,transcriber's ,note3 ,for this text version1 t with a dot underneath is represented by t4 as in bat4h4 ,,the ,,hindoos ,,as ,,they ,,are ,a ,,description ,,of ,,the ,,manners1 ,,customs ,,and ,,inner ,,life ,,of ,,hindoo ,,society ,,in ,,bengal4 ,,by ,,shib ,,chunder ,,bose4 ,,with ,a ,,prefatory ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,w4 ,,hastie1 ,b4 ,d41 ,,principal ,,of ,,the ,,general ,,assembly',s ,,institution1 ,,calcutta4 ,london3 ,,edward ,,stanford1 #ee1 ,,charing ,,cross4 ,calcutta3 ,w4 ,,newman ,co41 #c1 ,,dalhousie ,,square4 #ahha4 ,,printed ,,by ,w4 ,,newman ,,and ,,co41 ,,at ,,the ,,caxton ,,press1 #a1 ,,mission ,,row1 ,,calcutta4 ,the ,right of ,translation and ,reproduction is reserved4 ,,contents4 ,page4 ,,prefatory ,,note4 i ,,introduction4 iii ,i4 ,,the ,,hindoo ,,household #a ,,ii4 ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,a ,,hindoo #bb ,,iii4 ,,the ,,hindoo ,,school-,,boy #cj ,,iv4 ,,vows ,,of ,,hindoo ,,girls #ce ,v4 ,,marriage ,,ceremonies #da ,,vi4 ,,the ,,brother ,,festival #ij ,,vii4 ,,the ,,son-,,in-,,law ,,festival #ib ,,viii4 ,,the ,,doorga ,,poojah ,,festival #ic ,,ix4 ,,the ,,kali ,,poojah ,,festival #acf ,x4 ,,the ,,saraswati ,,poojah #aea ,,xi4 ,,the ,,festival ,,of ,,cakes #aee ,,xii4 ,,the ,,holi ,,festival #aei ,,xiii4 ,,caste #afe ,,xiv4 ,a ,,brahmin #ahj ,,xv4 ,,the ,,bengalee ,,baboo #aia ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,kobiraj1 ,,or ,,native ,,physician #bji ,,xvii4 ,,hindoo ,,females #baf ,,xviii4 ,,polygamy #bbg ,,xix4 ,,hindoo ,,widows #bcg ,,xx4 ,,sickness1 ,,death1 ,,and ,,shrad ,,or ,,funeral ,,ceremonies #bdf ,,xxi4 ,,suttee1 ,,or ,,the ,,immolation ,,of ,,hindoo ,,widows #bgb ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,admired ,,story ,,of ,,sabitri ,,brata1 ,,or ,,the ,,wonderful ,,triumph ,,of ,,exalted ,,chastity #bhj ,,appendix #bic ,,errata4 ,page #di1 line #d1 for ,butterfly1 read1 ,prajapati--the 7,lord47 ,,prefatory ,,note4 ,babu ,shib ,chunder ,bose is an enlightened ,bengali1 of matured conviction and character1 who1 having received the stirring impulse of ,western culture and thought during the early period of ,dr4 ,duff's work in the ,general ,assembly's ,institution1 has continued faithful to it through all these long and changeful years4 ,his extended and varied experience1 his careful habit of observation and contrast1 his large store of general reading and information1 and his rare sobriety and earnestness of judgment1 eminently qualify him for lifting the veil from the inner domestic life of his countrymen1 and giving such an account of their social and religious observances as may prove intelligible and instructive to general ,english readers4 ,in the sketches which he has now produced we are presented with the first-fruits of the harvest of a quiet eye that has long meditatively watched the strange ongoings of this ancient society1 and penetrated with living insight into the springs and tendency of its startling changes4 ,although ,i had no special claim to any right of judgment upon the present phases of ,hindu life1 the writer took me early into his confidence1 and from the apparent quality and sincerity of his work ,i had no hesitation in encouraging him to persevere1 recommending him1 however1 to leave historical speculation to others and to confine himself to a faithful delineation of facts within his own experience4 ,while his manuscripts were passing through my hands1 ,i took pains to verify his descriptions by frequent reference to younger educated natives1 who1 in all cases1 confirmed the accuracy and reliability of the details4 ,the book will stand on its own merits with ,english readers1 whose happily increasing interest in the forms and movements of ,hindu life at this transitional period when the picturesque institutions and habits of thousands of years are visibly and irrevocably passing away1 should gladly welcome its fresh and opportune representations4 ,and all who1 viewing without regret the decay of the old order and animated by the faith of nobler possibilities than it has ever achieved1 are actually engaged in the great work of religious regeneration and social reform in ,india1 should find much in these truthful but saddening sketches to intensify their sympathies and give definite direction and guidance to their best efforts4 ,w4 ,,hastie4 ,,the ,,general ,,assembly',s ,,institution1 #bcrd ,march1 #ahha4 ,,introduction4 ,in presenting the following volume to the ,public1 ,i am conscious of the very great disadvantage ,i labor under in attempting to communicate my thoughts through the medium of a language differing from my mother-tongue both in the forms of construction and in the methods of expression4 ,my appeal to the indulgence of the public is based on the ground of my work being true to its name4 ,it professes to be a simple1 but faithful1 delineation of the present state of ,hindoo society in ,bengal1 and especially in ,calcutta1 the ,athens of ,hindoosthan4 ,i cannot promise anything thrilling or sensational4 ,my principal object is to give as much information as possible regarding the moral1 intellectual1 social and domestic economy of my countrymen and countrywomen4 ,the interest attaching to the information and facts furnished will greatly depend on the spirit in which they may be received4 ,to such of my readers as feel a genuine interest in a true reflection of the present state of society in this country1 passing from a condition of almost impenetrable darkness to that of marvellous light1 through the general and rapid diffusion of western knowledge1 ,i do not think the details ,i have given will be found dull or dry4 ,not a few of the facts stated will1 ,i fear1 prove painfully interesting to those who are cognisant of the many incrusted defects and deficiencies still lurking in our social system4 ,but if we carefully look at it we shall doubtless discover that it is not all darkness and clouds1 it has its crimson dawns1 its rosy sunsets4 ,the multitudinous phases of ,hindoo life1 though sadly revolting and repulsive in many respects1 have nevertheless some redeeming features1 revealing radiant glimpses of simple and innocent joys4 ,in discussing the various social questions in their purely earthly aspects and relationships1 it may be ,i have treated some of them inadequately and superficially1 but in so doing ,i claim the merit of a humble endeavour after perfect honesty4 ,i have in no wise exaggerated1 but have simply followed the golden maxim of nothing extenuate nor set down aught in malice4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the men of the land1 and not the land of the men1 form the subject matter of my work4 ,my attention has long been directed to the domestic1 social1 moral1 intellectual and religious condition of the ,hindoos4 ,the deep researches of ,european savants have from time to time thrown a flood of light on the learning and antiquities of ,india4 ,we have every reason to admire the great truthfulness and accuracy of their observations in many respects4 ,as foreigners1 however1 they were naturally constrained to pay but a subordinate attention to the peculiar domestic and social economy of the ,natives4 ,the idea of attempting a sketch of the inner life and habits of the ,hindoos in this age1 was originally suggested to the writer by the ,revd4 ,drs4 ,duff and ,charles--two ,christian philanthropists1 whose names are deservedly enshrined in the grateful memory of the ,hindoo community of ,bengal1 the great centre of their educational and religious achievements4 ,it was cordially approved by that high-minded statesman1 ,sir ,charles ,theophilus1 afterwards ,lord ,metcalfe1 who practically taught the ,indian ,public what a writer in the ,nineteenth ,century so aptly calls the great ,trinity of liberty1--freedom of speech1 freedom of trade1 and freedom of religion4 ,to supply this desideratum1 and not merely to gratify the natural curiosity to know the inner life of the ,hindoos1 but to do something in the line of social amelioration by bringing the stagnant waters of ,eastern life into contact with the quickening stream of ,european progress1 have been the chief aim of the following pages4 ,should a liberal ,public1 here as well as in ,europe and ,america1 vouchsafe its countenance to this my first literary enterprise1 ,i purpose to continue my humble labor in the same sphere1 extending my observation1 if advisable1 to a picture of the social life of ,upper1 ,western and ,southern ,india4 ,the vastness of the subject is one great difficulty4 ,it will open to all civilized and philanthropic nations a wide and yet unexplored field for the exercise of their thoughts and sympathies4 ,to ,europeans1 and more especially to ,englishmen1 who have1 for more than a century and a half1 been the great and beneficent arbiters under ,providence of the destiny of this vast empire1 a correct knowledge of the domestic and social institutions of the ,hindoos1 is of the most vital importance1 being essentially indispensable to a right understanding of the existing wants1 wishes1 feelings and sentiments1 condition and progress of the subject race4 ,many erroneous ideas concerning the singular customs and observances of the people of ,india still prevail in ,europe and ,america4 ,they are partly due to defective observation1 and partly to the prejudices of men whose minds are too pre-occupied to properly understand and appreciate the peculiar phases of character1 manners and usages among nations other than their own4 ,such men are unfortunately led to associate the ,natives with ways that are dark and tricks that are vain4 ,to remove the mass of misconception yet prevailing in some quarters by placing before the general reader a true and comprehensive knowledge of the daily life of a people1 who occupy such a huge spot on the earth's surface1 and whose numbers are counted by hundreds of millions1 is indeed an important step towards the solution of a great social problem1 and towards the removal of the gulf that divides the sons of the soil from the ,english rulers of the country4 ,the tendency of close and constant intercourse is to promote an identity of interests between the two races4 ,as a ,native1 the author may be allowed to have had the facilities requisite for acquiring a clear idea of the manners and customs of his countrymen1 which may counterbalance in some degree the drawbacks and deficiencies naturally experienced by him on the score of language4 ,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,hastie1 ,b4 ,d41 ,principal of the ,general ,assembly's ,institution1 and ,mr4 ,j4 ,b4 ,knight1 ,c4 ,i4 ,e41 have laid me under great and lasting obligations by their kind suggestions and encouragement4 ,i have particularly to thank the former for the prefatory note which he has written in response to my special request4 ,,shib ,,chunder ,,bose4 ,i4 ,,the ,,hindoo ,,household4 ,it is my intention in the following pages to endeavour to convey to the mind of the ,european reader some distinct idea of the present manners and customs1 usages and institutions of my ,hindoo countrymen1 illustrative of their peculiar domestic and social habits and the inner life of our society1 the minutiae of which can never be sufficiently accessible to ,europeans4 ,it is in the domestic circle that manners are best seen1 where restraint is thrown aside1 and no external authority controls the freedom of expression4 ,i shall begin with a general account of the normal ,hindoo household1 as at once the living centre and meeting point of the various elements of our society4 ,but as it is impossible to describe the manifold gradations of social condition in a single sketch1 ,i shall draw from the domestic arrangements of a family of one of the higher castes and provided with a convenient share of worldly prosperity4 ,only the principal elements in the group can now be alluded to1 and some of them will be described with greater detail in separate sketches4 ,the family domicile of a ,hindoo is1 to all intents and purposes1 a regular sanctum1 not easily accessible to the outside world4 ,its peculiar construction1 its tortuous passages1 its small compartments and special apportionment1 obviously indicate the prevalence of a taste cabined1 cribbed1 confined1 and preclude the admittance of free ventilation and free intercourse4 ,the annals of history have long since established the fact that the close confinement system which exists in ,bengal1 was mainly owing to the oppressions of the ,moslem conquerors1 and more recently to the inroads of the ,pindaree marauders1 commonly termed ,burghees1 the tales of whose depredations are still listened to with gaping mouths and terrified interest4 ,the gradual consolidation of the ,british power having established on a firm basis the security of life and property1 the people are beginning to avail themselves of an improved mode of habitation1 affording better facilities of accommodation and a wider range of the comforts and conveniences of life4 ,from time out of mind there has existed in the country a sort of domestic and social economy1 bearing a close resemblance to the old patriarchal system1 recognising the principle of a common father or ruler of a family1 who exercises parental control over all4 ,the system of a joint ,hindoo family#a partaking of the same food1 living under the same roof from generation to generation1 breathing the same atmosphere1 and worshipping the same god1 is decidedly a traditional inheritance which the particular structure of ,hindoo society has long reared and fostered4 ,this side of the subject will be enlarged upon in its proper place4 ,a few words about the respective position and duties of the principal members of a ,hindoo household will be in place at the outset4 ,i shall1 therefore1 begin with the ,karta or male head1 who1 as the term imports1 exercises supreme control over the whole family1 so that no domestic affair of any importance may be undertaken without his consent or knowledge4 ,the financial management1 almost entirely regulated by his superior judgment1 seldom or never exceeds the available means at his disposal4 ,the honor1 dignity and reputation of the family wholly depend on his prudence and wisdom1 weighted by age and matured by experience4 ,his own individual happiness is identified with that of the other members of the household4 ,there is a proverbial expression among the ,natives1 teaching that the counsel of the aged should be accepted for all the practical purposes of life 7except in a few unhappy instances to be noticed hereafter7 and the rule exerts a healthy influence on the domestic circle4 ,as the supreme ,head he has not only to look after the secular wants of the family but likewise to watch the spiritual needs of all the members1 checking irregularities by the sound discipline of earnest admonition4 ,in accordance with the usual consequences of a patriarchal system1 a respectable ,hindoo is often obliged to support a certain number of hangers-on1 more or less related to him by kinship4 ,a brother1 an uncle1 a nephew1 a brother-in-law1 etc41 with their families1 are not unfrequently placed in this humiliating position1 notwithstanding the currency of the trite apothegm1--which says1 it is better to be dependent on another for food than to live in his house4 ,this saying is to be supplemented by another which runs thus3 ,luckhee1 the goddess of prosperity1 always commands a numerous train4 ,the proper significance of these phrases is but too practically understood and felt by those who have been unfortunate enough to come under their exemplification4 ,next in point of importance in the category of the domestic circle is his wife1 the ,ghinni1 or the female ,head1 whose position is a responsible one1 and whose duties are alike manifold and arduous4 ,she has to look after the victualling department1 report to her husband or sons the exact state of the stores1#b order what is wanted1 account for the extra consumption of victuals1 adopt the necessary precaution against being robbed1 see that everyone is duly fed1 and that the rite of hospitality is extended to the poor and helpless1 watch that the rules of purity are practically observed in every department of the household1 and make daily arrangements as to what meals are to be prepared for the day4 ,the study of domestic economy engages her attention from the moment she undertakes the varied duties in the inner department of a household1 the proper management of which1 is1 to her1 a congenial occupation1 becoming her sex1 her position1 her habitude1 her taste4 ,independent of these domestic charges which are enough to absorb her mind1 she has other duties to discharge1 which shall be indicated hereafter4 ,the next chief constituents in the body of the household1 are the daughters and daughters-in-law1 whose relative positions and duties demand a separate notice4 ,viewed from their close relationship it is reasonable to conclude that they should bear the kindliest feelings to each other and evince a tender regard for mutual happiness1 returning love for love and sympathy for sympathy4 ,but1 as elsewhere1 unhappily1 such is the depravity of human nature that the operation of antagonistic influences arising from dissimilar idiosyncracies1 embitters some of the sweetest enjoyments of life4 ,in the majority of cases1 a nanad1 the sister of the husband1 though allied to another family1 is nevertheless solicitous to minister to the domestic felicity of her vaja or the wife of his brother1 but unhappily her intent is often misconstrued1 and the sincerity of her motive questioned4 ,instead of an unclouded cordiality subsisting between them1 the generous affection of the one is but ill-requited by the other4 ,hence1 an unaccountable coldness commonly springs up between them which materially subtracts from the growth of domestic felicity4 ,shame on us that a vast amount of ignorance and prejudice yet renders us incapable of appreciating the highest end of the social state4 ,when the several female members of a household meet together1 enlivened by the company of their neighbours and friends 7such visits being few and far between71 these first object of inquiry is generally the amount of ornaments possessed1 their workmanship1 their value4 ,few things please them better than a conversation on this subject1 which from the absence of mental culture1 almost wholly monopolizes their mind1 despite the natural tendency of human intellect to a progressive development4 ,if not thus absorbed1 the time is usually frittered away by sundry petty frivolous inquiries of a purely domestic character4 ,on matters of the most vital importance their notions are as crude and irrational as they are absurd and childish4#c ,except in isolated instances1 their bearing towards each other is generally marked by suavity1 and kindliness of manners which has a tendency to draw closer the bond of union between them all4 ,it is on such occasions that the amiable loveliness of human nature1 is displayed1--brightening1 for a time1 at least the otherwise dark region of a ,hindoo zenana and cheering the hearts of its inmates4 ,in a thickly populated city like ,calcutta1 with its broad roads and dense crowds at all hours of the day1 without a closed conveyance1 either a palkee or a carriage1 no married female is permitted to leave the house even for a single moment1 for that of her sister1 perhaps some three doors from her own4 ,so great is the privacy1 and punctiliousness with which female honor is guarded in the ,east4 ,the sanction of the male or female head must1 as a standing rule of female etiquette1 be obtained before any one is at liberty to go out even to return a friendly or ceremonious visit4 ,the reader may form an idea as to the tenacity with which the close zenana system in a respectable family is enforced1 from the circumstance of a young ,bahou or daughter-in-law 7the rules being not so strict in the case of a daughter7 being set down as immodest and unmannerly1 if she were accidently seen to tread the outer or male compartment of the house4 ,if she but chance to articulate a word or a phrase so as to reach the ear of a male outside1 she is severely censured1 and steps are instantly taken1 to teach her better manners for the future4 ,even the ,ghinni1 or female ,head1 does not escape censure for a like offence4 ,with such scrupulous pertinacity is the privacy of the inner life of the ,hindoo society observed4 ,a social line of demarcation is drawn around the zenana which a genteel ,hindoo female is told and taught never to overstep1 either in her conversation or bearing4 ,woe be to the day when she is incautiously led to move beyond her sphere1 which1 for all the practical purposes of life1 is closely hemmed in by a ring of miserable seclusion1 illustrating the scornful lines of the poet3 ,let ,eastern tyrants from the light of heaven ,seclude their bosom slaves4 ,a few advanced ,hindoos1 more especially the ,brahmos1 who have received the benefits of an enlightened education1 are making strenuous efforts to ameliorate the degraded condition of their wives and sisters 7the mothers being too old and conservative to acquiesce in the spirit of modern innovation7 and bring them to the front1 if possible1 by ignoring the rules of orthodoxy4 ,but it is the firm belief of such as have been schooled by experience and observation1 that the time is yet far distant when this bold1 sweeping1 social revolution shall be brought about with the general consensus of the people at large4 ,the moral tone of ,native society must be immensely raised1 its manners and customs entirely remodelled1 and its traditional institutions and prescriptive usages thoroughly purified before the consummation of so desirable an object can be successfully effected4 ,a ,hindoo girl1 even after marriage1 enjoys greater liberty and is treated with more indulgence at her father's house than at her father-in-law's4 ,the cause of this is obvious4 ,from the very period of her birth1 she is nurtured by her mother1 aunts1 sisters and other female relatives1 no less than by her father1 uncle1 brothers and other male members of the family1 all of whom naturally continue to bear her the same love and affection throughout her after life4 ,a mother hugs her more tenderly1 caresses her more fondly1 hangs about her more affectionately1 feels greater sympathy in her joy and sorrow1 and watches more carefully how she grows up in health to her present state1 than a mother-in-law4 ,whether she is eating1 talking or playing1 her mother's care never ceases4 ,should maternal admonition fail to produce the desired effect1 as it does in a few isolated instances1 the usual threat of sending her to her father-in-law's1 acts as the most wholesome corrective4 ,the social relaxations of ,hindoo females have a very limited range4 ,some delight in reading the ,mahabharat1 the ,ramayan1 tales1 romances1 etc41 while others are fond of needle-work1 playing at cards1 or listening to stories of a puerile description4 ,though they seldom come out of their houses1 except under permissive sanction1 yet their stock of gossip is almost inexhaustible4 ,they are generally lively and loquacious1 and the chief passion of their life is for the acquisition of ornaments4 ,they possess a retentive memory1 seldom forgetting what they once hear4 ,fond of hyperboles1 the sober realities of life have little attraction for their minds4 ,their social tone is neither so pure nor so elevated as becomes a polished1 refined community4 ,it is almost needless to add1 that their familiar conversation is not characterised by that chaste1 dignified language1 which constitutes the prominent feature of a people far advanced in the van of civilization4 ,objectionable modes of expression generally pass muster among them1 simply because they labor under the great disadvantage of the national barrenness of intellect and the acknowledged poverty of colloquial literature4 ,it is a well-known fact that ,hindoo males and females do not take their meals together4 ,both squat down on the floor at the time of eating4 ,except in the case of little girls1 it is held highly unbecoming in a grown up female to be seen eating by a male member of the family4 ,as a rule1 women take their meals after the men have finished theirs4 ,there is a popular belief that women take a longer time to eat than men4 ,of the perfection of the culinary art1 the former are better judges than the latter4 ,they chat and eat leisurely because they have no offices to go to1 nor any definite occupation to engage their minds in4 ,a ,hindoo writer has said1 that commonly speaking1 they eat more and digest more readily than men4 ,naturally modest1 they take their meals without any complaint1 though sometimes they are served with food not of the very best description4 ,the choicest part of the food is offered in the first instance to the males and the residue is kept for the females4 ,a woman is religiously forbidden to taste of anything in the shape of eatables before it is given to a man4 ,simple in taste1 diet and habits1 but shut up in a state of close confinement1 and leading a monotonous life1 scarcely cheered by a ray of light1 they are necessarily not receptive of large communications of truth4 ,the children form an important link in the great chain of the domestic circle4 ,when sporting about in childhood they have commonly spare persons1 light brown skins1 high foreheads beaming with intelligence1 large dark eyes1 with aquiline noses1 small thin-lipped mouths1 and dark soft hair4 ,the fairness of their complexion is generally sallowed by exposure to the sun in the earliest stage of childhood4 ,the child grows up under the fostering care of its parents amidst all the surroundings of the family domicile4 ,as it advances in years the mother endeavours1 according to her very limited capacity1 to instil into its mind the rude elements of knowledge4 ,from the incipient stage of early infancy when his mind is rendered susceptible of culture and expansion1 crude and imperfect religious ideas largely leavened with superstition1 are communicated to him1 which subsequently mould his character in an undesirable manner4 ,his early affections and moral principles are most entirely influenced by the impressions he receives at the maternal fount1 and he seldom comes in contact with the outer world4 ,he is taught to pay divine homage to all the idols that are worshipped at stated periods of the year1 and his indistinct ideas grow into deep convictions1 the pernicious influence of which can only afterwards be effaced by the blessings of western knowledge4 ,in the villages chanaka sloaka or elementary lessons are still given as a sort of moral exercise4 ,the mother from want of adequate capacity or culture is unfit to engraft on the youthful mind the higher divine truths1 to teach the child how to look on men1 how to feel for them1 how to bear with them1 how to be true1 honest1 manly1 and how to look beneath the outward to the spiritual1 immortal and divine4 ,solid1 practical wisdom1 however1 is often extracted from the most commonplace experiences1 even by untutored minds4 ,honor thy father and thy mother1 is the first scriptural commandment with promise1 the importance and excellence of which is early impressed on the mind of a ,hindoo child by wise1 discreet parents4 ,and ,hindoos are honorably distinguished by their affections for their parents1 and continue to be so even in the maturer years of their life4 ,in the case of a girl1 even the most elementary sort of instruction is neglected except that she occasionally studies the ,bengallee primer1--an innovation which the spirit of the times countenances4 ,when of proper age1 she is sent to a female school where she pursues her studies until finally withdrawn therefrom after her marriage4 ,as a rational being she may continue to evince a natural desire and aptitude for intellectual progress and to carry it on by home study according to her taste and position in life4 ,a few have made astonishing progress1 despite certain formidable obstacles which an abnormal state of society inevitably interposes4 ,the traditional bugbear of becoming a widow if she were to learn to read and write has happily passed away1 not only in the great centres of education but likewise in several parts of the rural districts1 where1 to all appearances1 females are just beginning1 as it were1 to assert their right to the improvement of their minds4 ,this is certainly an unerring presage1 foreshadowing the advent of national regeneration in the fullness of time4 ,many families being well-to-do in the world engage a ,christian governess#d both for elementary instruction as well as for needle-work1 the latter being an accomplishment which even the most matronly ladies have now taken a great liking for4 ,the introduction of this art of tasteful production has1 in a great measure1 superseded the idle1 unprofitable gossip of the day1 driving away ennui and slothfulness at the same time4 ,in almost every respectable ,hindu household there is a tutelar god1 chiefly made of stone and metal after one of the images of ,krishna1 set up on a gold or silver throne with silver umbrella and silver utensils dedicated to its service4 ,every morning and evening it is worshipped by the hereditary ,purohit1 or priest1 who visits the house for the purpose twice a day1 and who1 as the name implies1 is the first in all religious ceremonies1 second to none but the guru or spiritual guide4 ,the offerings of rice1 fruits1 sweetmeats and milk1 made to the god1 he carries home after the close of the service4 ,a conch is blown1 a bell is rung1 and a gong beat at the time of the ,poojah1 when the religiously disposed portion of the inmates1 male and female1 in a quasi-penitent attitude1 make their obeisance to the god and receive in return the hollow benediction of the priest4 ,the daily repetition of the service quickens the heartbeats of the devotees and serves to remind them1 however faintly1 of their religious duties4 ,such a worship is popularly regarded in the light of an act of great merit paving the way to everlasting bliss4 ,a suitable endowment in landed property is sometimes set apart for the permanent support of the idol1 which is called the debatra land or inalienable property1 according to the ,hindu ,shastras4 ,some families that have been reduced to a state of poverty through the reverses of fortune now live on the usufruct of the debatra land1 which serves as a sheet-anchor in stormy weather4 ,besides the daily ,poojah of the household deity there are some other extraordinary religious celebrations1 such as ,doorga1 ,kali1 ,lakshmi1 ,jagaddhatri1 ,saraswati1 ,kartik1 ,janmashtami1 ,dole1 ,rash1 ,jhoolun1 ,jatras1 etc41 7the latter four being all ,poojahs of ,krishna7 which excite the religious fervor of the ,vaishnavas1 as contra-distinguished from the ,saktas1 the followers of ,kali or ,doorga the female principle4 ,the internal daily details of a ,hindu household next demand our attention4 ,in the morning when the breakfast is ready the little children are served first as they have to go to their schools1 and then the adult male members1 chiefly brothers1 nephews1 etc41 who have to attend their offices4 ,they all squat down vis-a-vis on small bits of carpet on the floor1 while the mother sits near them1 not to eat but to see that they are all properly served2 she closely watches that each and every one of them is duly satisfied2 she would never feel happy should any of them find fault with a particular dish as being unsavoury1 she snubs the cook and taxes herself for her own want of supervision in the kitchen1 because the idea of having failed to do her duty in this respect is an agony to her mind4 ,as a mother1 she avails herself of this opportunity to plunge into conversation1 and consult her sons about the