
of special endowments, bequeathed by deceased Princes of Kota and Bharat- 
pur. There are some iifty chhattras, or dole houses, for the distribution of 
alms, and extraordinary donations are not unfrequently made by royal and 
distinguished visitors. Thus the llaja of Datia, a few years ago, made an 
offering to every single shrine and every single Brahman that was found in 
the city. The latter order constitute a fourth of the whole population, which 
amounts to 21,000 ; while the Bairagis and Vaishnavas also muster strong, 
being in all not less than 5000 or 0000. The Vaishnavas are of five schools 
or Sampradayas, called respectively Sri Vaishnava, Vishnu Swami (this is the 
predominant class at Gokul), Nimarak Vaishnava, and Madliava \ aishnava. 
In the time of the emperors, the Muhammadans made a iutile attempt to 
abolish the ancient name, Brinda-ban, and in its stead substitute that of 
Muminabad ; but now more wisely they leave the place to its own Hindu 
name and devices, and keep themselves as clear of it as possible. Thus, 
besides an occasional official, there are in Brinda-ban no followers of the 
prophet beyond only some fifty families who live close together in its out- 
skirts, and are all of the humblest order, such as oilmen, lime-burners, and 
the like. 