conduct of all domestic affairs1 which necessarily expand as there are adjuncts to the original stock4 ,for example1 she takes their advice as to the amount of expenditure to be incurred at the forthcoming wedding of ,sharat ,shashee1 the youngest daughter1 in the month of ,falgun1 or ,february4 ,this is an occasion1 when the hearts of both the sons and the mother overflow with the milk of human kindness1 yet there is a desire to avoid extravagance as far as possible4 ,a prudent mother wisely regulates her expenses according to the means and earnings of her sons1 and she seldom or never comes to grief4 ,the idea of an extravagant ,hindoo mother is a solecism that has no existence in the actual realities of life4 ,she is a model of economy1 devotion1 chastity1 patience1 self-denial1 and a martyr to domestic affection4 ,she may be wanting in mental accomplishment1 which is not her own fault1 but the very large share of strong common-sense she is naturally endowed with1 sufficiently makes up for every deficiency in all the ordinary concerns of life4 ,accustomed to look upon her sons as the pride of her existence1 she seeks every legitimate means to promote their happiness4 ,if her daughters-in-law turn out querulous1 and fall out one with another1 which is not unfrequently the case1 she reconciles them by the panacea of gentle remonstrance4 ,but unhappily1 such is the degeneracy of the present age that the influence of wholesome admonition being shamefully ignored is often lost in the cataclysm of discord1 and the inevitable consequence is1 that vicious selfishness disturbs ,heaven's blessed peace1 and love cools1 friendships fall off1 brothers divide4 ,after the sons have gone to their respective offices1 the mother changing her clothes retires into the thakurghar7the place of worship7 and goes through her morning service1 at the close of which she prostrates herself1 invokes the blessing of her guardian deity1 and then again changing her clothes1 takes her breakfast and enjoys a short siesta1 while chewing a mouthful of betel sometimes mixed with tobacco leaf1 in order to strengthen her teeth4 ,in any sketch of a ,hindu family it is necessary that something should be said about the domestic servants attached to a ,hindu household4 ,the cook1 whose employment involves some very important considerations1 may be either a male or a female4 ,in most families1 a preference is generally shewn for a female cook#e for reasons which are obvious4 ,the kitchen1 being as a rule1 placed in the inner division of the house1 the females have an opportunity to assist her in various ways1 so as to facilitate and expedite her work1 which certainly is not always of the most pleasant nature4 ,the dietary of a ,hindu family1 as may be easily anticipated1 is of the simplest description1 consisting for the most part of vegetables and fishes1 with a little milk and ghee1 but no eggs or meat of any kind4 ,not like the prepared dishes of the ,french and ,moguls1 highly flavored and richly spiced1 the daily preparations are very simple2 no onion1 garlic1 or strong aromatic spices are used4 ,they are easy of digestion and palatable to taste1 being altogether free from offensive and foetid smell4 ,the simple turmeric1 pepper1 cummin1 coriander and mustard seeds1 etc41 generally impart a fine flavor to the preparations1 which the frugal and abstemious ,hindoos eat with great zest4 ,i have known the wives of several rich ,baboos1 take a delight in preparing with their own hands the evening meal of their husband and sons4 ,this is entirely a labor of love1 which they go through with the greatest cheerfulness4 ,it is necessary to mention here that without fishes1 which are very abundant1 a nice little ,hindoo breakfast or dinner in ,bengal is an impossibility4 ,the art of cooking should not be a mystery to all save the initiated few1 it should be the study of every good and thrifty woman who is willing to sacrifice needless elegance and pomp to comfort and economy4 ,this gastronomical digression will serve to indicate the taste of the ,hindu in ,bengal1 and the very simple style of their living4 ,even in the selection of articles of food a nice distinction is observed2 fishes are dressed in a part of the kitchen quite distinct from where the vegetable dishes are prepared1 because a widow is strictly forbidden to use anything which comes in contact with fishes4 ,moreover1 a widow would not accept a dish unless it is prepared by a real ,brahmin cook1 male or female4 ,should a male member of the family be ever disposed to eat goat flesh 7he being forbidden to use any other kind of meat1 save mutton1 when sacrificed7 a ,sakta cook undertakes to prepare it for him4 ,when finished1 she changes her clothes and purifies her body by sprinkling over it a few drops of ,ganges water4 ,excepting little unmarried girls1 whose parents are ,saktas 7worshippers of female deities7 no other ,hindu female is permitted to use meat even by sufferance4 ,in other rigidly orthodox families a similar concession is withheld4 ,the wage of a female cook1 who in nine cases out of ten is a widow1 is about six to seven ,rupees a month1 with a few annas extra for ,ekadashi--the day of close fast for all widows--and cocoanut oil for her hair1#f six pieces of grey shirtings each ten cubits long1 and three bathing napkins a year4 ,she also gets an extra piece of cloth at the ,doorga ,poojah festival1 when the most wretched pauper1 somehow or other1 puts on new clothes4 ,some of the widow cooks have certainly seen better days1 but the vicissitudes of fortune have made them hopelessly destitute4 ,as a rule1 they bear the load of misfortune with the greatest patience4 ,they chiefly come from the villages1 and it speaks much in favor of the purity of their character that they ungrudgingly submit to the menial offices of a drudge1 instead of being seduced into the forbidden paths of life4 ,of course there are a few black sheep in the flock1 but happily their number is very limited4 ,a male cook is always a ,brahman4 ,it is almost superfluous to add that the employment in a family or the admittance of any man-servant into the inner apartment of a ,hindoo household1 which is emphatically the great centre1 as well of domestic happiness as of religious sanctity1 is open to many objections4 ,the second domestic servant that demands a notice at our hands is the ,jhee1 or maid-servant of the family4 ,her duties are alike onerous and troublesome4 ,like the potter's wheel she incessantly turns backwards and forwards and knows no rest till about ten o'clock at night4 ,she rises early in the morning1 sweeps and washes all the rooms and verandahs inside the house1 cleans all the brass utensils of the family1 makes fire in the stove1 pounds the kitchen spices1 prepares fishes for cooking purposes1 and attends to other duties of a household nature4 ,some maid-servants are almost exclusively employed in taking care of children4 ,their duties are not so hard as those of the family ,jhee indicated above4 ,these females are often drawn from the dregs of society and their conduct1 or rather misconduct1 sometimes leads to the most unhappy results4 ,their wage is about two ,rupees a month1 exclusive of food and clothes4 ,they occasionally also make something by carrying presents to relatives and friends4 ,i next come to the male servants3 there are more than a half-dozen of them in a respectable family1 and their services are in the main confined to the outer apartment of the household4 ,they sweep and clean all the rooms1 spread white cloth bedding on the floor1 change the water of the hookah 7the first essential both at an ordinary and special reception7 fill the chillum with tobacco1 kochay1 or trim the fine black bordered ,simla ,dhuti and ,kalmay ,urani 7,baboo's native dressing attire7 put in order the lamps1 and go to ,bazar to make purchases4 ,their pay ranges from three to four ,rupees a month1 exclusive of food and clothes4 ,a rich ,hindoo1 however1 has a large establishment of servants in addition to those mentioned above4 ,there are durwans 7door-keepers72 syces 7grooms72 coachmen1 gardeners1 sircar1 cashier1 accountant1 etc41 each of whom discharges his functions in his own sphere1 but they seldom or never come in contact with the female inmates of the household4 ,the cashier is the most important and responsible person1 and his income is larger than that of any other servant1 because he gets his commission from all tradespeople dealing with the family4 ,all of them get presents of clothes at the great national festival the ,doorga ,pujah4 ,the khansamah of a ,baboo is his most favorite servant4 ,from the nature of his office he comes into closest contact with his master1 he rubs his body with oil before bathing and sometimes shampooes him1--a practice which gradually induces idle1 effeminate habits1 and eventually greatly incapacitates a man for the manifold duties of an active life4 ,indeed1 to study the life of a big native swell is to study the character of a consummate ,oriental epicure1 immersed in a ceaseless round of pleasures1 and hedged in by a body of unconscionable fellows1 distinguished only for their flattery and servility4 ,except in isolated instances1 the general treatment of domestic servants by their masters1 is not reprehensible4 ,except such as possess a thorough insight into the peculiar mysteries of the inner life of the ,hindoo society1 very few are aware that a wife--perhaps the mother of three or four children--is forbidden to open her lips or lift her veil in order to speak to her husband in presence of her mother-in-law1 or any other adult male or female member of the family4 ,she may converse with the children without fear of being exposed to the charge of impropriety2 this is the systole and diastole of her liberty1 but she is imperatively commanded to hold her tongue and drop down her veil whenever she happens to see an elderly member in her way4 ,a phrase used in common parlance 7,bhasur ,bhadrabau7 denotes the utmost privacy1 as that which the wife of a younger brother should observe towards the elder brother of her husband4 ,it is an unpardonable sin1 as it were1 in the former1 even to come in contact with the very shadow of the latter4 ,the rules of conventionalism have reared an adamantine partition wall between the two4 ,we have all learnt in our school-days that modesty is a quality which highly adorns a woman1 but the peculiar domestic economy of the natives1 carries this golden rule to the utmost stretch of restriction1 verging on sacred1 religious prohibition4 ,the general state of ,hindoo female society1 as at present constituted1 exhibits an improved moral tone1 presenting an edifying contrast to the gross proclivities of former times as far as popular amusements are concerned4 ,the popular amusements of the ,hindoos1 like those of many ,european nations1 have rarely been characterised by essentially moral principles4 ,but the loose and immoral amusements of the former time do not now so much interest our educated females4 ,the popular ,native ,jatras 7representations7 do not now breathe those low1 obscene expressions1 which was the wont only some thirty years back1 yet they are not1 withal1 absolutely pure or elevated4 ,it is true that some of them are touching and pathetic in their themes1 not jarring to a moral sense but admirably adapted to the taste of a people having a supreme respect for their idolatrous and mythological systems1 from which most of these ,jatras are derived4 ,the marvellous and the supernatural always exact an instinctive regard from the ignorant and the credulous multitude1 destitute of the superior blessings of enlightenment4 ,the ,panchaly 7represented by female actresses only7 which is given for the amusement of the females1 especially at the time of the second marriage1 is sometimes much too obscene and immoral to be tolerated in a zenana having any pretension to gentility4 ,on such an occasion1 despite a strict conventional restriction1 a depraved taste clearly manifests itself4 ,much has yet to be done to develope among the females a taste for purer amusements1 and such as are better adapted to a healthy state of society4 ,in ,hindoo females there is a prominent trait which deserves to be commended4 ,moses1 ,mohammed1 and ,manu1 observes ,benjamin ,disraeli1 say cleanliness is religion4 ,cleanliness certainly promotes health of body and delicacy of mind4 ,when that excellent prelate1 ,heber1 travelled in a boat on the sacred stream of the ,ganges1 seeing large crowds of ,hindoo females engaged in washing their bodies and clothes on both sides of the river1 at the rising and setting of the sun1 he most emphatically remarked that cleanliness is the supreme virtue of ,hindoo women4 ,in the ,upper ,provinces1 at all seasons of the year1 hundreds of women could be daily seen with baskets of flowers in their hands slowly walking in the direction of the river1 and chanting songs in a chorus in praise of the unapproachable sanctuary of ,mahadev1 the great glacier world of the ,himalaya1 with its wondrous pinnacles1 rising #bd1jjj feet above the level of the sea1 and descending into the amethyst-hued ice cavern1 whence issues1 in its turbulent and noisy infancy1 the sacred river of ,india4 ,they display a purity1 a sincerity1 a constant and passionate devotion to their faith1 which present a striking contrast to the conduct of men steeped in the quagmire of profligacy4 ,our ladies bathe their bodies and change their clothes twice in a day1 in the morning and in the afternoon1 neglecting which they are not permitted to take in hand any domestic work4 ,in the large ,hindoo households1 the lot of the wife who is childless is truly deplorable4 ,while her sisters are rejoicing in the juvenile fun and frolics of their respective children1 sporting with all the elasticity of a light1 free1 and buoyant heart1 she sits sulkily aloof1 and inwardly repines at the unkind ordinance of ,bidhata and earnestly invokes ,ma ,shasthi 7the patron deity of all children7 to grant her the inestimable boon of offspring1 without which this butterfly life is unsanctified1 unprofitable and hollow4 ,the barrenness of a ,hindoo female is denounced as a sin1 for the atonement of which certain religious rites are performed1 and incessant prayers offered to all the terrestrial and celestial gods2 but all her superstitious practices proving in vain1 only tend to intensify her misery4 ,in the beginning of this sketch ,i set out by stating that the peculiar constitution of ,hindoo society bears an affinity to the old patriarchal system4 ,this is true to a very great extent4 ,the system has its advantages and disadvantages1 which are1 in a great measure1 inseparable from the outgrowth of the social organism4 ,if properly weighed in the scale1 the latter will most assuredly counterbalance the former1 so much so1 that in the great majority of cases1 discord and disquietude is the inevitable result of joint fraternisation4 ,leadership is certainly organisation2 it formed the nucleus of the patriarchal system4 ,but it is simply absurd to expect that there should always be a happy marriage of minds in all cases1 between so many men and women living together1 endowed with different degrees of culture and influenced by adverse interests and sentiments4 ,in the nature of things1 it is impossible that all the members of a large family1 having separate and specific objects of their own1 should coalesce and cordially co-operate to promote the general welfare of a family1 under a common leader or head4 ,the millennium is not yet come4 ,seven brothers living together with their wives and children under one and the same paternal roof1 cannot reasonably be expected to abide in a state of perfect harmony so long as selfishness and incongruous tastes and interests are continually at work to sap the very foundation of friendliness and good fellowship4 ,union is strength1 but harmonious union under the peculiar regime indicated above1 is already a remarkable exception in the present state of ,hindoo society4 ,if minutely probed1 it will be found that women are at the bottom of that mischievous discord1 which eats into the very vitals of domestic felicity4 ,segregation1 therefore1 is the only means that promises to afford a relief from this social incubus2 and to segregation many families have now resorted1 much after the fashion of the dominant race1 with a view to the uninterrupted enjoyment of domestic happiness4 ,having briefly indicated in the preceding lines the chief family constituents of a ,hindoo household in their several relations and characteristics1 it is scarcely necessary for me to add1 that whenever this interesting group1 consisting of sweet children1 loving husbands and wives1 and affectionate parents and brothers1 is animated by the vital1 indestructible principles of virtue1 practically recognising the obligations of duty1 the divinity of conscience1 and the moral connection of the present and future life1 it will be found to diffuse all the blessings of peace1 joy and moral order around the social and domestic hearth4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the late ,dr4 ,jackson1 who was the family physician of the great ,native millionaire1--,baboo ,ashutosh ,dey--seeing the very large number of men and women who resided in his family dwelling house1 very facetiously remarked that the mansion was a small colony4 ,a similar remark was made by ,dr4 ,duff when he happened to see the numerous members of the ,dutt family in ,nimtollah1 ,west of the ,free ,church ,institution4 ,if all the children and adults1 male and female1 of the family now1 are counted1 the actual number would1 if ,i am not mistaken1 come up to near #ejj persons1 perhaps more4 #b ,natives are always provident enough to lay in a month's supply of articles which are not of a perishable nature4 ,in the ,upper and ,central ,provinces1 they generally provide a twelve-months' requirements at the harvest season when prices are moderate4 ,they are thus enabled to husband their resources in the most economical manner possible4 #c ,the following scene will clearly illustrate the point4 ,at an assembly of some females on a festive occasion1 among other current topics of the day1 the conversation turned on the religion of the ,sahib logues7,europeans74 ,impelled by a sense of duty and justice no less than by the convictions of conscience1 ,i admired the disinterested exertions of the ,christian ,missionaries in endeavouring to spread among our benighted countrymen the benefits of a good education as well as the blessings of a good religion4 ,fearlessly encountering all the dangers of the deep1 which1 happily for the cause of human advancement1 have now been greatly minimized1 renouncing all the pleasures of the world1 and fortifying their minds against persecution1 suffering and reproach1 they come1 not only among us but travel through the most uncongenial climes to preach ,christ4 ,the remarkable disinterestedness and self-denial of some of these ,missionaries is a bright reality1 to appreciate which is to appreciate ,christianity4 ,before the propagation of the religion of ,christ1 said ,i1 the most admired form of goodness was centred in patriotism or the love of one's own country1 but ,jesus brought with him a new era of philanthrophy1 the main pervading principle of which is a spirit of martyrdom in the cause of mankind4 ,can we find traces of such catholicism in our ,hindoo ,shaster8 ,the universal fatherhood of ,god and brotherhood of man is only practically enunciated in the religion of ,christ4 ,the females were all struck with the noble1 sublime1 yet humble1 forgiving and disinterested virtues of the religion of the ,sahib logues4 ,but a pert young female1 quite unschooled by experience and too much wedded to wordly attractions1 rather thoughtlessly replied that the act of giving education is a good thing in its own way1 so far as it affords a means of earning money1 but why do the ,padrees 7,missionaries7 strive to convert our ,hindoo boys1 and thereby compel them to forsake their parents to whom they owe their being8 ,what advantage do they gain by such conversions8 ,this is not good4 ,brahmo religion does not demand any such sacrifice4 ,why do the heads of the ,padrees ache for this purpose8 ,they ought to give all their money to us1 poor women1 that we may buy ornaments therewith4 ,such is the low1 grovelling idea they generally have of ,christianity4 ,it is useless to argue with them1 simply because their minds are completely saturated with deep-rooted prejudice1 and narrow1 debased1 selfish views4 #d ,the following incident will doubtless contribute not a little to the amusement of the reader4 ,one day a governess was giving instructions in needle-work to a young married girl of thirteen years of age4 ,she1 7the girl7 was industriously plying the needle1 when lo6 an aged female cook from the house of her husband suddenly appeared before her1 and simply enquired of her how she was4 ,the shy girl1 overpowered by a sense of shame1 dropped down her veil almost to the ground1 and not only stopped work but likewise ceased to talk to the governess4 ,the latter struck with amazement1 quietly asked her pupil if she had hurt her eyes because she held fast her right hand on that part of her face4 ,other ladies of the family stepped forward and explained to the governess the real cause of the awkward position the girl was placed in4 ,it was nothing more nor less than the unexpected visit of the female cook to the family of the bride4 ,from feelings of false delicacy in presence of her husband's cook1 she hung down her face and dropped down her veil4 ,the governess learning the true cause politely desired the female cook to retire that she might be enabled to give her lessons without any interruption4 #e ,whether descended from a ,brahmin or ,kayasth family1 she goes by the general name of ,bamun ,didi 7sister7 so named that the members of other families might unsuspectingly eat out of her hands4 ,she is also called ,maye 7woman74 ,the entertaining of a middle aged female 7generally a widow7 is considered safe and irreproachable4 #f ,in order to preserve the hair and keep it clean1 all ,hindu females in ,bengal use cocoanut oil for the head2 they however rub their bodies with mustard oil before bathing4 ,young ladies occasionally use pomatum1 bear's grease1 soap1 etc41 which1 in a religious sense1 is desecration4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,a ,,hindoo4 ,the birth of a ,hindoo into the household of which he is to form an essential constituent is attended with circumstances which partake1 more or less1 of the religion he inherits4 ,it has been said that by tradition and instinct as well as by early habits1 he is a religious character4 ,he is born religiously1 lives religiously1 eats religiously1 walks religiously1 writes religiously1 sleeps religiously and dies religiously4 ,his every-day life is an endless succession of rites and ceremonies which he observes with the utmost of scrupulousness sanctioned by divine veneration4 ,from his very birth his mind is imbued with superstitious ideas1 which subsequent mental culture can hardly ever eradicate1 so strong being the influence of his early impressions4 ,it is now generally known that ,hindoo girls are betrothed even in their tenderest years1 and that the solemnisation of the marriage takes place whenever they attain to the age of puberty4 ,thus it is not uncommon for a young wife to be delivered of her first child in her thirteenth year1 although the glory of motherhood is more frequently not realised until the fourteenth or fifteenth year4 ,when the period of delivery arrives1 and to her it is an awful period1 which can be more easily conceived than described1 the girl writhing under agony is taken into a room called ,sootikaghur or ,antoorghur1 where no male members of the family are admitted4 ,she is made to wear a red-bordered robe and two images of the goddess ,shashthi made of cowdung are placed near the threshold of the room for her daily worship with rice and durva grass1 for one month--the period of her confinement4 ,if in her tender age1 the labor be a protracted one1 she often suffers greatly from the want of a skilful surgeon or even a proper midwife4 ,before the founding of that noble ,institution1 the ,calcutta ,medical ,college1 proper midwives were not procurable1 because they had had no systematic training2 their profession was chiefly confined to the ,dome and ,bagthee caste1 yet some of them were known to have acquired a tolerable fortune4 ,their fee varied from #e to #ej ,rupees1 besides clothes and other gifts2 the poor1 certainly1 giving less4 ,for some years past1 a strong belief has sprung up among some women that delivery in the name of god ,hari ,krishna is very safe4 ,they that follow this religious regime1 are believed1 in the majority of cases1 to have passed through the struggle of childbirth quite scathless4 ,they use no jhall or thap1#g bathe in cold water immediately after delivery1 take the ordinary food of dhall vath1 curry1 fish and tamarind1 after offering them to the god ,hari1 and on the #cjth day make a ,poojah 7worship7 consecrating in honor of the god a quantity of sweetmeats 7sundesh and batasha7 and finally distribute them among children and others4 ,this distribution is called ,hariloot4 ,this strong faith in the god seems to enable them to pass the period of confinement without danger4 ,if the offspring of such women become strong1 their strength is attributed to the mercy of the said god4#h ,a woman that follows the old prescribed practice has to take jhall and thap and go through a strict course of dietetics1 abstaining altogether from the use of cold water or any cooling beverage4 ,she has to undergo the action of heat for at least five hours a day4 ,the body and head of the newborn babe is rubbed with warm mustard oil--an application which is considered the best preservative of health in children4 ,exposure of the mother in any shape1 is most strictly prohibited1 and the use of certain indigenous drugs and warm applications is made as an antidote against all diseases of a puerperal character4 ,while undergoing the throes of nature1 the exhausted spirit of the expectant mother is buoyed up by the fond hope of having a male child1 which1 in the estimation of a ,hindoo female1 is worth a world of suffering4 ,in the event of the offspring turning out a female1 her friends try to encourage her for the moment by their assurance that the child born is a male1 and a lovely and sweet child1 ushered into the world under the peculiar auspices of the goddess ,shasthi4 ,such assurances serve very much to keep up her spirit for the time being1 but when she is brought to her senses and does not hear the sound of a conch#i her delusion is removed1 sorrow and disappointment take the place of joy and excitement1 her buoyant spirit collapses and a strong reaction sets in4 ,thus in a moment1 a grace is converted into a gorgon1 a beauty into a monstrosity1 an angel into a fiend4 ,she curses the day1 she curses her fate4 ,but such is the make and mechanism of human nature that she soon resigns herself to the wise dispensations of an overruling ,providence4 ,she gradually feels a strong affection for the female child and rears it with all the care and tenderness of a mother2 she caresses and fondles it as if it were a boy1 and her affection grows warmer as the child grows4 ,this is natural and inevitable4 ,at the birth of a male child1 the occurrence is immediately announced by sanka dhani 7sound of a conch72 musicians without being sent for1 come and play the tom tom2 the family barber bears the happy tidings to all the nearest relatives1 and he is rewarded with presents of money and cloths4 ,oil1 sweetmeats1 fishes1 curdled milk1 and other things1 are presented to the relatives and neighbours1 who1 in return1 offer their congratulations4 ,a rich ,hindoo1 though he studies practical domestic economy very carefully1 is1 however1 apt to loosen his purse string at the birth of a son and heir4 ,the mother forgetting her trouble and agony implores ,bidhata#aj for the longevity of the child4 ,she cheerfully suckles it and her heart swells with joy every time she looks at its face4 ,on the second day after delivery1 she gets a little sago and cheeray vajah 7a sort of parched rice74 ,on the third day the same diet1 with the addition of a single grain of boiled rice1 and a little fried potatoe or pull bull1 that she may use those things afterwards with safety4 ,on the fifth day1 if everything is right1 the room is washed and she is allowed to come out of it for a short time2 a little boiled rice and moong dhall is her diet that day4 ,on the sixth day1 the image of the goddess ,shasthi is worshipped in front of the room where the child was born1 because she is the protectress of all children4 ,the ,poojah is called the ,seytayra ,poojah 7worship74 ,offerings of rice1 plantain1 sweetmeat1 clothes1 milk1 c1 are presented to the goddess by the officiating priest1 and the following articles are kept in her room for the ,bidhata ,pooroosh 7god of fate7 in order that he may note down unseen on the forehead of the child its future destiny1 viz41 a palm leaf1 a ,bengalee pen with ink1 a serpent's skin1 a brick from the temple of the god ,shiva1 and two kinds of fruits1 atmora and veyla1 a little wool1 gold and silver4 ,on the eighth day is held the ceremony of ,autcowroy1 or the distribution of eight kinds of parched peas1 rice1 sweetmeats1 with cowries and pice1 amongst the children of the house and neighbourhood4 ,on the evening of that day1 the children assemble and with a ,koolo 7winnowing fan7 going up three times to the door of the room beat it 7the koolo7 with small sticks1 asking at the same in a chorus as to how the child is doing1 and shouting1 let it rest in peace on the lap of its mother4 ,these juvenile ceremonies1 if ceremonies they can be called1 give infinite delight to the children1 who are sometimes prompted by the adult members of the family to indulge in jocularity by way of abusing the father1 not of course to irritate but to amuse him4 ,at the birth of a female child1 in common with the depreciation in which it is held1 this ceremony is observed on a very poor scale4 ,on the thirty-first day after the birth1 the ceremony of ,shasthi ,poojah is again performed4 ,hence a woman who has had as many as twelve or fifteen or more children1 is called the ,shasthi ,booree1 or the old woman of ,shasthi4 ,before a twig of a ,bata tree1 the priest1 while repeating the usual incantation1 presents offerings of rice1 fruits1 sweetmeats1 cloths1 parched peas and rice1 oil1 turmeric1 betel1 betel-nuts1 two eggs of a duck1 and twenty-one small wicker baskets filled with khoyee 7parched rice7 plantain and batasa1 which are all given to a number of women whose husbands are alive4 ,it is on this occasion that the priest is also required to perform the worship of the goddess ,soobachinee1#aa said to be one of the forms of the goddess ,doorga4 ,when the father first goes to see the child1 he puts some gold coin into its hand and pours his benediction on its head4 ,other relatives who may be present at the time do the same4 ,all respectable ,hindoos keep an exact record of the birth of a child1 especially a male child4 ,every family has its ,dowyboghee or astrologer who prepares a horoscope in which he notes down the day1 the hour and the minute of the birth of the child1 opens the roll of its fate and describes what shall happen to it during the period of its existence4 ,these horoscopes are so much relied on1 that if it is stated therein that the stellar mansion under which the child was born was not good1 and that it shall be exposed to serious dangers1 either from sickness or accident1 at such a period of its life1 every possible care is taken through ,grohojag and ,sustyan 7religious atonement7 to propitiate the god of fate1 and ward off the apprehended danger before it comes to pass4 ,these papers are carefully preserved by the parents1 who occasionally refer to them when anything1 good or evil1 happens to the child4 ,a ,hindoo astrologer is a man of high pretensions2 he dives into the womb of futurity and foretells what shall happen to a man in this life1 without thinking for a moment1 that our ,creator has not vouchsafed to us the powers of divination4 ,in a court of justice these papers are of great value in verifying the exact age of a person1 and at the time of marriage1 or rather before it1 they are carefully consulted as to the nature of the stellar mansion under which both the boy and girl were born1 and the peculiar circumstances by which they were surrounded4 ,many a match is broken off because the twelve signs in the zodiac do not coincide2 for instance1 if the boy be of the ,lion rass 7sign7 and the girl of the ,lamb rass1 the one1 it is said1 will destroy the other2 so these papers are of very great importance when a matrimonial alliance is in course of being negotiated4 ,when a male child is six months old1 the parents make preparations for the celebration of the ,unnoprassun1 or christening1 when not only a name is given to the child1 but it gets boiled rice for the first time4 ,on this occasion1 the father is required to perform a ,bidhi ,shrad so called from the increase and preservation of the members of the family4 ,some who live near ,calcutta celebrate the rite by going to ,kallee ,ghaut1 and procuring a little boiled rice through one of the priests of the sacred fane at a cost of eight or ten ,rupees4 ,when the rice is brought home a few grains are put into the mouth of the child by a male member of the family4 ,the ceremony being thus performed the child from that day is allowed to take prepared food if necessary4 ,such families as do not choose to go to ,kallee ,ghaut observe the ceremony at home1 and spend from #bjj to #cjj ,rupees in feeding the ,brahmans1 friends and relatives1 who1 in return1 offer their benediction and give from one to ten ,rupees each to the child1 which being shaved1 clad in a silk garment1 and adorned with gold ornaments1 is brought out for the purpose after the entertainment4 ,it is on such occasions that splendid dowries are settled on some children in grants of land or of ,government securities1 and ,i have known instances in which a dowry amounted to a lakh of ,rupees4 ,of late years1 the practice of making gifts to the child being held in the obnoxious light of a tax1 the good taste of some has led them to confine the rite within the circumscribed limit of their own family4 ,superstition has its influence in making the choice of the name given to the child4 ,the ,hindoos are generally named after their gods and goddesses1 under a belief that the repetition of such names in the daily intercourse of life will not only absolve them from sins1 but give them present happiness and hope of blessedness in a state of endless duration4 ,some parents purposely give an unpleasant name to a child1 that may be born after repeated bereavements1 believing thereby the curses of the wicked shall fall innocuous on its head4 ,such names are ,nafar1 ,goburdhone1 ,ghooie1 ,tincurry1 ,panchcurry1 ,dookhi1 c4 ,in the case of females1 she who has many daughters1 and does not wish for more1 gives them such names as ,khaynto 7cessation17 ,arna 7no more17 ,ghyrna 7despised17 ,chee chee 7expression of contempt47#ab ,except under extraordinary circumstances1 a ,hindoo mother#ac seldom engages a wet nurse2 she continues to suckle her child till it is three or four years old1 and attends at the same time to her numerous household duties1 which are by no means light or easy4 ,indolent loveliness1 reclining on a sofa1 is not a truthful picture of her life2 it may be she has to cook for her husband1 because he is such an orthodox ,hindoo that he will on no account accept prepared food 7such as rice1 dhall1 vegetables1 curry1 c47 from any other hand4 ,in such families1 the woman has to rise very early1 perform her daily ablutions and attend to the duties of the kitchen1 and before nine the breakfast must be ready1 as the husband has probably to attend his office at ten4 ,it is not an uncommon sight to see a woman cooking1 suckling her child1 and scolding her maid servant at one and the same time4 ,a ,hindoo woman is not only laborious1 but patient and submissive to a degree2 let the amount of privation be ever so great1 she is seldom known to murmur or complain4 ,all her happiness is centred in the proper discharge of her domestic and social duties4 ,so simple and unambitious is a ,hindoo female1 that she generally considers herself amply rewarded if the food prepared by her hands is appreciated by those for whom it is intended4 ,it is a lamentable fact that1 expert as she doubtless is in the art of cooking1 she is totally incapable of nourishing the minds of her children with any solid intellectual food worthy of the name4 ,as already indicated1 she communicates to her child what she can out of her own store of simple ideas and superstitious beliefs1 but her best gift is the care and tenderness which she lavishes upon it1 and the wakening of its young soul to return the sense of her own love4 ,,footnotes3 #g ,jhall is a preparation of certain drugs to act as an antidote against cold1 puerperal fever and other diseases incident to child birth4 ,it often proves efficacious4 ,thap is the application of heat to the body4 #h ,for observances during the period of pregnancy1 see ,note ,a in appendix4 #i ,according to custom1 a conch or large shell is sounded at the birth of a male child4 ,its silence is the sign of sorrow4 #aj ,bidhata is the god of fate4 #aa ,for the popular story of the goddess ,soobachinee see ,note ,b4 #ab ,apart from the horrid practice of female infanticide1 now put a stop to by a humane ,government1 many instances might be given of the extreme detestation in which the birth of a girl is held even by her mother4 ,among others ,i may cite the following3 ,a woman who was the mother of four daughters and of no son1 at the time of her fifth delivery laid apart one thousand ,rupees for distribution among the poor in the event of her getting a son1 when1 lo6 she gave birth to a female child again1 and what did she do8 she at once flung aside the money1 mournfully declaring at the same time1 that she has already four firebrands incessantly burning in her bosom and this is the fifth1 which is enough to burn her to death4 #ac ,in cases where a woman is prolific enough to give birth to a child every year she is placed under the necessity of weaning her first-born1 and giving it cow milk1 a mode of sustenance not at all conducive to its health4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,hindoo ,,school ,,boy4 ,from the time when the young ,hindoo passes from the infant stage of mewling and puking in the nurse's arms1 till he goes to school1 he is generally a bright-eyed1 active1 playful boy1 full of romping spirits and a favourite of all around him4 ,his diet is light1 and his health generally good4 ,he usually runs about for three or four years in puris naturalibus1 and among the lower classes a string is tied round his loins with a metal charm attached to frighten away the evil spirits4 ,when he attains the age of five1 the period fixed by his parents for the beginning of his education1 he is sent to a ,patsala 7vernacular infant school7 not1 however1 without making a ,poojah to ,saraswattee1 the goddess of learning4 ,on the day appointed1 and it must be a lucky day1 according to the ,hindoo almanac1 the child bathes and puts on a new ,dhooty 7garment7 and is taken to the place of worship1 where the officiating priest has previously made all the necessary arrangements4 ,rice1 fruits1 and sweetmeats1 are then offered to the goddess1 who is religiously invoked to pour her benediction on the head of the child4 ,after this1 the priest takes away all the things offered to the goddess1 with his usual gift of one or two rupees1 and the child is taken by his parents to the ,patsala and formally introduced to the ,gooroomahashoy1 or master of the school4 ,curious as little children naturally are1 all present gaze on the new comer as if he were a being of a strange species4 ,but time soon wears off the gloss of novelty and everything assumes its normal aspect4 ,the old boys soon become familiar with the new one1 and a sort of intimacy almost unconsciously springs up amongst them4 ,in this country a boy learns the letters of the alphabet1 not by pronouncing them1 but by writing them on the ground with a small piece of kharee1 or soft stone1 and copying them over and over again until he thoroughly masters them4 ,five letters are set him at a time4 ,after this he is taught to write on palm leaves with a wooden pen and ink1 then on slate and green plantain leaves1 and1 finally1 on paper4 ,at every stage of his progress he is expected to make some present to his master in the shape of food1 clothes and money4 ,a village school begins early in the morning1 and continues till eleven1 after which the boys are allowed to go home for their breakfast2 they return at two1 and remain in the school till evening1 when all the boys are made to stand up in a systematic order1 and one of the most advanced amongst them enumerates aloud the multiplication and numeration tables1 and all are taught to repeat and commit to memory what they hear4 ,by the daily repetition of these tables1 their power of memory is practically improved4 ,with a view to encourage the early attendance of the boys1 a ,gooroomahashoy resorts to the queer method of introducing the hathchory system into his ,patsala1 which requires that all the boys are to have stripes of the cane in arithmetical progression1 on the hand1 in the order of their attendance1 that is1 the first comer to have one stripe1 the second two1 and so on1 in consecutive order4 ,the last boy is sometimes made to stand on one leg for an hour or so to the infinite amusement of the early comers4 ,the system certainly has a good effect in ensuring early attendance4 ,the course of instruction in such schools embraces reading in the vernacular1 a little of arithmetic and writing1 and such as become capable of keeping accounts pass for the clever boys4 ,stupid and wicked pupils are generally beaten with a cane1 but their names are never struck off the register1 as is the case in ,english schools4 ,sometimes a truant is compelled to stand on one leg holding up a brick in his right hand1 or to have his arms stretched out till he is completely exhausted4 ,another mode of punishment consists in applying the leaves of ,bichooty 7a stinging plant7 to the back of a naughty boy1 who naturally smarts under the torturing4 ,the infliction of such cruel punishments sometimes leads the boys to make a combination against the master for the purpose of retaliation1 which generally results in bringing him to his senses4 ,hindoo boys are extremely sensitive1 and are very apt to resent any affront to which they are cruelly subjected by their master4#ad ,the rate of fee in a village school is from one to three-pence a head per month1 but the master has his perquisites by way of victuals and pice4 ,there is a common saying among the ,hindoos that in twelve months there are thirteen parbuns1 or school festivals1 implying thereby1 that they are encountered by a continuous round of parbuns4 ,on every such occasion the boys are expected to bring presents for the master1 and any unfortunate boy who fails to bring such is denied the usual indulgence of a holiday4 ,little boys are seldom fond of reading1 they would gladly sacrifice anything to purchase a holiday4 ,it is not an uncommon thing to find a boy steal pice from his mother's box in order to satisfy the demands of his master at the festival4 ,the principle on which a village school is conducted is essentially defective in this respect4 ,instead of teaching the rules of good conduct and enforcing the first principles of morality1 it often sadly defeats the primary object of a good education1 namely1 the formation of a sound1 moral and virtuous character4 ,it is a disgrace to hear a schoolmaster1 whose conduct should be the grand focus of moral excellence1 use the most vulgar epithets towards his pupils for little faults the effects of which are seldom obliterated from their minds1 even in the more advanced period of their life4 ,however1 such days of obnoxious pedagogism are almost gone by1 never to come back again1 now that the system of primary education has been extended to almost every village in ,india1 under the auspices of our liberal ,government4 ,whilst on this subject ,i may as well state here that some forty years ago our ,government had appointed the late ,rev4 ,william ,adam to be the ,commissioner of ,education in ,bengal4 ,that highly talented and generous philanthrophist1 after a minute and searching investigation1 submitted in his report to ,government a scheme of education very similar to what is now introduced throughout ,bengal4 ,the scheme was then ignored on account of its vast expense1 and the ,commissioner was so disheartened at the apathy of ,government towards the education of the masses1 that a few days before his departure from ,calcutta he took a farewell leave of some of his most distinguished native friends1 and his parting words were to the following effect3 ,your ,government is not disposed to encourage those who are its real friends4 ,this reproach has1 however1 been subsequently removed by the adoption of a primary system of education4 ,the spirit of the times and the onward progress of enlightened sentiments have gradually inaugurated a comprehensive scheme1 which1 although still limited in its range1 embraces the moral and intellectual improvement of the people in general4 ,in ,calcutta1 when a boy is six years old1 his parents are anxious to have him admitted into one of the public schools1 where he has an opportunity to learn both the ,vernacular and the ,english languages4 ,he may be said from that day to enter on the first stage of his intellectual disintegration4 ,the books that are put into his hands gradually open his eyes and expand his intellect2 he learns to discern what is right and what is wrong2 he reasons within himself and finds that what he had learnt at home was not true1 and is led by degrees to renounce his old ideas4 ,every day brings before his mind's eye the grand truths of ,western knowledge1 and he feels an irresistible desire1 not only to test their accuracy but to advance farther in his scholastic career4 ,he is too young however1 to weigh well everything that comes in his way1 but as he advances he finds the light of truth illumine his mind4 ,his parents1 if orthodox ,hindoos1 necessarily feel alarmed at his new-fledged ideas and try to counteract their influence by the stereotyped arguments1 of the wisdom of our forefathers1 but however inimically disposed1 they dare not stop his progress1 because they see1 in almost every instance1 that ,english education is the surest passport to honor and distinction4 ,in this manner he continues to move through the various classes of the middle schools till he is advanced to one of the higher educational institutions connected with the ,university1 and attains his sixteenth or seventeenth year1 which is popularly regarded as his marriageable age4 ,,footnotes3 #ad ,apropos1 ,i may mention here the following incident4 ,a few years back a well-known master of the ,hindoo school being placed in a very awkward position1 had to call in the aid of the ,police to get himself out of the difficulty4 ,sailors and ,kaffries--always a set of desperate characters--were retained by the boys for the purpose of insulting him on the high road1 but the timely interference of the ,police put a stop to the contemplated brutal assault4 ,this had the effect of inducing the master to behave in future with greater forbearance1 if not with more sober judgment4 ,i forbear giving the name of the indiscreet1 but well-intentioned master1 whose connection with the school had contributed very largely to its efficiency and usefulness4 ,,iv4 ,,vows ,,of ,,hindoo ,,girls4 ,when a girl is five years of age1 she is initiated by an elderly woman in the preparatory rites of ,bratas1 or vows1 the primary object of which is to secure her a good husband1 and render her religious and happy throughout life4 ,when the boy is sent to the ,patsala1 the girl is commonly forbidden to read or write1 but has to begin her course of ,bratas4 ,the germs of superstition being thus early implanted in her mind1 she is more or less influenced by it ever after4 ,formed by nature to be docile1 pliant and susceptible1 she readily takes to the initial course of religious exercises4 ,the first rite with which she has to commence is called the ,shiva ,poojah1 after the example of the goddess ,doorga1 who performed this ceremonial that she might obtain a good husband2 and ,shiva is regarded as a model husband4 ,on the #cjth day of ,choytro1 being the last day of the ,bengallee year1 she is required to make two little earthen images of the above goddess1 and placing them on the coat of a bale-fruit 7wood apple7 with leaves1 she begins to perform her worship2 but before doing so1 she is enjoined to wash herself and change her clothes1 a requisition which enforces1 thus early1 cleanliness and purity in habits and manners1 if not exactly in thought and feeling4 ,her mind being filled with germinal susceptibilities1 she imbibes almost instinctively an increasing predilection for the performance of religious ceremonies4 ,sprinkling a few drops of holy water on the heads of the images1 she repeats the following words3 ,all homage to ,shiva1 all homage to ,shiva1 all homage to ,hara1 7another name of ,shiva72 all homage to ,bujjara1 meaning two small earthen balls1 like peas1 which are stuck on the body of the images4 ,she is then to be absorbed in meditation about the form and attributes of the goddess1 and afterwards says her prayers three times in connection with ,doorga's various names1 which ,i need not recapitulate here4 ,offerings of flowers and bale leaves are then presented to the goddess with an incantation4 ,being pleased1 ,mahadev 7,shiva7 is supposed to ask from heaven what ,brata or religious ceremony is ,gouri 7,doorga7 performing8 ,gouri replies1 she is worshipping ,shiva1 that she may get him for her husband1 because1 as said before1 ,shiva is a model husband4 ,then comes the ,brata of ,hari or ,krishna4 ,the two feet of the god being painted in white sandal paste on a brass plate1 the girl worships him with flowers and sandal paste4 ,the god seeing this1 is supposed to ask what girl worships his feet1 and what boon she wants8 ,she replies3 ,may the prince of the kingdom be her husband1 may she be beautiful and virtuous1 and be the mother of seven wise and virtuous sons and two handsome daughters4 ,she asks that her daughters-in-law may be industrious and obedient1 that her sons-in-law may shine in the world by their good qualities1 that her granary and farm-yard may be always full1 the former with corn of all sorts1 and the latter with milch cows1 that when she dies all those who are near and dear to her may enjoy long life and prosperity1 and that she may eventually1 through the blessing of ,hari1 die on the banks of the sacred ,ganges1 and thereby pave the way for her entrance into heaven4 ,it is worthy of remark here that even young ,hindoo girls1 in the exercise of their immature discretion1 make distinction between the gods in the choice of their husbands4 ,in the first ,brata1 that of ,shiva1 a tender girl of five years of age is taught1 almost unconsciously as it were1 to prefer him to ,krishna for her husband1 because the latter1 according to the ,hindoo ,shasters1 is reputed to have borne a questionable character4 ,i once asked a girl why she would not have ,krishna for her husband4 ,she promptly answered that that god disported with thousands of ,gopeenees 7milk-maids7 and was therefore not a good god1 while ,shiva was devotedly attached to his one wife1 ,doorga4 ,the explanation was full of significance from a moral and religious point of view4 ,the third ,brata refers to the worship of ten images4 ,this requires that the girl should paint on the floor ten images of deified men1 as well as of gods1 with alapana or rice paste4 ,offering them flowers and sandal paste1 she asks that she may have a father-in-law like ,dasarath1 the father of ,ram ,chunder2 a mother-in-law like ,kousala1 the mother of ,ram ,chunder2 a husband like ,ram ,chunder2 a dayur or husband's brother1 like ,luchmon1 ,ram's younger brother2 a mother like ,shasthi1 whose children are all alive2 like ,koontee whose three sons were renowned for their love of justice1 piety1 courage and heroism2 like ,ganges1 whose water allays the thirst of all2 like the mother earth1 whose patience is beyond all comparison4 ,and1 to crown the whole1 she prays that she may1 like ,doorga1 be blessed with an affectionate and devoted husband like ,dropadi 7the wife of the five ,pandooas71 be justly remarkable for her industry1 devotedness and skill in the culinary art1 and be like ,sita 7the wife of ,ram ,chunder7 whose chastity and attachment to her husband are worthy of all praise4 ,the above three ,bratas take place in the ,bengalee month of ,bysack1 7,april7 which is popularly regarded as a good month for the performance of meritorious works4 ,the prayer contained in the above expresses the culminating female wish in entire accord with the injunctions of the holy shaster1 but how often are the amiable qualities enumerated above set at naught in the actual conflicts of life1 in which the predominance of evil desires swallows up every generous impulse6 ,the next ,brata is called the ,sajooty ,brata4 ,it is solely intended to counteract the thousand evils of polygamy--an unhealthy1 unnatural institution1 which ought to be expunged from the midst of every civilized community4 ,though ,god has stamped no original characters on our minds wherein we may read his being1 still we can clearly discern in ,his superior arrangements for the happiness of ,his creatures1 that this abnormal practice is directly opposed to ,his dispensations1 so much so that any one countenancing it1 is guilty of a crime1 for which1 if he is not amenable to an earthly tribunal1 he is assuredly accountable to a superior and superintending ,being1 the infringement of whose law is sure to be attended with misery4 ,to get rid of the consequences of this monstrous evil1 a girl of five years of age is taught to offer her invocation to ,god1 and in the outburst of her juvenile feeling is almost involuntarily led to indulge in all manner of curses and imprecations against the possible rival of her bed4 ,nor can we find fault with her conduct1 because an overmastering and brooding sense of some great future calamity thus early haunts her mind4 ,in performing the ,sajooty ,brata1 the girl paints on the floor with rice paste a variety of things1 such as the bough of a flower tree1 a ,palkee containing a man and a woman1 with the sun and moon over it1 the ,ganges and the ,jumna with boats on them1 the temple of ,mahadeo with ,mahadeo in it1 various ornaments of gold and precious stones1 houses1 markets1 garden1 granary1 farm-yard and a number of other things1 all intended to represent worldly prosperity4 ,after painting the above1 she invokes ,mahadeo and prays for his blessing4 ,an elderly lady more experienced in domestic matters then begins to dictate1 and the girl repeats a volley of abuses and curses against her ,sateen or rival wife in the possible future4 ,there1 stripped1 fair rhetoric languished on the ground1 ,and shameful ,billingsgate her robes adorn4 ,the following are a few of the specimens2 ,i wish ,i could have transcribed them in metre43-- ,barrey1 ,barrey1 ,barrey 7a cooking utensil7 ,may ,sateen become a slave6 ,khangra1 ,khangra1 ,khangra1 7broomstick7 ,may ,sateen be exposed to infamy6 ,hatha1 ,hatha1 ,hatha1 7a cooking utensil7 ,may she devour her ,sateen's head6 ,geelay1 ,geelay1 ,geelay 7a fruit7 ,may ,sateen have spleen6 ,pakee1 ,pakee1 ,pakee 7bird7 ,may ,sateen die and may she see her from the top of her house6 ,moyna1 ,moyna1 ,moyna 7bird7 ,may she never be cursed with a ,sateen6 ,may she cut an ,usath tree1 erect a house there1 cause her ,sateen to die and paint her feet with her ,sateen's blood6 ,i might swell the list of these curses1 but ,i fear they would prove grating to the ears of civilized readers4 ,the performance of the ,sajooty ,brata springs out of a desire to see a ,sateen or rival wife become the victim of all manner of evils1 extending even to the loss of life itself1 simply because a plurality of wives is the source of perpetual disquietude and misery4 ,by nature1 a woman is so constituted that she can never bear the sight of a rival wife4 ,in civilized countries1 the evil is partially remediable by a legal separation1 but in ,hindoostan the legislature makes no provision whatever for its suppression4 ,a feeling of burning jealousy becomes rampant wherever there is a case of polygamy to poison the perennial source of domestic felicity4 ,so acutely sensitive is a ,hindoo lady in this respect that she would rather suffer the miseries of widowhood than be cursed with the presence of a ,sateen1 whose very name almost spontaneously awakens in her mind the bitterest and the most envenomed feelings4 ,she can make up her mind to give away a share of her most valuable worldly enjoyments1 but she can never give a share of her husband's affection to any one on earth4 ,to enjoy the exclusive monopoly of a husband's love is the life-long prayer of a ,hindoo female4 ,she expresses it in the incipient stage of her girlhood1 and practically carries it with her until the last spark of life becomes extinct4 ,this certainly indicates the prompting of a very strong natural feeling4 ,v4 ,,marriage ,,ceremonies4 ,the ,hindoos have a strong belief that to solemnise the marriage of their children at an early age1 is a meritorious act as discharging one of the primary obligations of life4 ,they are1 therefore1 very anxious to have their sons and daughters formally married during their own life-time4 ,sometimes children are pledged to each other even in infancy1 by the mutual agreement of the parents2 and in most cases the girl is married when a mere child of from eight to ten years1 all unconscious as yet of the real meaning and obligations of the relation1 although her girlish fancies have been continually directed to it4 ,matches in the case of good families are commonly brought about in the following way4 ,when an unmarried boy attains his seventeenth or eighteenth year1 numbers of professional men called ,ghatucks or match-makers come to the parents with overtures of marriage4 ,these men are destitute of principle1 they know how to pander to the frailties of human nature2 most of them being gross flatterers1 endeavour to impose on the parents in the most barefaced manner4 ,as they live on their wits1 their descriptive powers and insinuating manners are almost matchless4 ,when the qualities of a girl are to be commended1 they1 indulging in a strain of exaggeration1 unblushingly declare1 she is beautiful as a full moon1 the symmetry of her person is exact1 her teeth are like the seeds of a pomegranate1 her voice is remarkably sweet like that of the cuckoo1 her gait is graceful1 she speaks like the goddess ,luckee1 and will bring fortune to any family she may be connected with4 ,the ,hindoos have a notion that the good fortune of a husband depends on that of the wife1 hence a woman is considered as an emblem of ,luckee1 the goddess of fortune4 ,this is the highest commendation she can possess4#ae ,if the qualities of a youth are to be appraised1 they describe him thus3 he is as beautiful as ,kartick 7the god of beauty71 his deportment is that of a nobleman1 he is free from all vices1 he studies day and night1 in short1 he is a precious gem and an ornament of the neighbourhood4 ,the ,hindoos know very well that the ,ghatucks as a body are great impostors1 and do not believe half that these people say4 ,from the day a matrimonial alliance is proposed1 the parents on both sides begin to make all sorts of preliminary enquiries as to the unblemished nature of the caste1 respectability and position in society of the parties concerned4 ,when fully satisfied on these points1 they give their verbal consent to the proposed union1 but not before the father of the boy has demanded of the father of the girl a certain number of gold and silver ornaments1 as well as of ,barabharun1 i4 e41 silver and brass utensils1 couch1 c4 exclusive of 7with but few exceptions7 a certain amount of money in lieu of ,foolshajay4#af ,before proceeding further1 ,i should observe that of late years a great change has taken place in the profession of the ,ghatucks4 ,the question of marriage1 though not absolutely1 yet chiefly1 is a question the solution of which rests with the females4 ,their voice in such matters has a preponderating influence4 ,availing themselves of this powerful agency a new class of female ,ghatucks or rather ,ghatkees have sprung up among the people4 ,hence the occupation of the male ,ghatucks is nearly gone1 except in rare cases where nice points of caste distinction are to be decided4 ,the great influences of ,shibi ,ghatkee and ,badnee's mother--two very popular female ,ghatkees1--is well known to the respectable ,hindoo community of ,calcutta4 ,these two women have made a decent fortune by plying this trade4 ,though certainly not gifted with the imaginative powers of a poetic bard of ,rajpootana1#ag their suasive influence is very telling4 ,they have the rare faculty of making and unmaking matches4 ,from the superior advantage which their sex affords them1 they have a free access to the inner apartments of a house 7even if it were that of a millionaire7--a privilege their male rivals can never expect to enjoy4 ,when balked by the subtlety of a competitor in trade1 by their bathos they contrive to break a match4 ,their representations regarding a proposed union seldom fail to exercise a great influence on the minds of the ,zenana females4 ,relying on the accuracy of their description1 which sometimes turns out exaggerated1 if not false1 the mother and other ladies are often led to give their consent to a proposed union4 ,the husband1 swayed by the counsel and importunity of his wife1 is forced to acquiesce in her choice4 ,he cannot do otherwise because1 as our friend1 ,baboo ,keshub ,chunder ,sen1 has very facetiously observed1 man is a noun in the objective case governed by the active verb woman4#ah ,when a ,ghatkee comes up with the proposal of a matrimonial alliance with an educated youth1 the first question generally asked her is1 ,has he passed his examinations8 ,if so1 how many passes has he got8 meaning thereby how many examinations of the ,university has he passed through8 ,has he yet any ,jalpany or scholarship8 ,these are difficult questions which must be satisfactorily answered before a negotiation can be effected4 ,that a ,university degree has raised the marriageable value of a boy1 there can be no doubt4 ,if he have successfully passed some of these examinations and got a scholarship1 his parents1 naturally priding themselves on their valuable acquisition1 demand a preposterously long catalogue of gold ornaments1 which1 it is not often in the power of a family in middling circumstances easily to bestow4 ,the parents of the girl1 on the other hand1 seeing the long list1 demur at first to give their consent1 but their demurring is of no avail2 marry their daughter1 they must4 ,the present ruinous scale of nuptial expenses must be submitted to at any sacrifice1 and after deep cogitation they send a revised schedule1 7as if marriage were a mere matter of traffic7 taking off from it some costly items1 which would press heavily on the purse4 ,in this manner the ,ghatkee continually goes backwards and forwards for some time1 proposing concessions on both sides and holding out delusive hopes of future advantages in the event of the carrying out of the marriage4 ,there is a trite saying among the ,hindoos1 that a matrimonial alliance could not be completed without uttering a lakh of words4 ,the parents of the girl on whose head falls the greatest burden1 are eventually made to succumb from a consideration of their having secured a desirable match1 namely1 a passed student4 ,if not placed in affluent circumstances1 as is generally the case1 they are obliged to raise the requisite sum of money by loan1 which sows1 in many instances1 the seeds of much future embarrassment4 ,at a very moderate calculation1 a tolerably respectable marriage now-a-days costs between two and three thousand ,rupees 7about ,l#bjj71--sometimes more4 ,there is another native adage which says1 we want twine for thatching and money for wedding4 ,a respectable ,hindoo gentleman who has four or five daughters to give in marriage and whose income is not large1 is often reduced to the greatest difficulty and embarrassment by reason of the extravagantly enormous expenses of a marriage4 ,the rich do not care much what they are required to spend4 ,all that they look for is a desirable match4 ,it is the middle and poorer classes1 who form by far the largest aggregate of population in every country1 that suffer most severely from the present enhanced scale of matrimonial charges4 ,the late ,rajah ,rajkissen1 ,baboos ,ramdoolal ,dey1#ai ,nemy ,churn ,mullick and other ,hindoo millionaires1 spent extraordinary sums of money on the marriage of their sons4 ,the amount in each instance far exceeded a lakh of ,rupees4 ,the annals of ,rajasthan furnish numerous instances of lavish expenditure1 varying from five to ten lakhs of ,rupees and upwards1 on the solemnization of nuptials4 ,there was a spirit of rivalry which animated the princes to surpass each other in magnificence and splendour on such occasions1 regardless alike of the state of their exchequer1 and the demoralizing effects of such conduct4 ,marriages in such a magnificent style are seldom to be seen in ,calcutta now-a-days1 not because of the distaste of the people for such frivolities1 but because of the lamentable decline and impoverishment of the former magnates of the land4 ,it is painful to contemplate that the present scale of expenditure among the middle classes has been in an inverse ratio to their income4 ,the exertions made sometime ago by ,moonshee ,peary ,lall for the reduction of marriage expenses would have doubtless conferred a lasting boon on the ,hindoo community in general1 if the object had been crowned with success1 but as the ,legislature has no control over such matters1 relating as they do to purely private affairs1 the noble scheme resulted in failure4 ,it is quite optional with parties to go to heavy expenses on such occasions2 no act of ,government without the voice of the people could restrain them in this respect4 ,any social reform to be permanent and effectual must be carried out by the universal suffrages of the people4 ,when the preliminaries of a marriage are settled1 a person1 on each side1 is deputed by turns to see the boy and the girl4 ,it is customary to see the girl first4 ,when the friends of the bridegroom1 therefore1 come for the purpose1 they sit down in the outer apartment of the house1 whilst the bride is engaged in her toilet duty4 ,after fifteen or twenty minutes1 she1 glittering in jewels and accompanied by a maid servant as well as by the ,ghatkee1 makes her appearance4 ,the first thing she does in entering the room is to make a pranam or bow to all present1 and then she is asked to squat down on the clean white sheet spread on the floor4 ,a solemn pause ensues for a minute or so1 when one of the company1 more officious than the rest1 breaks the silence by putting to her a few questions4 ,she naturally feels herself somewhat out of her element in the midst of so many strangers1 and unconsciously shows a sort of embarrassment even of self conflict almost distressing to witness4 ,this internal agitation of feeling1 arising partly from modesty and partly from anxiety1 causes her even to stammer4 ,her engrossing thought for the time being is1 according to the early vow she has made1 that she may have a good husband with lots of jewels4 ,what is your name1 mother8 is the first question4 ,she may diffidently reply in a half suppressed tone ,gri ,balla4 ,who is that sitting before you8--perhaps pointing to the girl's father4 ,she says1 ,my father4 ,can you read and write8 ,if she say1 yes1 she is asked to read a little out of her book4 ,the ,ghatkee here plays the part of a panegyrist by admiring the amiable qualities of the girl1 who1 she adds1 is the very type of ,luckee 7the goddess of prosperity47 ,while this examination is going on in the outer apartment1 the anxious mother1 whose heart beats with throbbing sensations while watching the scene from behind a half closed window1 does not feel herself at ease1 until she hears that her daughter has acquitted herself creditably4 ,before the girl leaves the room1 the father or brother of the boy puts a gold mohur into her hand as a tangible proof of approval and bids her retire4 ,it is needless to say1 that she feels herself relieved1 quite glad and free1 when she again sees the faces of her mother and sisters1 whose joy returns with her return4 ,this interview is called pucca dheykha or the confirmatory visit4 ,all the ,brahmins1 ,ghatucks and ,ghatkees1 and other ,koolins who may be present on the occasion receive two or four ,rupees each4 ,the servants of the house are not forgotten1 they too receive each a ,rupee4 ,if this interview take place in the morning1 the parties return home without breakfast1 it being customary with them not to eat anything before bathing and performing their daily worship4 ,if in the evening1 they are treated to a good dinner consisting of the best fruits of the season1 sweet and sour milk and sweetmeats of various kinds4 ,it is on such ceremonious occasions1 that the ,hindoos make a display of their wealth by serving the dinner to their new friends with silver salvers1 plates1 glasses and paundan1 7betel box74 ,almost every respectable gentleman keeps a good assortment of these silver articles4 ,they are1 however1 reserved for special purposes1 and used only on special occasions4 ,as a rule1 the people are not fond of investing their money1 like ,europeans1 in plated-ware1 because it is1 comparatively speaking1 of little exchangeable value in times of need and distress4 ,it is now the turn of the boy to be examined in a similar way as to his scholastic acquirements4 ,when the father and the relatives of the girl pay a return visit1 they generally bring with them a graduate of the ,university4 ,should the boy be one who has successfully passed the ,matriculation standard1 he is not subjected to so strict an examination as one who does not enjoy the same dignity4 ,in both cases1 however1 they must undergo some examination in ,english literature1 composition1 grammar1 history1 c4 ,it is a noteworthy fact that a boy however intelligent and expert in other respects1 betrays a lamentable deficiency1 arising from diffidence1 when required to undergo an examination in the presence of his father-in-law and a ,university graduate4 ,the thought of failure acts as a heavy incubus on his mind4 ,he finds himself bewildered in a maze of confusion4 ,if he do not actually stammer1 he talks at least very slowly and diffidently1 and if called upon to write1 his hand shakes1 and in fact he becomes extremely nervous4 ,after this trial is over1 the boy retires with mingled feelings of misgiving and complacence4 ,he receives1 however1 in his turn a gold mohur4 ,the gentlemen who had come to see him are then asked to a dinner in the way described above4 ,the same display of silver-ware is made on the occasion1 and nearly the same amount of presents of money made to the ,brahmins1 ,koolins and others4 ,when both parties are satisfied as to the desirableness of the union1 a good day is fixed for drawing a pattra or written agreement in which1 say1 a ,koolin of superior caste1 engages in writing to give his son in marriage with the daughter of either a second ,koolin1 or1 as is often the case of a ,mowleek1 an inferior in caste4 ,this ,pattra is written by a ,brahmin on ,bengallee paper with ,bengallee pen and ink 7as if ,english writing materials would desecrate such a sacred contract7 and must consist of an odd number of lines1 such as seven or nine lines4 ,an invocation of the ,butterfly must head the ,pattra1 the purport of which will run as follows3 ,i1 ,ram ,chunder ,bose1 do engage to give my second son1 ,gopeenauth ,bose1 in marriage with ,nobinmoney ,dossee1 the eldest daughter of ,issen ,chunder ,dutt1 who is also bound by his contract2 the marriage to be solemnized on a day to be named hereafter4 ,here the signatures of both the fathers as well as of the witnesses follow4 ,when finished1 it is rolled up in red thread4 ,the ,koolin gentleman hands it to the ,mowleek gentleman1 when the latter embraces the former1 and gives him at the same time ,koola marjada and ,pattra ,darshanee1 as a mark of respect for his superior caste1--or about fifty ,rupees4 ,the articles required for the matrimonial contract are paddy1 doov grass1 turmeric1 betel leaf1 betel-nuts1 sandal paste1 cowries 7small shells7 and alta#bj all which are considered as conducive to the future welfare of the boy#ba and girl4 ,when the contract is religiously ratified1 a couple of conchs--one for the bridegroom and another for the bride--are sounded by the females1 announcing the happy conclusion of this important preliminary1 at which all hearts are exhilarated4 ,arrangements are now being made for the dinner of all who may be present at the time4 ,sometimes fifty to sixty persons are fed4 ,every care is taken to provide a good dinner for the delectation of the guests and a ,pattra on this scale costs from #cjj to #djj ,rupees4 ,the ,brahmins1 ,koolins1 and others1 receive1 as usual1 presents of money and return home replenished in body as well as in purse4 ,it is worthy of remark that though the distinction of caste still exerts its influence on all the important concerns of our social and domestic life1 it is nevertheless fast losing its prestige in the estimation of the enlightened ,hindoos4 ,in former days a ,koolin occupied a prominent position in society1 be his character what it might1 but now-a-days the rapid spread of ,english education1 and the manifold advantages derivable from it1 has practically impaired his influence and lowered his dignity4 ,a ,koolin who happens to be the father of a girl married to a ,mowleek1 is1 in the present day1 degraded into the rank of his traditional inferior1 simply because he is the father of the girl2 he must even be prepared to submit to all sorts of humiliation and continue to serve the ,mowleek father of the boy as long as the connection lasts4 ,at every popular festival for at least one year he must1 according to his rank1 make suitable presents to his son-in-law1 failing which a latent feeling of discontent arises which eventually ripens into bitter misunderstanding4 ,but to return to the marriage contract4 ,after the entertainment1 both parties consult the almanac and fix a day for the ceremony1 called ,gatray haridra or the anointment of the boy with turmeric4 ,on that day the bridegroom1 after bathing and putting on a red bordered cloth1#bb is made to stand on a grindstone surrounded by four plantain trees1 while five women 7one must be of ,brahmin caste7 whose husbands are alive1 go round him five or seven times1 anoint his body with turmeric1 and touch his forehead at one and the same time with holy water1 betel1 betel-nuts1 a ,sree made of rice paste in the shape of a sugarloaf1 and twenty other little articles consisting of several kinds of peas1 rice1 paddy1 gold1 silver1 c4 ,from this day1 the boy carries about a pair of silver nut-crackers1 and the girl a pair of kajulnatha1#bc which must remain with them till the solemnization of the nuptials1 for the purpose of repelling evil spirits4 ,a little of the turmeric paste with which the body of the bridegroom was anointed is sent by the family barber to the bride in a silver cup1 her body is also anointed with it4 ,a number of other gifts follow1 namely1 a large brass vessel of oil1 various kinds of perfumery1 three pieces of cloth 7one must be a richly embroidered ,benares saree1 one ,dacca1 and the other red bordered71 a small carpet1 a silk musnud with pillows1 two mats1 some gold trinkets for the head1 a few baskets of sweetmeats1 some large fishes1 sweet and sour milk1 and a few garlands of flowers1 c41 all which cost from two to three hundred ,rupees1 or sometimes more4 ,a rich man sometimes gives a pair of diamond combs and flowers for the hair1 of the value of two thousand ,rupees and upwards4 ,from this1 an idea may be formed as to the lavish expenditure of the ,hindoos on marriages1 even in these hard times4 ,a few can afford it1 but the many are put to their wits'-end in meeting the demands thus made upon them4 ,two or three days after the ceremony of anointment1 the ,bengali almanac is again consulted1 and a lucky day is appointed for the celebration of ,ahibarrabhat1 so called from its being a feast given just before the wedding4 ,on this occasion the father of the bridegroom gives a grand entertainment to the male relatives of the family4 ,as a counterpart to the same the father of the bride gives a similar entertainment to the female relatives of his own family1 with this difference only1 that in the case of the former no ,palkees are required1 whereas in the case of the latter these covered conveyances have to be engaged for bringing in the females4 ,in either case the number of guests generally varies from two to three hundred1 and as the present style of living among the ,hindoos in the metropolis has become more expensive than that which prevailed in the good old days1 partly from a vain desire to make an ambitious display of wealth1 and partly from the unprecedentedly rapid increase of the population1 which has1 as a necessary sequence1 considerably raised the prices of all kind of provisions1 an entertainment of this nature costs from four to five hundred ,rupees on each side4 ,the very best kinds of loochees1 kocharees1 vegetable curries1 fruits1 sweetmeats#bd and other delicacies of the season are to be provided for this special occasion4 ,english friends are often invited to the marriages of rich families in ,calcutta and regaled with all sorts of delicacies from the ,great ,eastern ,hotel4 ,the family mansion is splendidly furnished and brilliantly illuminated4 ,there is literally a profusion of pictures and chandeliers4 ,all the furniture and surroundings are indicative more of an ,english than of a ,native house4 ,dancing girls are hired to impart eclat to the scene4 ,a nabat covered with tinsel is put up in front of the house1 where native musicians play at intervals1 much to the satisfaction of the mother of the bridegroom and the boys of the neighbourhood1 and a temporary scaffolding made of bamboos and ornamental paper is erected on the highway in the form of a crescent bearing on it the inscription1 ,god save the bridegroom4 ,male and female servants receiving presents of gold and silver bangles move about the house gaily dressed in red uniform1 or clothes4 ,as tangible memorials of the happy union1 presents of large brass pots1 with oil1 plates with sweetmeats1 fruits1 and clothes1 c41 are largely distributed among the ,brahmins and numerous friends and relatives of the family4 ,this present is called ,samajeek4 ,with the exception of ,brahmins1 who are content with offering hollow benedictions1 in which the sacerdotal class1 as a rule1 is so very liberal1 everyone else who receives them makes in return presents of clothes and sweetmeats1 the nearest relatives making the most costly ones4 ,in times of great logansha1 i4 e41 when numerous marriages take place1 the demand for clothes and sweetmeats is really enormous4 ,dealers in those things make a harvest of profit and the town becomes a jubilee of feasts4 ,during the night preceding the marriage1 the women of both the families scarcely sleep1 being busily engaged in making all sorts of preparations for the next day4 ,very early in the morning1 five ,ayows1 or females whose husbands are alive1 take with them a light1 a knife1 a ,sree1 a ,brundala1 containing sundry little articles1 described before1 a small brass pot1 some sweetmeats1 choora and moorkee1 oil1 betel1 betel-nuts and turmeric1 and go to the nearest tank1 sounding a conch1 and touching the water with the knife1 fill the brass pot with water4 ,the above articles being presented as an offering to the brass pot1 the females receive a portion of the eatables and return home sounding the conch1 which is a necessary accompaniment of all religious ceremonies4 ,what ,i am now about to describe may be called the first marriage1 because it is invariably followed by a second ceremonial when the union is really consummated4 ,but it properly forms the binding ceremony1 as constituting the marriage relative between the two youthful parties1 with all its legal and social rights1 even if they should not be spared to live together as husband and wife4 ,the emptiness and superficiality of the relation1 especially on the side of the childish bride1 will be but too apparent1 and is but too often realised in this uncertain life1 in the prolonged misery of a virgin widowhood4 ,on the day of the marriage both the bridegroom and the bride are forbidden to eat anything except a little milk and a few fruits4 ,the father of the bride also fasts1 as well as the officiating priests of the two families4 ,about twelve o'clock in the day1 the ,mowleek family sends presents of clothes1 sweetmeats1 fishes1 sour and sweet milk and some money1 say about twenty-five rupees1 to the house of the ,koolin family1 as a mark of honor to the latter1 to which1 from his superior caste he is fairly entitled4 ,this present is called ,adhibassy4 ,both the fathers are also required during the day to perform the ceremony of ,nannimook or ,bidhishrad1--a ceremony1 the meaning of which1 as said before1 is to make offerings to the manes of ancestors1 and to wish for the increase and preservation of progeny4 ,after the performance of the above ceremonies1 both the bridegroom and the bride putting on new red bordered dhooty and saree respectively at their several houses1 are made to bathe2 and five women whose husbands are alive touch their foreheads with sundry little things1 as mentioned before4 ,they have afterwards to go through a few minor rites which are purely the inventions of the females1 not being at all enjoined in the ,shasters4 ,it is obvious that the primary object of all these female rites is to promote conjugal felicity4 ,strange as it may appear1 it is nevertheless a fact that the mother of the bridegroom eats seven times 7of course but little at a time7 that day through a fear lest the bride1 when she comes1 will give her but scanty meals1#be while the mother of the bride does not eat anything until the marriage ceremony is over1 being impressed with a notion that the more she fasts the more she will get to eat afterwards4 ,the females on the side of the bride1 with the help of a matron1 exercise their utmost ingenuity1 and literally rack their brains1 in devising all manner of contrivances partaking of the character of charms to win the devoted attachment of the bridegroom towards the lovely little bride4 ,they resort to numerous petty tricks for the purpose which are too absurd and childish to be dwelt upon4 ,credulous as they naturally are1 and simple as they are known to be in their habits1 not to speak of the normal weakness of their intellect1 they fondly imagine that their thook thak or trick is sure to triumph and produce the desired effect4 ,to give an instance or two4 ,they write down in red ink on the back of the ,peray1 or wooden seat on which the bride is to sit1 the names of twenty-one uxorious husbands1 and go round the bride seven times4 ,they also write the name of the goddess1 ,doorga1 on the silk saree or garment which the bride is to wear at the time of the marriage ceremony1 because ,shiva1 her husband1 was excessively fond of her4 ,they place before her the ,chundi ,pooty1 a sacred book treating of ,doorga and ,shiva1 while her mouth is filled with two betel-nuts to be afterwards chewed with betel by the bridegroom unawares4 ,meantime active preparations are made on both sides for the auspicious solemnization of the nuptials4 ,at the house of the bridegroom1 arrangements are being made for illumination and fireworks1 and the grand ,nacarras announce the approaching departure of the procession4 ,fac-similes of mountains and peacocks are made of colored paper spacious enough to accommodate a dozen persons2 hundreds of ,khas gaylap and silver staves are seen on the roadside2 groups of songsters and musicians are posted here and there to give a passing specimen of the vulgar songs of the populace2 a ,sookasun or bridegroom's seat elegantly fitted up is brought out with two boys gaily dressed to fan the bridegroom with chamurs2#bf hundreds of blue and red lights are distributed among the swarthy coolies1 who are to use them on the road when the procession moves4 ,the bridegroom1 being washed1 is helped to put on a suit of superbly embroidered ,benares kinkob dress1 with a pearl necklace of great value1 besides bangles and armlets set in precious stones and garlands of flowers4 ,durwans and guards of honor are paraded in front of the house2 and in short1 nothing is left to impart an imposing appearance to the scene4 ,as has been already observed1 there is a growing desire among the ,hindoos to imitate ,english manners and fashions4 ,a marriage procession is considered quite incomplete unless bands of ,english musicians are retained1 and a cavalcade of troopers like a burlesque of the ,governor-,general's ,body ,guard is seen to move forward to clear the way4 ,a ,cook's carriage with a postillion is not unfrequently observed to supersede the old ,sooksun1 or gilt ,palkee4 ,before the bridegroom leaves his house he says his prayer to the goddess ,doorga1 and makes his preparatory jattra 7departure74 ,at this time his mother asks him1 ,baba where are you going8 ,he answers1 ,to bring in your ,dassee or maid-servant4 ,before leaving he receives from her a few instructions as to how he should conduct himself at the house of his father-in-law4 ,he is to gaze on the stars in heaven1 keep his feet half on the ground and half on the wooden seat when engaged in performing a ceremony1 and not to use any other betel but his own4 ,the object of these instructions is to thwart the intention of his mother-in-law that he may become a uxorious husband1 a wish in which his mother does not share at all1 because it is calculated to diminish his regard for her4 ,in the majority of cases the wish of the mother-in-law prevails over that of the mother1 as is quite natural4 ,he has next to perform the rite of ,kanakangoolee1 surrounded by all the women of the family4 ,a small brass plate containing rice1 a small wooden pot of vermilion1 and one ,rupee1 are thrown right over his head by his father into the ,saree1 or robe of his mother1 who stands behind him for the purpose of receiving the same4 ,this is a signal for him to come out1 and if all arrangements are complete1 take his seat on the bridal ,sookasun1 or carriage4 ,the procession moves forward amid the increasing darkness4 ,one or two ,european constables march ahead4 ,the usual cortege of stalwart durwans follow4 ,the torches and flambeaus are lighted4 ,the ,khasgalabullahs are ranged on both sides of the road2 in the midst are placed bands of native and ,english musicians4 ,parties of songsters in female dress begin to sing and dance on the ,moworpunkhee1 borne on the shoulders of coolies4 ,the flaring torches are waved around the procession4 ,blue and red lights are flashed at intervals4 ,noise1 confusion1 and bustle ensue4 ,men1 women and children all flock to see the tamasha4 ,mischievous boys try to rob the lights4 ,and to lend1 as it were1 an enchantment to the scene1 gay ,baboos in open carriages1 in their gala dresses bring up the rear4 ,it is on such occasions that modest beauties and newly-married brides 7bahus7 come out from the ,zenana1 and1 unveiling their faces1 rise on the tops of their houses on both sides of the road1 in order to feast their eyes on all the pompous accompaniments of a marriage exhibition4 ,as soon as the procession arrives near the house of the bride1 the people of the neighbourhood assemble in groups to have a sight of the lord of the day1 and four or five gentlemen of the party of the bride advance to welcome the bridegroom and his party of friends1 who enter1 receiving the stares of the idle and the salutations of the polite4 ,the barber of the family brings out a light in a sara 7earthen vessel7 and places it on the side of the road4 ,decency forbids me to mention certain of its constituents4 ,as the initiatory rite of the auspicious event1 the females blow the conch-shell in the inner apartment1 and some more impatient than the rest peep through the latticed corridor or window1 while the bridegroom is slowly conducted to his appropriate seat made up of red satin with embroidered fringes1 having three pillows of the same stuff on three sides4 ,an awning is suspended over the spacious compound1 and it is splendidly illuminated with gas lights4 ,polite and complimentary expressions of good wishes and of refined native etiquette are exchanged on both sides1 comparing favorably with the rude manners of past times4 ,come in1 come in1 gentlemen1 and sit down1 please1 is the general cry4 ,bring tobacco1 bring tobacco1 for both ,brahmin's and ,soodras1 is the next welcome expression4 ,boys1 especially the brother-in-law of the bridegroom1 now bring him a couple of betel-nuts1 to be cut with the pair of nut-crackers he holds in his hand4 ,he objects and hesitates at first1 but no excuse is admitted1 no plea heard1 he must cut them in the best way he can4#bg ,when all the guests are properly seated1 numbers of school boys sit face to face and begin to wrangle1 much to the amusement of the assemblage4 ,as ,english education is now all the go among the people1 questions in spelling1 grammar1 geography and history1 are put to each other4 ,the following may be taken as a specimen3 ,aushotosh asks ,bholanauth1 ,in what school do you read8 ,bholanauth answers1 ,in the ,hare ,school4 ,a4 continues1 ,what books do you read8 ,b4 enumerates them4 ,a4 asks1 ,what is your pedagogue's name8 ,b41 a little confounded1 remains quiet1 meditating within himself what could a pedagogue mean4 ,a4 drawing nearer1 asks him to spell the word1 housewife8 ,b4 answers1 h-u-z-z-i-f4 ,a4 laughs heartily in which he is joined by other boys4 ,continuing the chain of interrogations1 he asks ,b4 to parse the sentence3 ,to be good is to be happy4 ,b4 hanging down his head1 attempts1 but fails4 ,where is ,dundee1 and what is it famous for8 ,b4 answers1 ,dundee is in ,germany4 7laughter73 ,a4 pressing his adversary1 continues1 ,what was the cause of the ,trojan war8 ,b4 answers hesitatingly1 ,the golden fleece6 ,thus discomfited1 ,b4 takes refuge in ignoble silence1 while ,a41 in a triumphant mood1 moves prominently forward amidst the plaudits of the assembled multitude4 ,long live ,aushotosh1 is the universal blessing4 ,here two or three professional genealogists1 having tunics on their bodies and turbans on their heads1 stand up1 and in measured rhyme recite the genealogical table of the two families now affianced1 blazoning forth the meritorious deeds of each succeeding generation4 ,they keep a regular register of all the aristocratic ,hindoo families1 especially of the ,koolin class1 and at respectable marriages they are richly rewarded4 ,it is quite amusing to hear how seriously they rehearse the virtuous acts of the ancestors1 carefully refraining from making any allusion to disreputable acts of any kind4 ,though not like ,chunda1 the inimitable bard and pole-star of ,rajasthan1 as ,colonel ,tod says1 their services are duly appreciated by all orthodox ,hindoos1 who exult in the glowing recital of ancestral deeds4 ,their language is so guarded and flattering that it can offend nobody1 except such as do not reward them4 ,having the genealogical table in their possession they can easily turn the good into bad1 and vice versa1 to serve their own selfish ends4 ,an upstart1 or one who has a family stain1 pays them liberally to have his name inserted in the genealogical register1 and to be mentioned in laudatory terms4 ,in the ,thakoor dhallan1 or chamber of worship1 all preparations for the solemnization of nuptials are now made4 ,the couch-cot1 beddings1 carpet1 embroidered and wooden shoes--here ,english shoes will not do--gold watch with chain1 diamond ring1 pearl necklace1 and one set of silver and one set of brass utensils1#bh are arranged in proper order1 and flowers1 sandal-paste1 dooav grass1 holy water in copper pans1 and khoosh grass1 are placed before the priests of both parties4 ,the bridegroom1 laying aside his embroidered robe1 is dressed in a red silk cloth1 and taken to the place of worship1 where the bride1 also attired in a silk ,saree1 veiled and trembling through fear1 is slowly brought from the female penetralia on a wooden seat borne by two servants and placed on the left side of the bridegroom4 ,the agitation of her internal feelings when brought before the altar of ,hymen is greatly soothed by the wealth of gold ornaments--the summum bonum of her existence with which her person is adorned4 ,the officiating priest puts into the hands of the bridegroom fourteen blades of khoosh grass in two small bundles which he winds and ties round his figures4 ,the priest then pours a little holy ,ganges water into the bridegroom's right hand1 which he holds while the father-in-law repeats a mantra or incantation1 at the close of which he lets it fall4 ,rice1 flowers and doorva grass are next given him1 which he lays near the copper pan containing the holy water4 ,water is presented as at first with a prayer1 and sour milk1 then again water4 ,the officiating priest now directs him to put his hand into the copper pan1 and placing the hand of the bride on that of the bridegroom ties them together with a garland of flowers1 when the father-in-law says3 ,of the family of ,goutam1 the great grand-daughter of ,ram ,churn ,bose1 the grand-daughter of ,bulloram ,bose1 the daughter of ,ramsoonder ,bose1 wearing such and such clothes and jewels1 ,i1 ,dwarkeynath ,bose1 give to thee1 ,oma ,churn ,dutt1 of the family of ,bharadaz1 the great grandson of ,dinnonath ,dutt1 the grandson of ,shib ,churn ,dutt1 the son of ,jodonauth ,dutt4 ,the bridegroom says1 ,i have received her4 ,the father-in-law then takes off the garland of flowers with which the hands of the married pair were bound1 and pouring some holy water on their heads1 pronounces his benediction4 ,a piece of silk cloth called ,laja bustur1 is then put over the heads of the boy and girl1 and they are asked to look at each other for the first time in their lives4 ,while the marriage ceremony is being performed the boy is made to wear on his head a conical tinsel hat4 ,here the barber of the bridegroom gives to the priest a little ,khoye 7parched rice7 and a little ghee1 which are offered with doorva grass to the god ,brahma4 ,a very small piece of coarse cloth called gatchara1 or knotted cloth1 containing in all twenty-one myrobolans1 boyra fruit and betel-nuts1 is tied to the silk dhobja or scarf of the bridegroom1 which is fastened again to the silk garment of the bride1 thus symbolising a union never to be severed4 ,the married couple are then taken into the inner court where the females are waiting on the tiptoe of expectation1 wreathed for a moment in the rapturous embraces of one another4 ,as soon as the boy appears1 or rather before his appearance1 conch-shells are again blown1 and he is made to stand on a stone placed under a small awning called chadlahtalah1 a temporary shed1 surrounded on four sides by plantain trees4 ,by way of merriment1 some females greet him with hayeumllah mixed in treacle1 some pull his ears1 notably his sisters-in-law1 while matrons cry out ulu1 ulu1 ulu1 sounds indicative of excessive joy4 ,it would require the masterly pen of a ,sir ,walter ,scott to adequately delineate the joyous feelings of the females on such an auspicious occasion4 ,the bridegroom is made to wear on his ten fingers ten rings made of twigs of creepers1 and his hands are tied by a piece of thread as long as his body4 ,putting betwixt them a weaver's shuttle1 the mother-in-law says1 ,i have bound thee by thread1 bought thee with cowries1 and put a shuttle betwixt thy hands1 now bleat thou like a lamb1#bi ,bapoo1--a term of endearment4 ,she also closes his mouth by touching his lips with a padlock1 and symbolically sewing the same with twenty-one pins1 that he may never scold the girl2 touches his nose with a slender ,bamboo pipe and breaks it afterwards1 throws over his body treacle and rice1 as well as the refuse of spices pounded on a grindstone1 which has been kept covered with a bag for eight days1 are alive1 by two females whose husbands and finally touches his lips with honey and small images made of sugar1 that he may ever treat his wife like a sweet darling4 ,afterwards the mother-in-law with several other married women1 adorned with all their costly ornaments and dressed in their best attire1 touch his forehead with ,sree1 ,barandalla a winnowing fan1 plantain1 betel and betel-nuts2 and here the silk scarf of the boy1 of which mention has been made before1 is again more closely fastened to the silk garment of the girl1 and kept with her for eight days1 after which it is returned1 accompanied by presents of sweetmeats1 fishes and curdled milk4 ,these puerile rites1 purely the invention of females1 are intended to act as charms for securing the love and affection of the husband for his wife4 ,the wish is certainly a good one1 but often the agencies employed fail to produce the desired effect6 ,charms strike the sight1 but merit wins the soul4 ,before the marriage ceremony is concluded1 the boys of the neighbourhood make the usual demand of ,gramvat4i and ,barawari ,poojah4 ,at first in a polite way they ask the father of the bridegroom for the gift4 ,he offers twenty ,rupees1 but they insist on having one hundred ,rupees4 ,after some altercation in which sometimes high words and offensive language are made use of1#cj the matter is eventually settled on payment of thirty-two ,rupees4 ,this money is used in giving a feast to the boys of the neighbourhood1 reserving a portion for the ,barawari poojah1--a mode of worship which will be more fully treated in another place4 ,as an epilogue to the nuptial rite1 the bridegroom continues to stand on a stone1 while two men setting the bride on a wooden seat1 and lifting her higher than his head1 makes three circumambulations1 asking the females at the same time who is taller1 the bridegroom or the bride8 ,the stereotyped response is1 the bride4 ,this being done1 the females throwing a piece of cloth over the heads of both1 desire them to glance at each other with all the fond endearments of a wedded pair4 ,as is to be expected1 the coy girl1 almost in a state of trepidation1 casts but a transient look1 and veils her face instanter2 but the boy1 young as he is1 feels inwardly happy to view the lovely face of his future wife4 ,this look is called ,shoovadristi or the auspicious sight which is held in the light of a harbinger of future felicity4 ,the bridegroom returns to the ,thacoordhallan or place of worship and performs the concluding part of the marriage ceremony1 while the officiating priest1 repeating the usual incantation1 presents the burnt offerings 7home7 to the gods1 which is the finale of the religious part of the rite4#ca ,but before the bridegroom leaves the place of worship1 the officiating priests of both sides must have their dackina or pecuniary reward4 ,if the boy be of the ,mowleek caste and the girl of the ,koolin caste1 the former must give double what the latter gives1 i4 e41 #af ,rupees and #h ,rupees4 ,here1 as in every other instance1 the superiority of caste asserts its peculiar privileges4 ,the professional genealogists1 after concluding their recitation and singing their epithalamiums1 also come in for their share of the reward1 but they are generally told to wait till the next day1 when in common with other ,ghatacks they receive their recompense4 ,the bridegroom is then permitted to have a little breathing time1 after having undergone the infliction of so many religious and domestic rites1 which latter formed the special province of the females4 ,the head of the family now stands up before the assembly1 and asks their permission to go through the ceremony of ,mala ,chandan1 or the distribution of sandaled garlands4 ,this is done to pay them the honor due to their rank4 ,the ,dullaputty1 or the head of the order or party1 almost invariably receives the first garland1 and then the assembled multitudes are served4 ,for securing this hereditary distinction to a family1 large sums of money have been spent from time to time by millionaires who1 by the favorable combination of circumstances1 had risen from an obscure position in life to a state of great affluence4 ,the late ,rajah ,rajkissen ,bahadoor1 ,baboos ,ram ,doolal ,dey1 ,kisto ,ram ,bose1 ,modun ,mohun ,dutt1 ,santi ,ram ,singh1 ,ram ,rutton ,roy and others1 expended upwards of a lakh of ,rupees1 or ,l#aj1jjj1 each for the possession of the enviable title of ,dullaputty1 or head of a party4 ,the way by which this noble distinction was secured was to induce first-class ,koolins1 by sufficient pecuniary inducements1 to intermarry into the families of the would-be ,dullaputty4 ,the generally impoverished condition of the old aristocracy of the land1 and the onward march of intellect teaching the people to look to sterling merit for superiority in the scale of ,society have considerably deteriorated the value of these artificial distinctions4 ,the progress of education has opened a new era in the social institutions of the country1 and an enlightened proletariat is now-a-days more esteemed than an empty titled ,dullaputty1 the magnitude of whose social status is not to be estimated by the numbers of ,koolins he is connected with1 but by the extent and character of his services to society4 ,the bridegroom next dines with his friends outside1 notwithstanding the importunities of the females for him to dine in their presence in the inner apartment1 that they might have an opportunity to indulge in merriment at his expense4 ,as a rule1 the ,brahmins dine first1 and then the numerous guests and attendants1 numbering sometimes one thousand4 ,despite the precaution of the friends of the bride to prevent unwelcome intrusion1 from a natural apprehension of running short of supplies1 which1 on such occasions1 are procured at enormous cost1 many uninvited persons in the disguise of respectable looking ,baboos contrive somehow or other to mingle in the crowd and behave with such propriety as to elude detection4 ,the proportion of male intruders is larger than that of female ones1 simply because the latter1 however barefaced1 cannot entirely divest themselves of all modesty4 ,it would not be above the mark to put down the number of the former at twenty per cent4 ,such men are professional intruders2 they are entirely devoid of a sense of self respect1 and lead a wretched1 demoralized life4 ,foreigners can have no idea of the extent to which they carry on their disreputable trade1 including in their ranks some of the highest ,brahmins of the country4 ,it is not an uncommon sight1 on such occasion1 to behold numbers of people depart after dinner with bundles of loochees 7fine edibles7 and sweetmeats in their hands1 which methranees#cb threaten to touch and defile4 ,when full justice has been done to the feast provided for the occasion1 the crowd melts away and streams out at the door1 well pleased with the reception they have had4 ,it is much easier to satisfy men than women in this respect4 ,the latter are naturally fastidious1 and the least shortcoming is sure to be found fault with4 ,when confusion and bustle subside1 the bridegroom is slowly conducted into a room in the inner apartment which bears the euphonious name of ,basurghur1 the bed-chamber of the happy pair1 or rather the store-house of jokes and banter1 where are grouped together his wife1 his mother-in-law1#cc and the whole galaxy of beauty4 ,the very name of ,basarghur#cd suggests to the female a variety of ideas at once amusing and fascinating4 ,as ,i have already observed1 she1 nursed from her cradle in a state of perfect seclusion1 and immersed in all the drudgeries of a monotonous domestic life1 is glad of any opportunity to share in the unreined pleasure of joviality4 ,the mother-in-law1 throwing aside conventional restraint1 introduces herself1 or is introduced by other women1 to her son-in-law4 ,they pull the poor lad's ears1 in spite of her earnest protestation1 and if they do not know what flirtation is1 they assail him with jokes which quite puzzle him and bewilder his senses4 ,they burst into roars of laughter and make themselves merry at his expense2 he feels himself almost helpless and unprepared to make a suitable repartee1 and is at length driven into all manner of excuses1 as plausible reasons for a brief respite and a short repose4 ,he complains of headache occasioned by the lateness of the hour2 as a sure remedy they give him soda1 ice1 eau-de-cologne1 and almost bathe him in rose-water2 but a soporific they can on no account allow him1 because it would mar their pleasure and sink their lively spirits4 ,keeping up their jokes1 they place the lovely bride with all her gold trappings on his knee1 and unveiling her face ask him to look at it1 and say whether or not he likes her2 she closes her eyes1 moves and jerks to have the veil dropped down1 but her sisters yield not to her wish1 and keeping her yet unveiled1 repeat the question4 ,of course he makes no reply1 but blushes and hangs down his head2 their demand being imperative1 he sees no other alternative1 but to gently reply in the affirmative4 ,they next make the girl bride1 much against her inclination1 lie down by his side2 as often as she is dragged so often she draws back1 but yielding at last to the admonition of her mother1 she is constrained to lie down1 because1 on that night1 this form is strictly enjoined in the female shaster4 ,the innocent girl1 unconscious of the absurd mirth1 shrinking together1 turns away1 and occasionally whimpering1 passes the sleepless1 miserable hours4 ,the dawn of morning is to her most welcome1 although it affords her but a temporary relief4 ,as the first glimpse of light is perceived1 she flies into the bosom of her aunt1 who tries to animate her drooping spirit by a word or two of solace1 citing perhaps at the same time the example of ,surrajiney1 her elder sister1 placed in a similar position three years ago4 ,the women referred to remain in the ,basarghur4 ,as a matter of course aged women go to sleep faster than young sprightly girls of sweet seventeen1 who are bent on making the best of the occasion by indulging in jokes and witticisms4 ,they literally rack their brains to outwit the bridegroom by their thata and tamasha 7jokes71 and their stock of it seems to be almost inexhaustible4 ,they contrive to make him chew the same beera or betel which is first chewed by the bride1 and if he be obstinate enough to refuse it1 in obedience to the warning of his mother1 which is often the case1 four or five young ladies open out his lips1 and thrust the chewed betel into his mouth4 ,what young man would be so ungallant as to resist them after all8 ,he must either submit or bear the opprobrium of a foolish discourteous boy4 ,thus the whole night is passed in the banter and practical joking peculiar to the idiosyncracy of the ,hindoo females4 ,when in the morning he attempts to get away from their company1 one or two ladies1 notably his salees1 or sisters-in-law hold him fast by the skirt of his silk garment demanding the customary present of ,sarjaytollanee4#ce ,he sends a message to his man outside1 and gets thirty two or fifty ,rupees1 on payment of which they are satisfied and permit him to go4 ,after a short respite he is again brought into the inner apartment1 and after shaving1 bathing and changing his clothes1 he is made to go almost through the same course of female rites as he had to perform on the preceding night1 with this difference only1 that no officiating priest is required to help on the occasion4 ,this rite is named ,bassi ,bibaha 7not new marriage71 all the ceremonials being conducted by the females4 ,it would be tedious to inflict on the reader a recapitulation of the same1 but suffice it to say1 that in all the primary pervading principle is plainly perceptible1 namely1 the long life and conjugal felicity of the happy pair4 ,it is a remarkable fact that in the opinion of the ,hindoo females the wider the circle of matrimonial ceremonies1 the greater the chance of securing the favor of ,hymen4 ,at the conclusion1 the boy and girl are directed to say that they have passed the state of celibacy and entered on that of matrimony4 ,marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled4 ,as morning advances1 the bridegroom walking1 and the bride in the arms of her relative1 are next brought into a room--the women blowing the conch and sprinkling water1--and made to sit near each other4 ,they then play with cowries1 7shells7 the girl is told to take up a few cowries in her left hand and put them near the boy1 while on the other hand the boy is told to take up as much as his right hand can contain and put them before the girl1 the meaning of which is1 that the girl would spend sparingly and the boy give her abundantly4 ,they then play with four very small earthen pots1 called mooglivhur1 filled with rice and peas2 the girl first opens the lids of the pots and throws the contents on a ,koolo1 7winnowing fan7 the boy takes it up and fills the pots1 the girl slowly puts the lids on and inaudibly repeats the name of her husband for the first time1#cf expressing a hope that by the above process she stops his mouth and curbs his tongue1 that he may never abuse her4 ,as the first course of breakfast1 fruits and sweetmeats are served to the bridegroom and the bride4 ,he eats a little and is requested to offer a portion of the same to his wife1 whose modesty forbids her to accept any in his presence1 but the earnest importunities of the nearest of kin overcome her shyness1 and she is at length prevailed upon to taste a little which is offered her by the hand of her husband1 the females expressing a desire at the same time that she may continue to eat from the same hand to the end of her days4 ,they then receive the benedictions of the male and female members of the family in money1 dooav grass and paddy1 which embody a prayer to the ,god for her everlasting happiness4 ,a second course of breakfast consisting of boiled rice1 dhall1 fish and vegetable curries in great variety1 sweetmeats1 sour and sweet milk is next brought for the bridegroom2 seeing that he eats very slowly and scantily through shame1 his sisters-in-law help him with handfuls of rice and curries1 c4 ,after he has finished eating1 the residue of the victuals is given to his wife in a separate room1 because it is customary that she should use the same that day1 with a view to cement mutual love and affection4 ,preparations are now being made for the return of the procession to the house of the bridegroom1 but before it starts some pecuniary matters are to be settled4 ,the father of the bridegroom gives fifty ,rupees as ,sarjaytollanee for the benefit of the sisters of the bride1 and the father of the bride must give the same sum1 if not a larger one1 as ,nanadkhaymee for the benefit of the sisters of the bridegroom4 ,then the difficult problem of ,samajeek is to be solved4 ,in almost every case1 the question is not decided without some discussion4 ,hindoos are above all tenacious of caste when the question is one of ,rupees and pice4 ,crowds of ,bhats1 fakeers1 nagas1 raywos1 and mendicants shouting at times ,jay1 ,jay1 victory1 victory2 ,bar1 konay bachay thakoog1 may the bridegroom and bride live long1 impatiently wait in the street for their usual alms4 ,they get a few annas each and disperse4 ,professional ,ghatucks1 genealogists and ,brahmins also come in for their share and are not disappointed4 ,then comes the interesting and affecting part of the ceremonial1 the jattra1 or the approaching departure of the happy pair for the house of the bridegroom4 ,a small brass pot filled with holy water and a small wooden pot of vermillion being placed before them1 they are made to sit on the two wooden pirays on which they sat the previous evening at the time of marriage1 and the females touch their foreheads with sour milk1 shiddi 7hemp71 and the consecrated urghi of the goddess ,doorga1#cg which latter is kept in a tuft on the ,khopa or ringlet of the bride's hair for eight days4 ,her forehead is also rubbed with vermillion1 the emblem of a female whose husband is alive4 ,this is followed by the rite of ,kanokanjooley already described1 but this time the father of the bride throws the brass plate right over her head into the cloth of his wife1 who stands for the purpose behind her daughter4 ,a sudden and solemn pause is perceptible here1 betokening the subsidence of joy and the advent of sorrow4 ,in the midst of the company1 mostly females1 the father and mother of the bride1 alternately clasping both the hands of the bridegroom1 with tears in their eyes1 commit the very responsible trust of the young wife to his charge1 saying at the same time in a faltering tone1 among other things1 that hitherto our daughter was placed under our care1 but now through the ,bhabiturbee or kind dispensation of ,providence1 she is consigned for ever to your charge1 may you kindly overlook her shortcomings and frailties and prove your fidelity by constancy4 ,at this parting expression1 tears start into the eyes of all the females who are naturally more susceptible than the sterner sex4 ,with sorrowful countenances and deep emotion they look steadfastly at the married pair and imploringly beseech the bridegroom to treat the bride with all the tenderness of an affectionate husband4 ,the scene is exceedingly affecting1 and the sweet sorrow of parting does not permit him to say ,bidaya or farewell to the bridegroom4 ,the mother-in-law1 especially1 should the bride be her only daughter1 is overwhelmed with grief1 and if she does not cry bitterly1 her suppressed emotion is unmistakable2 the idea even of a temporary separation is enough to break her heart1 and no consolation can restore the natural serenity of her mind4#ch ,her relatives endeavour to cheer her by reminding her of their and her own cases1 and declare that all females are born to share the same fate4 ,they scarcely enter the world before they must leave their parents and intermarry into other families4 ,this is their destiny1 and this the law of ,juggut 7the world71 and they must all abide by it4 ,instead of repining1 she ought to pray to ,debta 7god17 that her daughter should ever continue to live at her father-in-law's1 use ,sidoor 7vermillion7 on her grey head1 wear out her iron bangle1 and be a junma ayestri1 blessings which are all enjoyed by a female whose husband is alive4 ,such powerful arguments and undeniable examples partially restore the equanimity of her mind1 and she is half persuaded to join her friends and go and see the procession from the top of the house4 ,the same tumult and bustle which ensued at the time of coming now prevail at the departure of the bridegroom in his ,sookasun1 and the bride in her closely covered crimson ,mohapaya1 preceded by all the tinsel trappings and bands of ,english and ,native musicians4 ,the procession slowly moves forward with all the pomp and consequence of a grand1 imposing exhibition1 amidst the staring of the wondering populace and of the sight-seeing public4 ,it is on such occasions1 as ,macaulay observes1 that tender and delicate women1 whose veils had never been lifted before the public gaze1 came forth from the inner chambers in which ,eastern jealousy keeps watch over their beauty4 ,the great body of ,barjattars--bridegroom's friends--who graced the procession with their presence the previous night1 do not accompany it now on its return homewards1 and notwithstanding all the vigilance of the extra guards1 the mob scrambles and forcibly takes away the tinsel flower and fruit trees on the way4 ,in an hour or two1 all the objects of wonder vanish from the sight1 and leave no mark behind them3 the gaze of fools1 the pageant of a day4 ,on the arrival of the procession at its destination1 the bridegroom alights from the ,sookasun and the bride from the ,mohapaya1 under which1 by way of welcome1 is thrown a ghara1 or pot of water4 ,hereupon the silk chadur or scarf of the bridegroom1 so long in the possession of the bride1 being entwined between both while the conch is blowing1 they are taken into the inner apartment1 the former walking1 the latter in the arms of one of her nearest female relatives whose husband is alive4 ,the boy is made to stand on an allpana piray 7white-painted wooden seat71 the girl on a thala or metal plate filled with milk and altawater1 and holding in her hand a live shole fish4 ,a small earthen pot of milk is put upon the fire by a female whose husband is alive1 and when through heat it overflows1 the veil of the girl being lifted1 she is desired to witness the overflowing process and say gently three times1 may the wealth and resources of her father-in-law overflow1 while her mother-in-law puts round her left hand an iron bangle1#ci and with the usual benediction that she may be ever blessed with her husband1 rubs the middle of her forehead with a little vermillion4 ,a small basket of paddy or unhusked rice1 over which stands a small pot of vermillion1 is placed on the head of the bride1 which the bridegroom holds with his left hand1 and when they are both greeted three times with the ,sree1 ,barandala ,koolo1 water1 plantain1 betel and betel-nuts1 as has been described before1 by the bridegroom's mother1 he1 with his pair of nut-crackers in his right hand1 throws over the ground a few grains of paddy from the reck1 walks slowly over a new piece of red bordered cloth into a room1 accompanied by his wife and preceded by other females1 one of whom blows a conch and another sprinkles water1--both tokens of an auspicious event4 ,when all are properly seated upon bedding spread on the floor1 the bridegroom and the bride play again the game of jatook with cowries 7shells7#dj as before4 ,they afterwards receive the usual asseerbad 7blessing7 in paddy1 doov-grass and money4 ,the mother-in-law in order to ensure the permanent submissiveness of the bride puts honey into her ears and sugar into her mouth that she may receive her commands and execute them like a sweet obedient girl4 ,some females then1 placing a male child on the thigh of the bridegroom1 desire him to hand it to the bride4 ,according to prescribed custom1 the mother-in-law1 on first seeing the face of her daughter-in-law1 presents her with a pair of gold bangles4 ,other near female relatives1 following her example1 present her severally with a pair of gold armlets1 a pearl necklace1 a set of gold pitjhapa1 or an ornament for the back1 jingling as the girl moves1 a pair of diamond cut gold ear-rings set in precious stones1 and so on4 ,to account for the common desire of the ,hindoos to give a profusion of jewels to their females1 ,menu1 their great fountain of authority1 enjoins let women be constantly supplied with ornaments at festivals and jubilees1 for if the wife be not elegantly attired1 she will not exhilarate her husband4 ,a wife gaily adorned1 the whole house is embellished4 ,she is next taken into the kitchen1 where all sorts of cooked victuals1 except meat1 are prepared in great abundance4 ,she is desired to look at them and pray to ,god that her father-in-law may always enjoy plenty4 ,returning from the cookroom1 the bridegroom gives into her hands an embroidered ,benares saree as also a brass thala1 7plate7 with a few batees 7cups7 containing boiled rice1 dhall1 and all the prepared curries1 vegetables1 and fish1 frumenty1 c41 and addresses her1 declaring that from this day forward he undertakes to support her with food and clothes4 ,he then partakes of the dinner and retires1 while the bride is made to share the residue4#da ,she is thus taught1 from the moment of her union at the ,hymeneal altar1 her fundamental duty of absolute submission to1 and utter dependence on1 her husband4 ,should she be of dark complexion and her features not beautiful1 the bridegroom is thus twitted by his elder brothers' wives3 you all along disliked a kalo 7black7 girl1 now what will you do1 thacoorpo8 ,surely you cannot forsake her1 we will see by-and-bye you shall have to wash her feet4 ,words like these pierce the heart of the bridegroom1 but politeness forbids him to reply4 ,as regards the power of woman1 the same lawgiver says--a female is able to draw from the right path in this life1 not a fool only1 but even a sage1 and can lead him in subjection to desire or to wrath4 ,the nearest relatives and friends of the family are invited to partake of the ,bowbhat or bridal dinner consisting of boiled rice1 dhall1 fish and vegetable curries1 frumenty1 polowya1 c41 served to the guests by the bride's own hands1 which is tantamount to her recognition as one of the members of the family4 ,to eat unna 7boiled rice7 is one thing and to eat jalpan 7loochees and sweetmeats7 is quite another4 ,a ,hindoo can take the latter at the house of one of inferior caste1 but he would lose his caste if he were to eat the former at the same place4 ,even among equals of the same caste1 and much more among inferiors1 boiled rice is not taken without mature consideration1 and some sort of compensation from the inferior to the superior for condescending to eat the same4 ,the compensation is made in money and clothes according to the rank of the ,koolins4 ,before departing1 the guests invited to the ,bowbhat at which they eat boiled rice from the hands of the bride1 give her one1 two1 or more ,rupees each4 ,the day following is a very interesting day or rather night1 being the night of ,foolsajya#db or flowery bed4 ,at about eight o'clock in the evening the father of the bride sends to his son-in-law ample presents of all sorts of fruits in or out of season1 home and bazar made sweetmeats1 some in the shape of men1 women1 fishes1 birds1 carriages1 horses1 elephants1 c41 c41 each weighing from #f to #aj lbs41 sweet and sour milk 7batasa17 a kind of sweet cakes1 chineere moorkey1 paddy1 fried and sugared comfits1 spices of all sorts1 betel and prepared betel-nuts1 sets of ornaments and toys made of cutch1 representing railway carriages1 gardens1 house1 dancing girls1 c41 imitation pearl necklaces made of rice1 imitation gold necklace made of paddy1 colored imitation fruits made of curd#dc1 butter1 sugar1 sugar-candy1 chana 7coagulated milk71 otto of rose1 rose-water1 chaplets of flowers and flower ornaments1 in great variety1 ,dacca and embroidered ,benares dhooty and saree for the boy and the girl1 clothes for all the elderly females1 couch-cot1 beddings1 sets of silver and brass utensils1 carpet1 embroidered shoes1 gold watch and chain1 c41 c4 ,between #abe and #aej servants1 male and female1 carry these articles1 some in banghy1 some in baskets1 and some in large brass thalas or trays4 ,these presents being properly arranged in the ,thacoor-dallan the male friends of the family are invited to come down and see them1 some praising the choice assortment and large variety1 as well as the taste of the father of the bride1 while others more calculating make an estimate as to the probable cost of the whole4 ,these articles are then removed into the inner apartment1 where the females1 naturally loquacious1 criticise them according to their judgment2 the simple and the good-natured say they are good and satisfactory1 others more fastidious find fault with them4 ,they are1 however1 soon silenced by the prudent remarks of the adult male members of the family4 ,the servants are next fed and dismissed with presents of money1 some receiving one ,rupee each being the servants of the bride's family1 some half a ,rupee being the servants of other families4 ,they then take back all the brass thalas and trays1 leaving the baskets behind4 ,here we come to the climax of interest4 ,the bridegroom and the bride1 adorned with a wealth of flower wreaths1 and dressed in red-bordered ,dacca clothes1 with sandal paste on their foreheads1 and sitting side by side in the presence of females whose husbands are alive1 are desired to eat even a small portion of the articles of food that have been presented1 and what is the most interesting feature in the scene1 is that the former helps the latter and the latter helps the former1 both throwing aside for the first time the restraint which modesty naturally imposes on such an occasion4 ,to be more explicit1 the boy eats one half of a sweetmeat and gives the other half to the girl1 and the girl in her turn is constrained to follow the same example1 though with a blushing countenance and a veiled face4 ,female modesty predominates in this isolated instance4 ,if the boy give blushingly1 the girl gives shyly and tremulously2 in spite of her best efforts1 she cannot consistently make up her mind to lift up her right hand and stretch it towards the mouth of her husband1 but is after all helped to do so by a woman1 whose husband is alive4 ,this process of eating#dd and mutual help1 when three days have scarcely passed over their heads1 naturally gives rise to joy1 merriment and laughter among the females2 and one amongst them exclaims2 look1 look1 ,soudaminey1 how our new ,radha and ,krishna are sitting side by side and eating together2 may they live long and sport thus4 ,the mother of the boy watches the progress of the interesting scene1 and in transports of joy wishes for their continued felicity4 ,the young and sprightly1 who have once passed through the same process1 and whose hearts are enlivened by the reminiscences of past occurrences1 too recent to be forgotten1 tarry in the room to the last moment1 till sleep weighing down the eyelids of the happy pair1 the mother of the bridegroom gently calls them aside1 and leaves them to rest undisturbed4 ,in accordance with the old established custom1 their bed is strewn with flowers and their bodies perfumed with otto of rose4 ,this is not enough for the sprightly ladies1 the complement of whose amusement and merriment is not yet full4 ,even if the night be a chilly one1 regardless of the effects of exposure1 they must aripato1 or jealously watch through the crevices of windows1 whether or not the boy talks to the girl1 and if he do1 what is the nature of the talk4 ,thus they pass the whole night prying and laughing1 chatting with each other on subjects suited to their taste and mode of thought4 ,when morning dawns1 the boy opening the door goes outside1 and the girl slowly walks to her maid-servants1 who accompanied her from her father's house4 ,her whole desire is to get back to her mother and sisters2 nothing can reconcile her to her new home2 novelty has no charms for her except in her paternal domicile4 ,she repeatedly asks her maid-servants as to when the ,palkee will come1 and what is the time fixed for her jattra1 7departure72 the maid-servants1 consoling her1 induce her to wash her mouth and break her fast with a few sweetmeats4 ,in obedience to the kind instruction of her mother1 she sits closely veiled and talks little1 if at all1 even to young girls of her tender age4 ,she next takes her vojan1 or dinner1 and to while away time1 little girls try to amuse her with toys or a game at cards2 at length the time comes for the toilet work1 and the arrival of the covered ,mohapaya is announced4 ,she again takes a few sweetmeats1 and making a pronam 7bow7 to all her superiors1 is helped into the ,palkee by her mother-in-law1 a female having previously washed her feet4 ,the usual benediction on such an occasion is1 may you continue to live under the roof of your father-in-law in the enjoyment of conjugal bliss4 ,on the arrival of the ,mahapaya at her father's house1 almost all the females come out for a moment1 taking care previously to have the suddur door bolted and the ,palkee bearers removed4 ,they cheerfully welcome the return of the girl home4 ,her mother1 unveiling her face and taking her in her arms1 thus affectionately addresses her1 my ,bacha1 7child7 my sonarchand 7golden moon7 where have you been8 ,did not your heart mourn for us8 ,our house looked khakha 7desolate7 in your absence4 ,what did they 7bridegroom's family7 say about our dayway thowya 7presents78 ,did they express any nindya1 7dissatisfaction78 ,how have the women behaved towards you8 ,how are your sassooree and sasoor 7mother-in-law and father-in-law178 ,thus interrogating1 they all walk inside and1 making the girl change her silk clothes and sit near them1 begin to examine and criticise the ornaments given her by her father-in-law4 ,let us see the pearl necklace first1 says ,bhoopada8 ,the pearls are not smooth and round1 what may be its value8 ,geeri ,balla1 taking her own pearl necklace from off her neck1 compares the one with the other4 ,they unanimously pronounce the latter to be more costly than the former2 be that as it may1 its value cannot be less than ,rupees #ejj4 ,they next take in hand the pitjapa1 ornament for the back1 looking at it for a few minutes they pass their opinion1 saying it is heavier and better made than that of ,geeri ,balla4 ,the ,sita haur1 or ,jarawya#de 7gold necklace7 afterwards attracts their attention1 and they roughly estimate its price at ,rupees #cej4 ,it is not a little surprising that though these women are never permitted to go beyond the precincts of the zenana1 yet their valuation of ornaments1 unless it be a jarawya bijoutry of enormous cost1 such as is worn on grand occasions by the wife of a big swell1 often bears the nearest approximation to the intrinsic worth of an article4 ,thus almost every ornament1 one after another1 forms the subject of their criticism4 ,when their discussion is over1 the girl is desired to take the greater portion of her ornaments off her body--save a pair of gold balla#df on her hands and a necklace on her neck--and leave them to the care of her mother4 ,she then mixes in the company of other little girls of her tender age1 some married1 some unmarried2 who curiously ask her all about her new friends1 until their talk resumes its usual childish topics4 ,she passes the day among them very pleasantly1 so much so that when her mother calls her to take her luncheon1 she stays back and says only jachee1 jachee1 7coming1 coming17 her mind being so much absorbed in her juvenile sports4 ,the next day is again a day of trial for her1 she has to go for gharbasath#dg to her father-in-law's house4 ,on awaking1 she remembers where she will have to go in course of the day2 a sensation bordering on sulkiness almost unconsciously steals upon her1 and as time passes it increases in intensity4 ,about four in the afternoon the arrival of the ,mahapaya is announced1 her sister combs her hair and adorns her person with all the ornaments she has lately received4 ,dressed in her bridal silk saree1 her eyes seem charged with tears1 and symptoms of reluctance are visible in every step2 but go she must2 no alternative is left her4 ,so her mother helps her into the ,mahapaya and orders a durwan and two maid-servants to accompany her1 not forgetting to assure her that she is to be brought back the next day4 ,despite this assurance1 she whimpers and weeps1 and is consoled on the way by her maid-servants4 ,at her father-in-law's1 young girls of her age being impatient to receive her1 are seen moving backwards and forwards to get a glimpse of the ,mahapaya1 the arrival of which is a signal for almost all the ladies to come out and greet the object of their affection4 ,her mother-in-law steps forward1 and taking up the girl in her arms walks inside1 followed by a train of other ladies1 whose hearts are exhilarated again at the prospect of merriment at the expense of the married pair4 ,when the time comes round for them to retire1 the same scene of arepata is re-enacted by the mirth-loving ladies1 with all their quips and cranks and wanton wiles4 ,at day-break1 the girl1 as must naturally be expected1 quietly walks to her confidential maid-servant1 and whispers her to go and tell her mother to send the ,mahapaya ,palkee as early as possible4 ,bearing her message1 one of them goes for the purpose but the mother replies1 ,how can she send the ,palkee except at the lucky hour after dinner8 ,when this reply is communicated to the girl1 she sits sulkily aloof1 until her mother-in-law cajoles her and offers for her breakfast a few sweetmeats with milk4 ,after a great deal of hesitation she complies with her request1 which1 to be effective1 is always accompanied by a threat of not allowing her to return to her father's in the event of a refusal4 ,about ten o'clock she takes her regular breakfast as described before1 but she does not eat with zest1 for whatever delicacy may be offered her1 it palls upon her taste2 continually brooding on the idea of a return home4 ,this is the day when the bridegroom and the bride untie from each other's hand the yellow home-spun charka thread with which they were entwined on the day of marriage1 as a mark of their indissoluble union4 ,at length the lucky hour arrives1 and with it the ,mahapaya comes4 ,the very announcement of the fact revives the drooping spirits of the bride4 ,after going through the usual toilet work and a slight repast1 she gets into the covered conveyance1 assisted by her mother-in-law and other ladies4 ,when she returns home1 she changes her bridal silk garment and strips herself of the greater portion of her ornaments4 ,now uncontrolled and unreserved1 she breathes a free1 genial1 atmosphere2 her mother and sisters welcome her with their heartfelt congratulations1 and she moves about with her wonted buoyancy of spirit4 ,throwing aside her sulkiness1 she commingles readily in conversation with all around her4 ,she praises the amiable qualities of her father-in-law and mother-in-law1 and the very kind treatment she has had while under their roof1 but she keeps her reserve when even the slightest allusion is made to her husband1 because this is to her young mind forbidden ground on which she cannot venture to tread without violating the sacred rules of conventionalism4 ,at the marriages of rich families1 as will be understood from our description1 vast sums of money are expended4 ,the greatest expense is incurred in purchasing jewels and making presents of brass utensils1 shawls1 clothes1 sweetmeats1 c41 to ,brahmins1 ,koolins1 ,ghatacks and numerous friends1 relatives and acquaintances1 besides illuminations1 fireworks and all the pageantry of a pompous procession4 ,in and about ,calcutta1 the ,rajahs of ,shobabazar1 the ,dey family1 the ,mullick family1 the ,tagore family1 the ,dutt family1 the ,ghosal family1 and others1 are reported to have spent from fifty thousand rupees to two lakhs 7,l#e1jjj to ,l#bj1jjj7 and upwards in the marriages of their sons4 ,whilst writing this ,i am told ,maharajah ,jotendro ,mohun ,tagore is said to have expended about two lakhs of rupees in the marriage of his nephew4 ,the most interesting feature in the extraordinary munificence of the ,moharajah is1 as ,i have learnt1 his princely contribution to the ,district ,charitable ,society1--an act of benevolence which has shewn1 in a very conspicuous manner1 not only his good sense1 but his warm sympathy with the cause of suffering humanity4 ,it were to be wished that his noble example would exercise some influence on other ,hindoo millionaires4 ,if a tithe of such marriage expenses were devoted to ,public ,charity1 the poor and helpless would ceaselessly chant the names of such donors1 and the reward would be something better than the transient admiration of the idle populace4 ,for one or two years after marriage1 the girl generally remains under the paternal roof1 occasionally paying a visit to her father-in-law's as need be4 ,as she advances in years1 her repugnance--the effect of early marriage--to live with her husband is gradually overcome1 till time and circumstances completely reconcile her to her future home4 ,her affection grows1 and she learns to appreciate the grave meaning of a married life4 ,she is still1 however1 but a girl1 in habit and ideas1 when the real union of wedded life or the second marriage takes place1 which is solemnised when she arrives at the age of puberty1 say at her twelfth or thirteenth year4 ,there is a popular belief1 whether erroneous or not it is not for me to decide1 that in this country heat accelerates growth1 and hence the ,hindoo ,shasturs enjoin the necessity of early marriage1 the injurious consequences of which are chiefly seen in the weak constitution of the offspring1 and the premature decay of the mother4 ,so abominable are some of the ceremonies connected with this event in the life of a female that to describe them fully would be an outrage on common decency4#dh ,i will1 therefore1 confine myself to a description of the ceremonies1 entirely abstaining from an allusion to the abominations connected therewith4 ,a general depravity of manners can only account for the prevalence of this obnoxious institution1 in the eradication of which every ,hindoo whose moral sense is not entirely blunted ought to co-operate4 ,as the delay of the union is in the belief of a ,hindoo an unpardonable sin1 the fact referred to is announced by the sound of a conch1 and the bodies of all the females are smeared with turmeric water1--an unmistakable evidence of joy4 ,the news is also conveyed to the nearest relatives by the family barber who receives presents of clothes and money4 ,it is quite evident from the silence of the ,hindoo ,shastur on the subject that the origin of the female rites is comparatively recent4 ,irrespective of the religious observances1 it affords an opportunity to the zenana females to indulge in obscene depravities1 the outcome of vitiated feeling4 ,the poor girl is placed on this occasion in the corner of a dark1 dingy room1 with a small round pebble before her1 shut out from the gaze of men1 and surrounded on four sides by four pieces of slender split bamboos about one yard long fastened by a piece of thread4 ,this is called the teerghur mentioned before4 ,being regarded as unclean1 she remains in this room for four days without a bedding or a musquito curtain1 and no one touches her1 not even her sisters4 ,she is forbidden to see the sun1 her diet is confined to boiled rice1 milk1 sugar1 curd1 and tamarind without salt4 ,on the morning of the fifth day1 she is taken to a neighbouring tank1 accompanied by five women whose husbands are alive4 ,smeared with turmeric water1 they all bathe and return home1 throwing away the mat and other things that were in the room4 ,she then sits in another room1 and a very low caste woman1 in the presence of five other respectable females 7not widows71 performs a series of what is vulgarly called ,nith ,kith1#di purely female rites1 which are exceedingly indecent and immoral1 so much so that a woman who has any sense of shame feels quite disgusted4 ,during the day1 according to previous invitations1 numerous female guests assemble and partake of a good dinner provided for the occasion4 ,they are also entertained with songs1 dancing and music1 all done by professional females4 ,when the guests retire1 they congratulate the girl with the usual benediction to the effect1--may you be blessed with a male child4 ,after a day or two the religious part of the ceremony is performed1 which is free from obscenity4 ,on this occasion1 the officiating priest reading1 and the bridegroom repeating the service after him1 presents offerings of rice1 sweetmeats1 plantain1 clothes1 doov-grass1 fruits and flowers to the following gods and goddesses1 viz41 ,shasthi1 ,marcando1 ,soorja1 ,soobhachini1 ,gannesh1 and the nine planets1 much in the same way as when the nuptial rites were formally solemnized4 ,after this the hands of the bridegroom and the bride are joined together1 and the priest repeating certain formulas1 the bridegroom then causes a ring to slide between the bride's silk garment and her waist4 ,twenty-one small images 7twenty male and one female7 made of pounded rice are placed before the happy pair1 and the priest feeds the bride with sugar1 clarified butter1 milk1 and the urine and dung of a calf to ensure the purity of the offspring4 ,they then partake of a good dinner1 the bride taking the residue of the bridegroom's meal4 ,the twenty-one images are put into the room of the pair as a token of happy offspring1 and the proportion of the males to the females1 shews the premium and discount at which they are respectively held4 ,the bride now takes up her permanent residence in the house of her father-in-law and becomes one of his family4 ,for one twelve month after the marriage1 the parents of the bridegroom and the bride have to make exchanges of suitable presents to one another at all the grand festivals4 ,at the first tatto or present1 besides clothes1 heaps of fruits1 sweetmeats1 ,english toys and sundries1 the father of the youth gives one complete set of miniature silver and brass utensils to the girl1 while in return the father of the girl sends such presents as a table1 chair1 writing desk1 silver inkstand1 gold and silver pencil cases1 stationery1 perfumery1 c41 in addition to an equally large quantity of choice eatables of all kinds too numerous to be detailed4 ,the most expensive presents are two1 namely1 the sittory or winter present and the ,doorga ,poojah present1 the former requiring a ,cashmere shawl1 choga and sundry other articles of use1 and the latter1 fine ,dacca and silk clothes to the whole family1 including men1 women and children4 ,it is a lamentable fact that though a ,hindoo bears a great love and affection to his wife while she lives1 yet in the event of her death1 the effects of these amiable qualities are too soon effaced by the strong influence of a new passion1 and another union is very speedily formed4 ,even during the period of his mourning1 which lasts one month1 proposals for a second marriage are entertained1 if not by the husband himself1 by his father or elder brother4 ,when the remembrance of this heavy domestic bereavement is so very fresh in the memory1 it is highly unbecoming and ungenerous to open or enter into a matrimonial negotiation1 and have it consummated immediately after the asuchi or mourning is over4 ,a wife is certainly not a beast of burden that is no sooner removed by death than it may be replaced by another4 ,she is a being whose joy and sorrow1 happiness and misery1 should be identical with her husband's1 and he is a savage in the widest sense of the word who does not cherish a sacred regard for her memory after her death4 ,in regard to the whole conduct and relations of the married life1 ,hindoos cannot have the golden rule too strongly impressed3 ,let every one of you in particular so love his wife1 even as himself2 and let the wife see that she reverence her husband4 ,,footnotes3 #ae ,i may be permitted here to observe en passant that a civilized nation in describing the beauty of a woman1 is sometimes apt to adopt the flowery language of ,hafiz4 ,at a ,ministerial banquet sometime ago1 the ,lord ,mayor of ,london was reported to have said about the ,princess of ,wales2 she is perfection1 she sparkles like a gem of fifty facets1 she is light when she smiles and she is beauty whenever you see her4 #af ,presents of sweetmeats1 fruits1 clothes1 flowers and sundry other articles on a pretty grand scale from the bride to the bridegroom1 which will be described more in detail afterwards4 #ag ,a ,rajpoot prince was said to have given a lakh of ,rupees to a bard in order to purchase his rhythmic plaudits in a respectable assemblage of his countrymen4 #ah ,if we consult properly the pages of the history of this country from the earliest period1 we shall find abundant proofs of the very great influence of women on ,hindoo society in general4 ,i cannot do better than give the following quotation from ,tod's ,annals of ,rajasthan4 ,what led to the wars of ,rama8 ,the rape of ,sita4 ,what rendered deadly the feuds of the ,yadus8 ,the insult of ,dropadi4 ,what made prince ,nala an exile from ,nirwar8 ,his love for ,damayanti4 ,what made ,raja ,bharti abandon the throne of ,avanti8 ,the loss of ,pingala4 ,what subjected the ,hindu to the dominion of the ,islamite8 ,the rape of the princess of ,canouj4 ,in fine1 the cause which overturned kingdoms1 commuted the sceptre to the pilgrim's staff and formed the ground-work of all their grand epics1 is woman4 #ai ,besides the marriage expenses1 this man gave to his five sons-in-law fifty thousand ,rupees each1 as well as a house worth ten thousand ,rupees more4 #bj ,a thin stuff like paper with which ,hindoo females redden their feet4 ,a widow is not allowed to use it4 ,in the absence of shoes1 which they are forbidden to wear1 this red color heightens the beauty of their tiny feet4 ,it is applied once a week4 #ba ,in the selection of a bridegroom1 outward appearances are not always to be trusted4 ,the late ,baboo ,aushotosh ,dey1 a millionaire1 had a very beautiful grand-daughter to give in marriage4 ,as was to be expected1 ,ghatacks and ,ghatkees had been rummaging the whole town and its suburbs for a suitable match1 one who would possess all the recommendations of a good education1 a respectable family1 and a fair1 prepossessing appearance--qualities which are rarely combined in one4 ,among others1 the name of the late ,honorable ,baboo ,dwarkey ,nauth ,mitter 7afterwards a ,judge of the ,calcutta ,high ,court17 was mentioned4 ,he was then a bachelor1 and his reputation as a scholar spread far and wide4 ,somehow or other he was brought into the house of ,baboo ,aushotosh ,dey for the purpose of giving the ladies an opportunity of seeing him4 ,his scholastic attainments were pronounced to be of very superior order1 but not being blessed with a prepossessing appearance1 he was rejected4 #bb ,in ,hindoo marriages and other ceremonies of a similar nature red color is indispensably necessary for all kinds of wearing apparel1 even the invitation cards must be on red paper4 ,red color is the sign of joy and gaiety as opposed to black1 which is held to be ominous4 #bc ,a collirium case which contains the black dye with which native females daub their own and their childrens' eyelids4 #bd ,the ,bengalis have become so much anglicised of late that they have not hesitated to give an ,english name to their sweetmeats4 ,when the late ,lord ,canning was the ,governor ,general of ,india1 it was said his ,baboo made a present of some native sweetmeats to ,lady ,canning1 who was kindly pleased to accept it4 ,hence the sweetmeat is called ,lady ,canning1 and to this day no grand feast among the ,bengalis is considered as complete unless the ,lady ,canning sort is offered to the guests4 ,the man that first made it is said to have gained much money by its sale4 ,it is not the savoury taste of the thing that makes it so popular1 but the name of the illustrious ,lady4 ,while treating the subject of ,hindoo entertainment1 it would not be out of place to make a few observations on a branch of it1 for the information of ,european readers4 ,at all public entertainments of the kind ,i am referring to1 respectable ,hindoos strictly confine themselves to vegetable curries4 ,though those of the ,sakto denomination 7the followers of ,kali and ,doorga7 have no religious scruples to use goat-meat 7male7 and onion in the shape of curry among select friends at home1 they dare not expose themselves by offering it to strangers4 ,hence1 in large assemblies1 they strictly confine themselves to vegetable curries of different kinds4 ,the principle is good1 were it honestly observed2 because meat1 if not necessarily1 yet generally1 is the concomitant of drink4 ,privately1 however1 both meat and drink are largely used4 ,respectable females are entirely free as yet from these carnal indulgences4 #be ,the cause of the fear is as follows3 ,when ,kartick 7the god of beauty and the son of the goddess ,doorga7 went out to marry1 he had forgotten to take with him the usual pair of nut-crackers4 ,when he remembered this on the way1 he immediately returned home1 and to his great surprise1 saw his mother eating with her ten hands1 she being a ten handed goddess4 ,on asking the reason1 he was told that it was lest1 when he should bring his wife1 she would not give her the proper quantity of food4 ,under what strange hallucinations1 even the gods and goddesses of the ,hindoos laboured6 #bf ,the chamurs are fans made of the tails of ,thibet cows4 #bg ,every commonplace minutiae in the domestic economy of a ,hindoo family is fraught with meaning3 the nuts are kept all-day in the bride's mouth and are saturated with her saliva4 ,when cut by the hand of the bridegroom they are supposed to possess a peculiar virtue4 ,somehow or other1 the bridegroom must be made to use them with the betel1 in spite of the warning of his mother1 forbidding him to use them on any account4 ,when used1 his love for his wife is supposed to be intensified1 which is prejudicial to the interests of his mother4 #bh ,the articles consist of ,silver ,ghara1 ,gharoo1 ,batha1 ,thalla1 ,batti1 ,glass1 ,raykab1 ,dahur1 ,dipay and ,pickdan4 #bi ,i have known a young collegian of a rather humourous disposition bleat like a lamb at the time of marriage1 to the great amusement of all the females1 except his mother-in-law1 who1 simple as she was1 took the matter in a serious light1 and felt herself almost dejected on account of the great stupidity of her son-in-law 7for she could not take it in any other sense71 but her dejection gave place to joy when in the ,basurghur--the sleeping room of the happy pair for the night--she heard him outwit all the females present4 ,it is obvious that the meaning of this part of the female rite is to render the husband tame and docile as a lamb1 especially in his treatment of his wife4 #cj ,in former days when education was but very scantily cultivated1 unpleasant quarrels were known to have arisen between the two parties from very trivial circumstances4 ,the friends of the bridegroom1 often pluming themselves on their special prerogatives as members of the strong party readily resented even the slightest insult offered them rather incautiously by the bridal party4 ,these altercations sometimes terminated in blows1 if not in lacerated limbs4 ,instead of waiting till the conclusion of the ceremony1 the whole of the bridegroom's party has been known to return home without dinner1 to the great mortification of the other party4 ,there is a common saying among the ,bengalees that he who is the enemy of the house should go to a marriage party4 ,it was a common sport with the friends of the bridegroom to cut with a pair of scissors the bedding at the house of the bride4 ,but happily such practices are of rare occurrence now-a-days4 #ca ,an ,english gentleman1 who1 to a versatile genius1 combined an intelligent knowledge of1 and a familiar acquaintance with1 the manners and customs of the country1 once advised a ,native friend of his to go to ,england and other great countries on the continent with a number of ,hindoo females and exhibit there all the important social and domestic ceremonials of this country in a place of public resort4 ,the very circumstance of ,hindoo females performing those rites in the manner in which they are popularly celebrated here1 would be sure to attract a very large audience4 ,the marriage ceremonies alone would form a regular night of enchantment and amusement4 ,the time will certainly come when the realization of such an ingenious idea would no longer be held ,utopian4 #cb ,sweeper-caste females4 #cc ,according to the prescribed rules of the ,hindoo society1 a mother-in-law is not permitted to appear before her son-in-law2 it is not only considered indecorous1 but is associated with something else that is scandalous2 hence she always keeps her distance from her son-in-law1 but on this particular night1 her presence in the room with other females is quite consistent with feminine propriety4 ,in the case of a very young son-in-law1 however1 a departure from this rule is not reprehensible4 #cd ,in the suburbs and rural districts of ,bengal1 females1 more particularly among the ,brahmin class1 are tacitly allowed to have so much liberty on this special occasion that they1 putting under the bushel their instinctive modesty1 entertain the bridegroom not only with epithalamiums but with other amorous songs1 having reference to the diversions of ,krishna with his mistress1 and the numerous milk-maids4 ,under an erroneous impression of singing holy songs they unwittingly trumpet the profligate character of their god4 ,these songs are generally known by the names of sakhisungbad and biraha2 the former as the designation implies1 consist of news as conveyed by the principal milk-maids regarding his mistress1 to whom he oftentimes proved false1 and the latter of disappointed love1 which broadly exhibits the prominent features of his sensuous life4 ,they feel such an interest in these low entertainments1 that under the hallowed name of religion they are led to indirectly perpetrate a crime4 ,frail as women naturally are1 the example of such a god1 combined with the sanction of religion1 has undoubtedly a tendency to impair the moral influence of a virtuous life4 ,i have always regretted this from my personal observation1 but to strike a death blow at the root of the evil must be the work of ages4 ,the essential elements of the ,hindoo character must be thoroughly recast4 #ce ,the fee for the trouble of removing the bed and keeping up the night1 the ladies who remained in the bed-chamber are justly entitled to it for their pains2 a widow1 be it observed1 is not permitted to touch the bed lest her misfortune would befall the bride1 but she gets1 however1 her portion or share of the fee4 #cf ,it should be mentioned that a female after her marriage is not allowed to utter the name of her husband or of any of his male and female relatives save those who are younger than she4 ,there is no harm done in taking the name of a husband1 but through a sense of shame she does not repeat it4 #cg ,the ,urghi consists of dooav grass1 rice and alta 7a thin red stuff made of cotton like paper with which ,hindoo females daub their feet17 previously consecrated to the goddess ,doorga1 and is supposed to possess a peculiar virtue in promoting felicity and relieving distress4 #ch ,hindoos are so passionately fond of their children1 male or female1 that they can but ill brook the idea of a segregation1 even under circumstances where it is unavoidable4 ,hence wealthy families often keep their sons-in-law under their own roof4 ,sometimes this is done from vanity4 ,such sons-in-law generally become indolent and effeminate1 destitute alike of mental activity and physical energy4 ,they eat1 drink1 smoke1 play and sleep4 ,fattening on the ample resources of their father-in-law they contract demoralizing habits1 which engender vice and profligacy4 ,the late ,baboos ,ramdoolal ,dey1 ,ramruttun ,roy1 ,prannauth ,chowdry1 the ,tagore families1 the old ,rajahs of ,calcutta and some of the newly fledged ,english made ,rajahs and others1 countenanced this practice1 and the result is1 they have left with but few exceptions a number of men singularly deficient in good moral character4 ,these men are called ,ghar ,jamayes1 or home bred sons-in-law1 which is a term of reproach among all persons who have a spark of independence about them4 ,the late ,baboo ,dinno ,bundho ,mitter1 the celebrated author of ,nil ,durpun1 strongly satirises such characters in a book called ,jamay ,bareek4 ,while on this subject ,i may as well mention here that ,baboo ,ramdoolal ,dey of ,calcutta1 who had risen from obscurity to great opulence1 had five daughters1 to each of whom he gave a marriage dowry of ,rupees #ej1jjj in ,government securities1 and #aj1jjj ,rupees for a house4 ,of course all his sons-in-law were first class ,koolins1 and used to live under the roof of their father-in-law4 ,some of their sons and grandsons are now ranked amongst the ,hindoo millionaires of this great ,city1 while most of the members of the original stock have dwindled into insignificance1 strikingly illustrating the instability of fortune4 #ci ,the use of an iron bangle or bracelet has a deep meaning1 it outlasts gold and silver ones4 ,a girl may wear gold ornaments set in precious stones to the value of ten or fifteen thousand ,rupees1 but an iron bangle worth a pice1--a veritable insignia of ayestreehood opposed to widowhood--is indispensable to a married woman for its comparatively durable quality4 ,a young widow may wear gold bangles till her twentieth year1 but she is not privileged to put on an iron bangle after the death of her husband4 #dj ,in the early part of the ,british ,government in ,bengal1 cowries were the common currency of the ,province in the ordinary transactions of life4 ,people used to make their hautbazar 7market7 with cowries1 and a family that made a daily bazar with sixteen or eighteen kahuns of cowries1 equal to one rupee or so1 was reckoned a very respectable family4 ,the prices of provisions ranged nearly one-third of what they now are4 ,even the revenues of ,government were sometimes paid in cowries in the ,eastern districts1 namely1 ,assam1 ,sylhet1 c4 #da ,there is a custom amongst the ,hindoos that a married woman considers it no disgrace but rather an act of merit to eat the residue of her husband's meal in his absence2 so great is the respect in which a husband is held1 and so warm the sympathy existing between them4 ,even an elderly woman1 the mother of five or six children1 cheerfully partakes of the residue1 as if it were the orts of gods4 #db ,it is a noteworthy fact that in contracting matrimonial alliances1 some families placed in mediocre circumstances are satisfied with taking a certain sum of money in lieu of the presents mentioned1 partly because the articles are mostly of a perishable nature1 and partly because the making presents of money to numerous servants for their trouble and feeding them1 is regarded more as a tax than anything else4 ,they prefer utility to show4 ,even in such cases of verbal contract1 the father of the bride must send at least thirty servants with presents1 besides #ajj or #aej ,rupees in cash as is stipulated before4 #dc ,in making the above imitations1 ,hindoo females exhibit an astonishing degree of skill and ingenuity which1 if directed by the hand of an expert1 is capable of still further improvement4 ,naturally and instinctively they evince a great aptitude for learning all sorts of handiwork4 #dd ,it is perhaps not generally known that the dinner of a native1 ,hindoo or ,mussulman1 male or female1 is not considered complete1 until he chews his pan beera or betel4 ,the bridegroom after eating and washing his mouth chews his usual pan1 and is asked to give a portion thereof to the bride2 he hesitates at first1 but consents at length to give it into the right hand of his elder brother's wife1 who forcibly thrusts the same into the mouth of the bride1 observing at the same time that their mutual repugnance on this score will soon be overcome when their incipient affection grows into true love4 #de ,jarawya jewellery is set in precious stones1 the value of which it is not easy to estimate4 #df ,a ,hindoo ,ayistree female1 i4 e41 one whose husband is alive1 whether young or old1 is religiously forbidden to take off balla 7bangle7 from her hands1 if is a badge of ,ayistreeism1 even when dead red thread is substituted in the place of the balla1 so great is the importance attached to it by ,ayistree females4 ,when the balla is not seen on the hand1 it is called the raur hatha1 or the hand of a widow1 than which there could not be a more reproachful term4 #dg ,gharbasath implies dwelling in a father-in-law's house4 ,if the bride do not go there within eight days from the date of marriage1 she could not do so for one year1 but after gharbasath she can go and come back any time when necessary4 ,the object is to impress on her mind that her father-in-law's house is her future home4 ,it is on this occasion that the worship of ,shoobachini already described is performed1 and both the bridegroom and bride are taken to ,kally ,ghat to sanctify the hallowed union and obtain the blessings of the goddess4 #dh ,it is perhaps not generally known that some women1 not from any malicious design but rather from the ennui of a monotonous life1 as well as for the sake of amusement in which they might participate1 make a secret combination1 and invent some artificial means to prematurely drag the girl--the poor victim of superstition--into the ,teerghur before she actually arrives at the age of puberty4 #di ,this part of the rite is called ,kada or mire4 ,a small pool is dug in the court-yard and some water thrown into it2--two women1 the one personating a ,rajah 7,king7 and the other1 a ,ranee 7,queen7 feign to bathe in the pool1 change their clothes1 put on straw ornaments and dine on the refuse of vegetables1 while the songstress recites all sorts of obscene songs and the females hide their faces through shame4 ,this loose and ludicrous representation proves nauseating even to those for whose amusement it is performed4 ,we cannot regard in any other light than as a relic of unmitigated barbarism4 ,,vi4 ,,the ,,brother ,,festival4 ,any social institution that has a tendency to promote the growth of genuine love and affection between man and woman1 is naturally conducive to the happiness of both4 ,in this sublunary vale of tears1 where unalloyed felicity is but transient and short lived1 even a temporary exemption from the cares and anxieties of the world adds at least some moments of pleasure to life4 ,the ,bhratridvitiya1 or fraternal rite of the ,hindoos1 is an institution of this nature1 being admirably calculated to cement the natural bond of union between brothers and sisters of the same family4 ,bhratridvitiya1 as the name imports1 takes place on the second day of the new moon immediately following the ,kali ,poojah or ,dewali4 ,on the morning of this day1 a brother comes to the house of a sister1 and receives from her hand the usual benedictive present of unhusked rice1 doova grass and sandal1 with a wealth of good wishes for his long1 prosperous life1 and the happy commemoration of the event from year to year4 ,the brother in return reciprocates1 and putting a ,rupee or two into her hands1 expresses a similar good wish1 with the addition that she may long continue to enjoy the blessings of a conjugal life1--a benediction which she values over every other worldly advantage4 ,the main object of this festival is to renovate and intensify the warmth of affection between kith and kin of both sexes by blessing each other on a particular day of the year4 ,it is a sort of family reunion1 pre-eminently calculated to recall the early reminiscences of life1 and to freshen up fraternal and sisterly love4 ,no ritualistic rite or priestly interposition is necessary for the purpose1 it being a purely social institution1 originating in the love that sweetens life4 ,after interchanging salutations1 the sister who has every thing ready thrice invokes a blessing upon the brother in a ,bengali verse1 and marks his forehead thrice with sandal paste by the tip of her little finger4 ,she then serves him with the provisions provided for the festive occasion4 ,here genuine love and true affection almost spontaneously gush forth from the heart of the sister towards one who is united to her by the nearest tie of consanguinity and tenderest remembrances4 ,if the brother be not inclined to relish or taste a particular dish1 how affectionately does she cajole him to try it1 adding at the same time that it has been prepared by her own hand with the greatest care4 ,any little dislike evinced by the brother instantly bathes her eyes in tears1 and disposes her to exclaim somewhat in the following strain3 ,why is this slight towards a poor sister who has been up till twelve o'clock last night to prepare for you the chunderpooley and ,khirarchach 7two sorts of home-made sweetmeats7 regardless of the cries of ,khoka 7the baby74 ,such a pathetic1 tender expression bursting from the lips of a loving sister cannot fail to melt a brother's heart1 and overcome his dislike4 ,about four o'clock in the afternoon1 the sister sends1 as tangible memorials of her affection1 presents of clothes and sweetmeats to the house of the brother1 fondly indulging in the hope that they may be acceptable to him4 ,on this particular day1 ,hindoo homes as well as the streets of ,calcutta in the native part of the town1 present the lively appearance of a national jubilee4 ,each of the brothers of the family visits each of the sisters in turn4 ,hundreds of male and female servants are busily engaged in carrying presents1 and return home quite delighted4 ,on such occasions the heart of a ,hindoo female1 naturally soft and tender1 becomes doubly expansive when the outflow of love and affection on her part is fully reciprocated by the effusion of good wishes on the part of her brother4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,son-,,in-,,law ,,festival4 ,if not precisely analogous in all its prominent features to the popular festival described in the preceding ,chapter1 the following bears a striking resemblance to it1 in its adaptation to promote domestic happiness4 ,the festival familiarly known in ,bengal by the name of ,jamai ,shasthi is an entertainment given in honor of a son-in-law1 in order to bind him more closely to his wife's family4 ,nothing better illustrates the manners and usages of a nation from a social and religious standpoint than the festivals and ceremonies which are observed by it4 ,they form the essential parts of what ,de,quincey calls the equipage of life4 ,as a nation1 the ,hindoos are proverbially fond of festivals1 which are engrafted1 as it were1 on their peculiar domestic and social economy4 ,a designing priesthood had concocted an almost endless round of superstitious rites with the view of acquiring power1 and looking for permanent reverence to the credulity of the blind devotees4 ,such foolish rites are eventually destined to fall into desuetude1 as popular enlightenment progresses1 but those which are free from the taint of priestcraft by reason of their being interwoven into the social amenities of life1 are likely to prevail long after the subversion of priestly ascendency4 ,and ,jamai ,shasthi is a festival of this unobjectionable type4 ,no superstitious element enters into its observance4 ,it invariably takes place on the sixth day#ej of the increase of the moon in the ,bengali month of ,may1 when ripe mangoes--the prince of ,indian fruits--are in full season4 ,then all the mothers-in-law in ,bengal are actually on the qui vive to welcome their sons-in-law and turn a new leaf in the chapter of their joys4 ,a good son-in-law is emphatically the most darling object of a ,hindoo mother-in-law4 ,she spares no possible pains to please and satisfy him1 even calling to her aid the supernatural agency of charms4 ,ostensibly and even practically a ,hindoo mother-in-law loves her son-in-law more than her son1 simply because the son can shift for himself even if turned adrift in the wide world1 but the daughter is absolutely helpless1 and the cruel institution of perpetual widowhood1 with its appalling amount of misery and risk1 renders her tenfold more so4 ,on this festive occasion1 the son-in-law is invited to spend the day and night at his father-in-law's house4 ,no pains or expense is spared to entertain him4 ,when he comes in the morning1 the first thing he has to do is to go into the female apartment1 bow his head down in honor of his mother-in-law1 and put on the floor a few ,rupees1 say five or ten1 sometimes more if newly married4 ,the food consists of all the delicacies of the season1 and both the quantity and variety are often too great to be done justice to4 ,the perfection of ,hindoo culinary art is unreservedly brought into requisition on such occasions4 ,surrounded by a galaxy of beauty1 the youthful son-in-law is restrained by a sense of shame from freely partaking of the feast specially provided for him4 ,the earnest importunity of the females urges the bashful youth to eat more and more4 ,if this be his first visit as son-in-law he finds himself quite bewildered in the midst of superfluity and superabundance of preparations4 ,many are the tricks employed to outwit him4 ,with all his natural shrewdness1 and forewarned by the females of his own family1 he is no match for either the playful humor and frolics of the young1 sprightly ladies4 ,sham articles of food cleverly dressed in close imitation of fruits and sweetmeats are offered him without detection in the full blaze of day1 and the attempt to partake of them excites bursts of laughter and merriment4 ,the utmost female ingenuity is here brought into play to call forth amusement at the expense of the duped youth4 ,in their own way1 the good-natured females are mistresses of jokes and jests1 and nothing pleases them better than to find the youthful new comer completely nonplused4 ,this forms the favorite subject of their talk long after the event4 ,shut up in the cage of a secluded zenana1 quite beyond the influence of the outside world1 it is no wonder that their minds and thoughts do not rise above the trifles of their own narrow circle4 ,as in the case of the ,brother festival1 ample presents of clothes1 fruits1 and sweetmeats are sent to the house of the son-in-law1 and every lane and street of ,calcutta is thronged with male and female servants trudging along with their loads in full hopes of getting their share of eatables and a ,rupee or a half ,rupee each into the bargain4 ,,footnotes3 #ej ,it appears to me rather anomalous1 as far as ,hindoo astrology is concerned1 that such a national jubilee is fixed to be celebrated on this particular day1 which is specially marked as an unlucky day for any good work4 ,the ,hindoo almanac places ,shasthi1 the sixth day of the moon1 as dugdha or destructive of any good thing in popular estimation4 ,a ,hindoo is religiously forbidden to commence any important work or set out on a journey on this day4 ,it portends evil4 ,respectable ,hindoo females who have children do not eat boiled rice on this particular day for fear of becoming ,rakhasses1 or cannibals prone to destroy their own offspring4 ,the goddess ,shasthi is the protectress of children4 ,she is worshipped by all the women of ,bengal six times in the year1 except such as are barren or ill-fated enough to become virgin-widows4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,doorga ,,poojah ,,festival4 ,by far the most popular religious festival of the present day among the ,hindoos of ,bengal1 is the ,doorga ,poojah1 which in the ,north-,western and ,central ,provinces is called the ,dusserah festival4 ,it is believed that the worship of the goddess ,doorgah has been performed from time out of mind4 ,the following is a description of the image of the goddess which is set up for worship3 ,in one of her right hands is a spear1 with which she is piercing the giant1 ,mohishasur2 with one of the left1 she holds the tail of a serpent and the hair of the giant1 whose breast the serpent is biting4 ,her other hands are all stretched behind her head and filled with different instruments of war4 ,against her right leg leans a lion1 and against her left1 the above giant4 ,the images of ,luckee1 ,saraswathi1 ,kartick and ,gannesh are very frequently made and placed by the side of the goddess4 ,the majestic deportment of the goddess1 with her three eyes and ten arms1 the warlike attitude in which she is represented1 her sanguinary character1 which was the terror of all other gods1 and the mighty exploits 7far surpassing in feats of strength1 courage and heroism1 those of the ,greek ,hercules17 all combine to give her an importance in the eyes of the people1 which is seldom vouchsafed to any other deity4 ,even ,bramah1 ,vishnoo and ,shiva the ,creator1 ,preserver and ,destroyer of the world1 were said to have propitiated her1 and ,ram ,chunder1 the deified hero1 invoked her aid in his contest with ,ravana1 and as he worshipped her in the month of ,october1 her ,poojah has1 from that particular circumstance1 been ever after appointed to take place in that period of the year4#ea ,a short description of this festival1 the preliminary rites with which it is associated1 and the national excitement and hilarity which its periodical return produces among the people1 will not be altogether uninteresting to ,european readers4#eb ,twenty-one days before the commencement of the ,doorga ,poojah festival1 a preliminary rite1 by way of purifying the body and soul by means of ablution1 is performed4 ,the rite is called the ,aapar pakhaya tarpan so called from its taking place on the first day of ,pratipad and ending on the fifteenth day of ,amabashya1 an entire fortnight1 immediately preceding the ,debipakhya during which the ,poojah is celebrated4 ,it generally falls between the fifteenth of ,september1 and the fifteenth of ,october4 ,as already observed1 this popular festival1 called ,doorga ,poojah in ,bengal and ,dussera or the tenth in the ,north-,west1 although entirely military in its origin is universally respected4 ,it is commemorative of the day on which the god ,ram ,chunder first marched against his enemy1 ,ravana1 in ,lanka or ,ceylon for the restoration of his wife1 ,seeta1#ec who was deservedly regarded as the best model of devotion1 resignation and love1 as is so beautifully painted by the poet3 ,a woman's bliss is found1 not in the smile ,of father1 mother1 friend1 nor in herself3 ,her husband is her only portion here1 ,her heaven hereafter4 ,if thou indeed ,depart this day into the forest drear1 ,i will precede1 and smooth the thorny way4 ,in the mornings of ,apar pakhaya1 for fifteen days continually1 those who live near the sacred stream go thither with a small copper-pan and some teel seeds1 which they sprinkle on the water at short intervals1 while repeating the formulae in a state of half immersion4 ,to a foreigner quite unacquainted with the meaning of these rites1 the scene is well calculated to impress the mind with an idea of the exceeding devotedness of the ,hindoos in observing their religious ordinances4 ,the holy water and teel seeds which are sprinkled are intended as offerings to the manes of ancestors for fourteen generations1 that their souls may continue to enjoy repose to all eternity4 ,the women1 though some of them are in the habit of bathing in the holy stream every morning1 are1 however1 precluded by their sex from taking a part in this ceremony4 ,precisely on the last day of the fortnight1 i4 e41 on the ,amabashya1 as if the object were attained1 the rite of ablution ends1 followed by another of a more comprehensive character4 ,on this particular day1 which is called ,mohaloya1#ed the living again pay their homage to the memory of the fourteen generations of their ancestors by making them offerings of rice1 fruits1 sweetmeats1 clothes1 curded milk1 and repeating the incantations said by the priest1 at the conclusion of which he takes away all the articles presented and receives his dakshina of one ,rupee for his trouble4 ,apart from their superstitious tendency1 these anniversaries1 are not without their beneficial effects4 ,they tend1 in no small degree1 to inspire the mind with a religious veneration for the memory of the departed worthies1 and by the law of the association of ideas not unfrequently bring to recollection their distinctive features and individual characteristics4 ,some aristocratic families that have been observing this festival for a long series of years1 begin their ,kalpa or preliminary rite on the ninth day of the decrease of the moon1 when an earthen water pot called ghat#ee is placed in a room called bodanghur1 duly consecrated by the officiating priest1 who1 assisted by two other ,brahmins1 invokes the blessing of the deity by reading a ,sanskrit work1 called ,chundee1 which relates the numerous deeds and exploits of the goddess4 ,it is a noteworthy fact that the ,brahmin1 who repeats the name of the god1 ,modosoodun1 seems1 to all appearance1 to be absorbed in mental abstraction4 ,with closed eyes and moving fingers1 not unlike the ,rishis of old1 he1 as it were1 disdains to look at the external world4 ,from early in the morning till #aj o'clock the worship before the earthen pot is continued1 and the officiating priests#ef are strictly prohibited from using sidha1 7rice7 taking more than one meal a day1 or sleeping with their wives1 as if that would be an act of unpardonable profanation4 ,this strict regime is to be observed by them until the whole of the ceremonial is completed1 on the tenth day of the new moon4 ,it should be mentioned here that the majority of the ,hindoos begin their kalpa1 or preliminary rite1 on pratipad1 or the beginning of the new moon1 when almost every town and village resounds with the sound of conch1 bell and gong1 awakening latent religious emotions1 and evoking agamaney1 7songs or inaugural invocations7 which deeply affect the hearts of ,doorga's devout followers4 ,some of these rhythmic effusions are exceedingly pathetic4 ,i wish ,i could give a specimen here of these songs divested of their idolatrous tinge1 but ,i am afraid of offending the ears of my ,european readers4 ,the ,brahmins#eg as a rule1 commence their kalpa on the sixth day or one day only previous to the beginning of the grand poojah on the seventh day of the new moon4 ,from the commencement of the initial rite1 what thrilling sensations of delight are awakened in the bosom of the young boys and girls6 ,every morning and evening while the ceremony is being solemnized1 they scramble with each other to get striking the gong and ,kasur which produces a harsh1 deafening sound4 ,their excitement increases in proportion to the nearer approach of the festival1 and the impression which they thus receive in their early days is not entirely effaced even after their minds are regenerated by the irresistible light of truth4 ,the females1 too1 manifest mingled sensations of delight and reverence4 ,if they are incapable of striking the gongs1 they are susceptible of deep devotional feelings which the solemnity of the occasion naturally inspires4 ,the encircling of their neck with the end of their saree or garment1 expressive of humility1 the solemn attitude in which they pose1 their inaudible muttering of the name of the goddess1 and their prostrating themselves before the consecrated pot in a spirit of perfect resignation1 denote a state of mind full of religious fervour1 or1 more properly speaking1 of superstitious awe1 which goes with them to their final resting place4 ,on the night of the sixth day 7,shashti7 after the increase of the moon1 another rite is performed1 which is termed ,uddhibassey1 its object being to welcome the advent of the visible goddess with all necessary paraphernalia4 ,another sacred earthen pot is placed in the outer temple of the goddess1 and a young plantain tree1 with a couple of wood apples intended for the breast1 is trimmed for the next morning's ablution4 ,this plantain tree1 called kalabhoye1 is designed as a personification of ,doorga in another shape4 ,it is dressed in a silk saree1 its head is daubed with vermilion#eh and is placed by the side of ,gannesh4 ,musicians with their ponderous dhak and dhole and sannai 7flutes7 are retained from this day for five days at #ab or #af ,rupees for the occasion4#ei ,that music imparts a solemnity to religious service is admitted by all1 but its harmony may be taken as an indication of the degree of excellence and refinement to which a nation has attained in the scale of civilization4 ,what with the sonorous sound of dhak and dhole1 sannai1 conch and gong1 the effect cannot fail to be impressive to a devout ,hindoo mind4 ,except ,brahmins1 no one is allowed to touch the idol from this night1 after the bellbarun1 when it is supposed life and animation is imparted into it4 ,by the marvellous repetition of a few incantations a perfectly inanimate object stuffed only with clay and straw1 and painted1 varnished and ornamented in all the tawdriness of oriental fashion1 is suddenly metamorphosed into a living divinity4 ,can religious jugglery1 and blind credulity go farther8 ,it will not be out of place to say a few words here about the embellishments of the images4 ,as a refined taste is being cultivated1 a growing desire is manifested to decorate the idols with splendid tinsel and gewgaws1 which are admirably calculated to heighten the magnificence of the scene in popular estimation4 ,apart from the feast of colors presented to public view1 the idols are adorned with tinsel ornaments1 which1 to an untutored mind1 are in the highest degree captivating4 ,some families that are placed in affluent circumstances1 literally rack their brains to discover new and more gaudy embellishments which1 when compared with those of their neighbours1 might carry off the bubble reputation4 ,it is1 perhaps1 not generally known that a certain class of men--chiefly drawn from the lower strata of society--subsist on this trade2 they prepare a magnificent stock of tinsel wares for a twelve month1 and supply the entire ,hindoo community1 from ,calcutta to the remotest provinces and villages4 ,indeed so great is the rage for novelty and so strong the influence of vanity1 that not content with costly home made ornaments1 some of the ,baboos send their orders to ,england for new patterns1 designs and devices1 that they may be able to make an impression on the popular mind2 and as ,english taste is incomparably superior to native taste1 both in the excellence and finish of workmanship as well as in neatness and elegance1 the images that shine in new fashioned ,english embellishments#fj are sure to challenge the admiration of the populace4 ,on the day of ,nirunjun1 or ,vhasan as it is vulgarly called1 countless myriads of people throng the principal streets of ,calcutta1 to catch a glimpse of the celebrated pritimas1 or images1 and carry the information home to their absent friends in the villages4 ,before sunrise on ,saptami1 or the seventh day of the bright phase of the moon1 the officiating priest1 accompanied by bands of musicians and a few other members of the family1 proceeds barefooted to the river side bearing on his shoulder the kalabhoye or plantain tree described above with an air of gravity as if he had charge of a treasure chest of great value4 ,these processions are conducted with a degree of pomp corresponding with the other extraneous splendours of the festival4 ,in ,calcutta1 bands of ,english musicians1 and numbers of staff holders with high flying colors1 give an importance to the scene1 which is not ill suited to satisfy the vulgar taste4 ,after performing some minor ceremonies on the banks of the river1 and bathing the plantain tree1 the procession returns home1 escorting the officiating priest with his precious charge in the same way in which he was conveyed to the ,ghat4 ,on reaching home1 the priest1 washing his feet1 proceeds to rebathe the plantain tree1 rubbing on its body all kinds of scented oils#fa as if to prepare it for a gay1 convivial party4 ,this part of the ceremony1 with appropriate incantations1 being gone through1 the plantain tree is placed again by the side of the image of ,gannesh1 who being the eldest son of ,doorga1 must be worshipped first4 ,thus the right of precedence of rank is in full force even among the ,hindoo gods and goddesses4 ,previous to the commencement of the ,saptami1 or first ,pooja1 the officiating priest again consecrates the goddess ,doorga1 somewhat in the following manner3 ,oh1 goddess1 come and dwell in this image1 and bless him that worships you1 naming the person1 male or female1 who is to reap the benefit of the meritorious act4 ,thus1 the business of giving life and eyes to the gods being finished1 the priest1 with two forefingers of his right hand1 touches the forehead1 cheeks1 eyes1 breast and other parts of the image1 repeating all the while the prescribed incantation3 ,may the soul of ,doorga long continue to dwell in this image4 ,this part of the ceremony1 which is accompanied with music1 being performed1 offerings are made to all the gods and goddesses1 as well as to the companions of ,doorga in her wars1 which are painted in variegated colors on the chall or shed over the goddess in the form of a crescent4 ,the offerings consist principally of small pieces of gold and silver1 rice1 fruits1 sweetmeats1 cloths1 brass utensils and a few other things4 ,these are arranged in large round wooden or brass plates1 and a bit of flower or bell leaf is cast upon them to guard against their being desecrated by the demon ,ravana1 who is supposed to take delight in insulting the gods and goddesses2 the officiating priest then consecrates them all by repeating a short mantra and sprinkling flowers and bell leaves on them1 particular regard being had to the worship of the whole host of deities according to their respective position in the ,hindoo pantheon4 ,even the most subordinate and insignificant gods or companions of ,doorga must be propitiated by small bits of plantain and a few grains of rice1 which are afterwards given to the idol makers and painters of the gods and goddesses4 ,more valuable offerings form the portion of the ,brahmins1 who look upon and claim these as their birthright4 ,in the evening1 as in the morning1 the goddess is again worshipped1 and while the service is being held the musicians are called to play their musical instruments with a view to add to the solemnity of the occasion4 ,in the morning1 some persons sacrifice goats and fruits1 such as pumpkin1 sugar-cane1 c41 before the goddess4 ,in the present day1 many respectable families have discontinued the practice from a feeling of compassion towards the dumb animals1 though express injunctions are laid down in the ,shasters in its favor4 ,it is a remarkable fact that the idea of sacrifice as a religious institution tending to effect the remission of sin was almost co-existent with the first dawn of human knowledge4 ,the ,reverend ,dr4 ,k4 ,m4 ,banerjea thus writes3 ,of the inscrutable ,will of the ,almighty1 that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin1 this1 too1 appears imbedded in ancient ,ayrian tradition in the sruti or hearings of our ancestors4 ,next to the ,jews1 this religious duty was scrupulously observed by the ,brahmins4 ,names of priests1 words for fire1 for those on whose behalf the sacrifices were performed1 for the materials with which they were performed1 abound in language etymologically derived from words implying sacrifice4 ,no literature contains so many vocables relating to sacrificial ceremonies as ,sanskrit4 ,katyayana says1 that heaven and all other happiness are the results of sacrificial ceremonies4 ,and it was a stereotyped idea with the founders of ,hindooism that animals were created for sacrifices4 ,nor were these in olden days considered mere offerings of meat to certain carnivorous deities1 followed by the sacrificers themselves feasting on the same1 as the practice of the day represents the idea4 ,the various nature of the sacrifices appears to have been substantially comprehended by the promoters of the institution in ,india4 ,the sacrificer believed himself to be redeemed by means of the sacrifice4 ,the animal sacrificed was itself called the sacrifice1 because it was the ransom for the soul4 ,if we leave ,india and go back to the tradition and history of the other ancient nations1 we shall find many instances1 proving the existence among them of the sacrificial rite for the remission of sin and the propitiation of the ,deity4 ,the hecatombs of ,greece1 and the memorable dedication of the temple of ,solomon when #bj1jjj oxen#fb and #ajj1jjj sheep were slain before the altar1 are too well known to need any comment4 ,in these later ages1 when degeneracy has made rapid strides amongst the people of the country1 the original intention of the founder of the institution being lost sight of1 a perverted taste has given it an essentially sensual character4 ,instead of offering sacrifice from purely religious motives1 it is now made for the gratification of carnivorous appetite4 ,the late ,king of ,nuddea1 ,rajah ,kristo ,chunder ,roy1 though an orthodox ,hindoo of the truest type1 was said to have offered at one of these festivals a very large number of goats and sheep to the goddess ,doorga4 ,he began1 says ,ward1 with one1 and1 doubling the number each day1 continued it for sixteen days4 ,on the last day1 he killed #cc1afh1 and on the whole he slaughtered #fe1ece animals4 ,he loaded boats with the bodies and sent them to the neighbouring ,brahmins1 but they could not devour them fast enough1 and great numbers were thrown away4 ,let no one1 after this1 tell us of the scruples of the ,brahmins about destroying animal life and eating animal food4 ,about twelve o'clock in the day1 when the morning service is over1 the male members of the family make their poospaunjooley or offerings of flowers to the images1 repeating an incantation recited by the priest1 for all kinds of worldly blessings1 such as health1 wealth1 fame1 long age1 children1 c4 ,the women come in afterwards for the same hallowed purpose1 and inaudibly recite the incantation repeated by the priest inside the screen4 ,the very sight of the images gladdens their hearts and quickens their throbs4 ,though fasting1 they feel an extreme reluctance to leave the shrine and the divinities1 declaring that their hunger and thirst are gone not from actual excess in eating and drinking but from their fullness of heart at the presence of ,ma ,doorga4 ,but go they must to make way for the servants to remove the offerings1 distribute them among the ,brahmins1 and clean the temple for the evening service1 at the close of which ,brahmins and other guests begin to come in and partake of the entertainment#fc provided for the occasion4 ,on the second day of the ,poojah1 offerings and sacrifices are made in the same manner as on the first day1 but this is considered a specially holy day1 being the day1 as is generally supposed1 when the mighty goddess is expected to come down from the mount ,himalaya1 and cast a twinkling of her eye upon the divers offerings of her devotees in the terrestrial world4 ,this day is called ,moha ,ustamy1 being the eighth day of the increase of the moon1 and is religiously observed throughout ,bengal4 ,in ,calcutta1 this is the day when thousands and tens of thousands of ,hindoos1 who have had no ,poojah in their houses1 proceed to ,kalyghat in the suburbs1 and do not break their fast before making suitable offerings to the goddess ,kali1 who1 according to ,hindoo mythology1 is but another incarnation of the goddess1 ,doorga4 ,except little children1 almost all the members of a family1 male and female1 together with the priest1 fast all day1 and1 if the combination of stars require it1 almost the whole night4 ,elderly men of the orthodox type devote the precious time to religious contemplation4 ,until the ,moha ,ustamy1 and its necessary adjunct ,shundya ,poojah1 is finished1 all are on the qui vive4 ,it generally happens that this service is fixed by astrologers to take place before night's midmost stillest hour is past1 when nature seems to repose in a state of perfect quiescence1 and to call forth the religious fervour of the devotees4 ,as the edge of hunger is sharpened1 a ,hindoo most anxiously looks at his watch or clock as to when the precious moment should arrive1 and as the hour draws near1 men1 women and children are all hushed into silence4 ,not a whisper nor a buzzing sound is to be heard4 ,all is anxiety1 suspense and expectation1 as if the arrival of the exact time would herald the advent of a true ,saviour into the world4 ,amid perfect silence and stillness1 all ears are stretched to catch the sound of the gun#fd which announces the precise minute when this most important of all ,poojahs is to begin4 ,as soon as the announcement is made by the firing of a gun1 the priest in all haste enters on the work of worship1 and invokes the blessings of the goddess on himself and the family4 ,when the time of sacrifice arrives1 which is made known by the sound of another gun1 all the living souls in the house are bade to stand aloof1 the priest with trembling hands and in a state of trepidation consecrates the ,kharra1 or scimitar1 with which the sacrifice is to be made1 and placing the ,khaparer sara by the side of the haureekat1 7the sacrificial log of wood7 bids the blacksmith finish off his bloody job4 ,should the latter cut the head of a goat off at one stroke1 all eyes are turned towards him with joy4 ,the priest1 the master1 and the inmates of the house1 who are all this while under the influence of mental agitation1 now begin to congratulate each other on their good luck1 praying for the return of the goddess every year4 ,nor must ,i omit to mention the other secondary rites which are performed on the second day of the ,poojah4 ,besides absolute fasting1 the females of the household actually undergo a fiery ordeal4 ,about one in the afternoon1 when the tumult and bustle have subsided a little1 all males being told to go away1 the women unveiling their faces1 and holding in each hand a sara or earthen plate of rosin1 squat down before the shrine of the goddess1 and in the posture of quasi-penitent sinners1 implore in a fervent spirit the benediction of the goddess on behalf of their sons1 while the rosin continues to burn in slow fire4 ,as if dead to a sense of consciousness1 they remain in that trying state for more than half an hour1 absorbed1 as it were1 in holy meditation1 repeating in their minds1 at the same time1 the names of their guardian deities4 ,towards the close of this penitent service1 a son is asked to sit on the lap of his mother4 ,barren women to whom ,providence has denied this inestimable blessing must go without this domestic felicity resulting in religious consolation1 and not only mourn their present forlorn condition1 but pray for a happier one at next birth4 ,a few puncture their breasts with a slender iron naroon or nail cutter1 and offer a few drops of blood to the goddess1 under a delusion that the severer the penance the greater the merit4 ,many women still go through this truly revolting ordeal at ,kali ,ghat1 in fulfilment of vows made in times of sickness4 ,another ceremony which is performed by the females on this particular day is their worship of living ,brahmin ,komarees 7virgins7 and matrons 7sodhavas74 ,after washing and wiping the feet of the objects of their worship1 with folded hands1 and1 with the end of their sari round their necks1 in a reverential mood1 they fall prostrate before the ,brahmin women1 and crave blessings1 which1 when graciously vouchsafed1 are followed by offerings of sweetmeats1 clothes and rupees4 ,the purpose of this ceremony is to obtain exemption from the indescribable misery of widowhood1 and ensure the enjoyment of domestic happiness4 ,on the third or last day of the ,poojah1 being the ninth day of the increase of the moon1 the prescribed ritualistic ceremonies having been performed1 the officiating priests make the hoam and dhukinanto1 a rite1 the meaning of which is to present farewell offerings to the goddess for one year1 adding in a suitable prayer that she will be graciously pleased to forgive the present shortcomings on the part of her devotees1 and vouchsafe to them her blessings in this world as well as in the world to come4 ,this is a very critical time for the priests1 because the finale of the ceremony involves the important question of their respective gains4 ,weak and selfish as human nature assuredly is1 each of them 7generally three in number7 fights for his own individual interest1 justifying his claim on the score of the religious austerities he has had to undergo1 and the devotional fervour with which his sacred duties have been discharged4 ,until this knotty question is satisfactorily solved1 they forbear pronouncing the last munter or prayer4 ,it is necessary to add here that the presents of rupees which the numerous guests offered to the goddess during the three days of the ,poojah1 go to swell the fund of the priest1 to which the worshipper of the idol must add a separate sum1 without which this act of merit loses its final reward in a future state4 ,the devotee must satisfy the cupidity of the priests or run the risk of forfeiting divine mercy4 ,when the problem is ultimately solved in favor of the officiating priest who actually makes the ,poojah1 and sums of money are put into the hands of the ,brahmins1 the last prayer is read4 ,it is not perhaps generally known that the income the ,indian ecclesiastics thus derive from this source supports them for the greater part of the year1 with a little gain in money or kind from the land they own4 ,the last day of the ,poojah is attended with many offerings of goats1 sheep1 buffaloes#fe and fruits4 ,the area before the shrine becomes a sort of slaughter house1 slippery with gore and mire1 and resounding with the cries of the dying victims1 and the still more vociferous shouts of ,ma1 ,ma1 uttered by the rabble amidst the discordant sound of gongs and drums4 ,some of the deluded devotees1 losing all sense of shame and decency1 smear their bodies from head to foot with this bloody mire1 and begin to dance before the goddess and the assembled multitude like wild furies4 ,in this state of bestial fanaticism1 utterly ignoring the ordinary rules of public decorum1 and literally intoxicated with the glory of the meritorious act1 the deluded mob1 preceded by musicians1 proceed from one house to another in the neighbourhood where the image has been set up1 sing obscene songs1 and otherwise make indecent gestures which are alike an outrage on public morals and common decency4 ,when quite exhausted by these abominable orgies1 they go and bathe in a river or a tank1 and return home1 thinking how to make the most of the last night4 ,should any sober-minded person remonstrate with them on their foolish conduct1 the stereotyped reply is--this is ,mohamayer ,bazar and the last day of the ,poojah1 when all sorts of tomfoolery and revelry are justifiable4 ,the sensible portion of the community1 it must be mentioned1 keep quite aloof from such immoral exhibitions4 ,however great may have been the veneration or the depth of devotional feeling in which the ,doorga ,poojah was held among the ,hindoos of bygone ages1 it is certain that in the lapse of time this and all other national festivals have lost their original religious character1 and in the majority of cases degenerated into profanities and impure orgies1 which renew the periodical license for the unrestrained indulgence of sensuality1 not to speak of the dissipation and debauchery which it usually brings in its train4 ,except a few patriarchal ,hindoos1 whose minds are deeply imbued with religious prepossessions as well as traditional proclivities1 the generality celebrate the ,poojah for the sake of name and fame1 no less than for the purposes of amusement1 and for the satisfaction of the women and children1 who still retain1 and will continue to do so for a long time to come1 a profound veneration for the old ,doorga ,uttsob4 ,apart from the children1 whose minds are susceptible of any impression in their nascent state1 the women are the main prop of the idolatrous institutions and of the colossal superstructure of ,hindoo superstition4 ,if ,i am not much mistaken1 it was to satisfy them that such distinguished ,hindoo ,reformers as the late ,baboos ,dwarkeynauth ,tagore1 ,prosonocoomar ,tagore1 ,romanauth ,tagore1 ,ram ,gopal ,ghose1 ,digumber ,mitter and others celebrated this ,poojah in their family dwelling houses4 ,how far they were morally justified in countenancing this popular festival1 it is not for me to say4 ,the fact speaks for itself4 ,even in the present time1 when ,hindoo society is being profoundly convulsed by heterodox opinions1 not a few of my enlightened countrymen observe this religious festival1 and spend thousands of rupees on its celebration4 ,there are1 however1 a few redeeming features in connection with this annual demonstration1 which ought to be prominently noticed4 ,first and foremost1 it affords an excellent opportunity for the exercise of benevolent feelings2#ff secondly1 it materially contributes to the promotion of annual reunions1 brotherly fraternization1 and to the general encouragement of trade throughout ,bengal4 ,the very great interest which ,hindoo females feel in the periodical return of this grand festival1 is known to every one who is at all conversant with the existing state of things in this country4 ,in the numerous districts and villages of ,bengal inaugural preparations are made for the celebration of this anniversary rite precisely from the day on which the ,juggernauth car is drawn in ,assar1 from the date of the festival of ,ruth ,jattra1 that is for about four months before the date of the ,doorga ,poojah4 ,while the koomar1 or the image maker1 is engaged in making the ,bamboo frame-work for the images1 the women in the villages devote their time to cleaning and storing the rice1 paddy1 different kinds of pulse1 cocoanuts1 and other products of the farm1 all which are required for the service of the goddess4 ,ten times a day they will go to the temple to see what the ,koomar is doing4 ,not capable of writing1 nor having any idea of ',letts' ,diaries1' they note down in their minds the daily progress of work1 and feel an ineffable pleasure in communicating the glad tidings to each other4 ,when day by day the straw forms are converted into clay figures1 and they are for the first time plastered over with chalk and then painted with variegated colors1 the hearts of the females leap with joy1 and again when the completed images are being decorated with dack ornaments or tinsel ware1 their exhilaration knows no bounds4 ,in the fulness of anxiety1 the mistress of the house directing her attention to what more is yet wanted for the due completion of the ,poojah1 rebukes the master for his apparent neglect somewhat in the following manner3 ,where is the dome sujah1 7basketware78 ,where is the koomar sujah1 7pottery78 ,where are the spices and clothes8 ,where are the sidoorchupry and sundry other things for the ,barandalla8 ,adding that there is no time to be lost1 the ,poojah is near at hand4 ,the husband acquiescing in what the wife says assures her that everything shall be procured by ,saturday or ,sunday next4 ,on the first day of the new moon1 when every ,hindoo in the city becomes more or less busy on account of his official1 domestic and religious engagements1 the lady of the house is chiefly occupied with making suitable arrangements for tutwa or presents1 first to her son-in-law and then to her other relatives1 a subject on which ,i shall have to say a few words in its proper place4 ,on the eve of the sixth day of the new moon1 when the grand ,poojah may be said to commence1 the females1 consigning all their past sorrows to oblivion1 feel a sort of elasticity1 hopefulness and confidence which almost involuntarily draw forth from the depths of their hearts1 feelings of joy and ecstacy4 ,even a virgin widow1 whose grief is yet fresh1 forgets her miseries for awhile1 and cheerfully mingles in the jubilee4 ,she forms part and parcel of the domestic sisterhood1 and for the five days of her life at least1 her settled sadness gives way to pleasing sensations1 and though forbidden by a cruel priesthood to lend her hand to the ceremonial1 she nevertheless goes up to the goddess and prays in a devotional spirit for a better future4 ,amidst such a scene of universal hilarity1 supplemented by a confident hope of eternal beatitude1 it is quite natural that ,hindoo females1 socially divorced from every other innocent amusement1 should feel a deep1 sincere and intense interest in such a national festival which possesses the two fold advantages of a religious ceremony and a social demonstration4 ,none but the most callous hearted can remain indifferent4 ,men1 women and children1 believers and unbelievers1 are alike overcome by the force of this religious anniversary4 ,the females go to the temple at all hours of the day1 and feast their eyes upon the captivating figure of mighty ,doorga and her glorious satellites4 ,nor do they stare at her with a vacant mind2 each has her grievance to represent1 her wish to express2 prayer in a fervent spirit is offered to the goddess for the redress of the one and the consummation of the other4 ,should a son die prematurely1 should a husband suffer from any difficulty1 should a son-in-law be not true to his wife1 should a daughter be doomed to widowhood1 the females wrestle hard in prayer for relief and amelioration4 ,on the fourth or ,bijoya day1 when the image is to be consigned to the river1 one takes away a bit of the consecrated urghy#fg2 a second1 the khappurer sara1 or the sacrificial earthen plate2 a third1 the crushed betel2 a fourth1 the sacred billaw leaves1 and so on2 each forms a sacred trust1 and all are preserved with the greatest possible care1 as the priceless heirloom of a benignant goddess4 ,having briefly described the main features of this religious festival1 ,i will now endeavour to give a short account of the other circumstances connected with it4 ,in the house of a ,brahmin1 ,khichree1 rice1 dhall1 fish and vegetable curries1 together with sweetmeats and sour milk1 are given to the guests1 chiefly in the day time during the three ,pooja days4 ,many ,hindoos1 whose religious scruples will not allow them to kill a goat themselves1 generally go to the house of a ,brahmin--but not without an eight anna piece or a ,rupee--to satisfy their carnivorous appetite during the ,poojah4 ,it is very creditable to the women of the sacerdotal class that three or four of them undertake the duty of the cuisine1 and feed from six to eight hundred persons for three days successively4 ,as fish is not acceptable to ,doorga1 neither cooked goat's and sheep's flesh1 a separate kitchen is set apart for the purpose of cooking meat of sacrificed animals4 ,brahmin women1 as a rule1 cook remarkably well4 ,their long experience in the culinary art1 their habitual cleanliness1 their undivided attention to their duty1 and above all1 the religious awe with which they prepare food for the goddess1 give quite a relish to every thing they make4 ,nor is this all4 ,their devotion and earnestness is so great that they cannot be persuaded to eat any thing until all the guests are fully satisfied1 and what is still more commendable1 they look to no other reward for their trouble than the fancied approbation of the goddess1 and the satisfaction of the guests4 ,it is not before nine o'clock at night that they become disengaged1 after which they bathe again1 change clothes1 say their prayers to the goddess1 and then think of appeasing their hunger4 ,simple and unartificial as they naturally are1 they1 being mostly widows1 are quite content with habishi unno1 which was of yore the food of the ,hindoo rishis or saints4 ,it consists of autob rice1 or rice from unboiled paddy1 green plantain and dhall1 all boiled in the same pot4 ,of course a large quantity of ghee is added to it1 and at the time of eating milk is taken4 ,these ,brahmin women are1 indeed1 mistresses of the culinary art1 if the bill of fare is not long1 yet the dishes they make are generally very palatable4 ,the truth is1 they practically follow the trite saying1 what is worth doing at all1 is worth doing well4 ,their simple recipes always produce appetising and wholesome dishes1 they are thrifty housewives4 ,it must be admitted that simplicity is not meanness1 nor thriftiness a fault4 ,in the house of a ,kayasta or ,sudra1 whose female members1 it must be observed1 are generally more indolently inclined1 and whose style of living is consequently more luxurious1 the food offered to the guests consists chiefly of different kinds of sweetmeats1 fruits1 loochees1 vegetable curries1 c4 ,four or five days before the ,poojah begins1 professional ,brahmin sweetmeat-makers are employed to make the necessary arrangements at home1 the principal ingredients required being flour1 soojee1 chattoo1 7gram fried and powdered7 safeyda 7pounded rice7 sugar1 spices1 almonds1 raisins1 c4 ,not a soul is permitted1 not even the master of the house1 to touch and much less taste these articles#fh before they are religiously offered to the goddess in the first instance and afterwards to the ,brahmins4 ,in these feast days of the ,poojah in and about ,calcutta1 where nearly five hundred pratimas or images are set up1 every respectable ,hindoo1 as has been observed before1 is previously provided at home with an adequate supply of all the necessaries and luxuries of life that would last about a month or so1 it being considered unpropitious then to be wanting in any store1 save fruit and fish4 ,this accounts for a general disinclination on the part of the well-to-do ,baboos to partake of any ordinary entertainment when visiting the goddess at a friend's house1 but to the ,brahmins and the poverty-stricken classes this is a glorious opportunity for gorging4 ,the despicable practice to which ,i have alluded elsewhere of carrying a portion of the jalpan 7food7 home is largely resorted to on this occasion4 ,it is certainly a relic of barbarism1 which the growing good sense of the people ought to eschew4 ,the night of the ninth day of the increase of the moon is a grand night in ,bengal4 ,it is the nabamee ratree1 and modesty is put to the blush by the revelry of the hour4 ,the houses of the rich become as bright as the day1 costly chandeliers1 hanging lamps and wall lights burning with gas1 brilliantly illuminate the whole mansion1 while the walls of the ,boytuckhana or sitting room are profusely adorned with ,english and ,french paintings and engravings1 exhibiting certainly not the best specimens of artistic skill1 but singularly calculated to extort the plaudits of the illiterate1 because engravings and pictures are the books of the unlearned1 who are more easily impressed through the eye than the ear4 ,all the rooms and antechambers are frequently furnished in ,european style4 ,splendid ,brussels or ,agra carpets are spread on the floors of the rooms1 a few of which1 as if by way of contrast1 have the ordinary white cloth spread on them4 ,nor are hanging ,punkhas wanting4 ,in one of the spacious halls sits the ,baboo of the house1 surrounded by courtiers pandering to his vanity4 ,indolently reclining on a bolster1 and leisurely smoking his albollah with a long winding nal or pipe1 half dizzy from the effects of last night's revelry1 he feels loath to speak much4 ,like an opium eater1 he falls into a siesta1 whilst the ,punkah is moving incessantly4 ,if an orthodox ,hindoo1 freed from the besetting vice of drinking1 and awake to all that is going on around him1 before him are placed the ,dacca silver filagree worked atterdan and golappass1 as well as the pandan with lots of spices and betel in it4 ,on entering the room1 the olfactory nerves of a visitor are sure to be regaled with fragrant odours4 ,at intervals rose water is sprinkled on the bodies of the guests1 and weak spiced tobacco is served them every fifteen minutes1 the current topics of the day forming the subject of conversation4 ,all this is surely vain ostentation and superfluity4 ,so far the arrangements and reception of friends are essentially oriental1 the manner of sitting1 the mode of conversation1 and the way in which otto of roses1 rose water and betel are given to guests are ,mahomedan and ,hindoo-like1 but there is something beyond this2 here orthodoxy is virtually proscribed and heterodoxy practically proclaimed4 ,while the officiating priests and the female devotees are offering their prayers to the presiding goddess1 the ,baboo1 a liberal ,hindoo1 longs to retire to his private room1 perhaps on the third storey1 at the entrance of which a guard is placed to keep off unwelcome visitors1 that he might partake of refreshments supplied by an ,english ,purveying ,establishment with a few select friends4 ,the room is furnished after ,european fashion1 chairs1 tables1 sofas1 cheffoniers1 cheval glass1 sideboard1 pictures1 glass and silver and plated ware1 knives1 forks and spoons1 and ,i know not what more1 are all arranged in proper order1 and friends of congenial tastes have free access4 ,first class wines and viands1 such as ,giesler's champagne1 ,heatly's ,port and ,sherry1 ,exshaw's ,brandy ,no4 ,i1 ,crabbie's ,ginger wine1 ,bass's best bottled beer1 soda water1 lemonade1 ice1 ,huntley and ,palmer's mixed biscuits1 manilla cigars1 cakes and fruits in heaps1 poloway1 kurma1 kupta1 kallya1 roast fowl1 cutlets1 mutton chop and fowl curry1#fi are at your service1 and an ,english visitor is not an unwelcome guest4 ,loochee1 ,sundesh mittoye1 burfi1 rasagullah1 sittavog1 c41 the ordinary food of the ,hindoos on festive days1 are at a discount4 ,the ,great ,eastern ,hotel ,company should be thankful for the large orders which the ,hindoo aristocracy of ,calcutta and its suburbs favor them with during this grand festival4 ,the taste for the ,english style of living is not a plant of recent growth4 ,it has been germinating since the days of ,john ,company1 when ,india merchantmen enjoyed the monopoly of the foreign trade of the country1 when the highest authorities of the land had no religious scruples as ,christians to be present at a ,hindoo festival1 when1 in fact1 ,hindoo millionaires were wont to indulge in lavish expenditure#gj for the purpose of pleasing their new ,european masters4 ,leaving aside the dignity and gravity of the clerical profession for a while1 the ,reverend ,mr4 ,ward was induced out of curiosity to pay a visit to the palatial mansion of the ,shoba ,bazar ,rajahs of ,calcutta on the last night of the ,poojah4 ,in the year #ahjf1 says he1 ,i was present at the worship of this goddess1 as performed at the house of ,rajah ,rajkishnu at ,calcutta4 ,the buildings where the festival was held were on four sides1 leaving an area in the middle4 ,the room to the east contained wine1 ,english sweetmeats1 c41 for the entertainment of ,english guests1 with a native ,portuguese or two to wait on the visitors4 ,in the opposite room was placed the image1 with vast heaps of all kinds of offerings before it4 ,in the two side rooms1 were the native guests1 and in the area groups of ,hindoo dancing women1 finely dressed1 singing1 and dancing with sleepy steps1 surrounded with ,europeans who were sitting on chairs and couches4 ,one or two groups of ,mussulman-men singers entertained the company at intervals with ,hindoosthanee songs1 and ludicrous tricks4 ,before two o'clock the place was cleared of the dancing girls1 and of all the ,europeans except ourselves1 and almost all the lights were extinguished1 except in front of the goddess1--when the doors of the area were thrown open1 and a vast crowd of natives rushed in1 almost treading one upon another1 among whom were the vocal singers1 having on long caps like sugar loaves4 ,the area might be about fifty cubits long and thirty wide4 ,when the crowd had sat down1 they were so wedged together as to present the appearance of a solid pavement of heads1 a small space only being left immediately before the image for the motions of the singers1 who all stood up4 ,four sets of singers were present on this occasion1 the first consisting of ,brahmins1 7,huru ,thacoor71 the next of bankers1 7,bhuvanundu71 the next of boeshnuvus1 7,nitaee71 and the last of weavers1 7,lukshmee71 who entertained their guests with filthy songs and danced in indecent attitudes before the goddess1 holding up their hands1 turning round1 putting forward their heads towards the image1 every now and then bending their bodies1 and almost tearing their throats with their vociferations4 ,the whole scene produced on my mind sensations of the greatest horror4 ,the dress of the singers1 their indecent gestures1 the abominable nature of the songs1 7especially khayoor7 the horrid din of their miserable drum1 the lateness of the hour1 the darkness of the place1 with the reflection that ,i was standing in an idol temple1 and that this immense multitude of rational and immortal creatures1 capable of superior joys1 were in the very act of worship1 perpetrating a crime of high treason against the ,god of heaven1 while they themselves believed they were performing an act of merit1 excited ideas and feelings in my mind which time can never obliterate4 ,i would have given in this place a specimen of the songs sung before the image1 but found them so full of broad obscenity that ,i could not copy a single line4 ,all those actions which a sense of decency keeps out of the most indecent ,english songs1 are here detailed1 sung1 and laughed at1 without the least sense of shame4 ,a poor ballad singer in ,england would be sent to the house of correction1 and flogged1 for performing the meritorious actions of these wretched idolaters4#ga ,the singing is continued for three days from two o'clock in the morning till nine4 ,it is a noteworthy fact that in those days when ,bengal was in the zenith of its prosperity and splendour1 the ,governor-,general1 the members of the ,council1 the judges of the ,supreme ,court1 and distinguished officers and merchants1 did not think it derogatory to their dignity1 or at all calculated to compromise their character as ,christians1 to honor the ,rajahs with their presence during this festival1 but since the days of ,daniel ,wilson1 the highly venerated ,lord ,bishop of ,calcutta1 who must have expressed his strong disapprobation of this practice1 these great men have ceased to attend4 ,at present but a few young officers1 captains of ships in the port and ,east ,indians may be seen to go to these nautches1 and as a necessary consequence of this withdrawal of countenance1 the outward splendour of the festival has of late considerably diminished4 ,seeing the apparent approval of idolatrous ceremonies by some ,europeans1 a conscientious ,christian once exclaimed3 ,i am not ashamed to confess that ,i fear more for the continuance of the ,british power in ,india1 from the encouragement which ,englishmen have given to the idolatry of the ,hindoos1 than from any other quarter whatever4#gb ,as regards the other amusements at this popular festival1 a few words about the ,indian nautch 7dancing7 girls may not be out of place here4 ,these women have no social status1 their principles are as loose as their character is immoral4 ,they are brought up to this disreputable profession from their infancy4 ,they have no husbands1 and many of them are never married4 ,the ,native ,princes1 and chiefs1 rich zemindars and persons in affluent circumstances1 the capacity of whose intellect is as stinted as its culture is scanty1 have been their great patrons4 ,devoid of a taste for reading and writing1 they managed to drive the ennui of their lives by the songs of these dancing girls4 ,great were the rewards which they sometimes received at the hands of the ,native kings in their palmy days4 ,when a ,principality groaned under extravagance and financial embarrassment1 these bewitching girls were entertained at considerable expense to drown the cares of state-craft and king-craft4 ,even the most astute prince was not free from this courtly profligacy4 ,though these girls often basked in the sunshine of royal favor1 yet there was not a single ,jenny ,lind among them either in grace or accomplishment4 ,as regards their income1 a girl has been known to refuse ten thousand ,rupees for performing three nights at the ,nazim's ,court4 ,when ,rajah ,rajkissen of ,sobha ,bazar1 the ,singhee family of ,jorasanko1 and the ,dey family of ,simla1 celebrated these ,poojahs with great pomp1 dancing girls of repute were retained a month previous to the festival at great cost1 varying from #ejj to #ajjj ,rupees each for three nights4 ,now that those prosperous days are gone by1 and the big ,english officials do not condescend to attend the nautch1 the amount has been reduced to fifty ,rupees or a little more4 ,their general attire and gestures1 as well as the nature and tendency of their songs1 are by no means unexceptionable4 ,these auxiliaries to sensual gratification1 combined with the allurements of ,bacchus1 even in the presence of a deity1 are the least of all fitted to animate or quicken devotional feelings and prayerful thoughts4 ,theatrical performances from the popular dramas of the ,indian poets1 and amateur jattras1 pantomimical exhibitions1 also contribute largely to the amusement of the people4 ,the old ,bidday ,soonder1 ,maunvunjun1 ,dukha ,juggo1 and others of a similar character are still relished by pleasure-seekers and holiday-makers4 ,it is1 however1 one of the healthy signs of the times that native gentlemen of histrionic taste have recently got up amateur performances1 which bear a somewhat close approximation to the ,english tragedies and comedies4 ,having previously described all the important circumstances and details1 religious and social1 connected with this popular festival1 ,i will now give a short account of the ,bhasan or ,nirunjun which takes place on the tenth day of the new moon1 or in the fourth day of the ,poojah4 ,it is also called ,bijoya1 because the end of a ceremonial is always attended with melancholy feelings4 ,this is the day when the image is consigned to water either of a river or tank4 ,apart from its religious significance1 the day is an important one to ,english and ,native merchants alike4 ,although all the public offices1 ,government and mercantile1 are absolutely closed for twelve days1 agents of ,manchester and ,glasgow firms must open their places of business on this particular day1 which to native merchants and dealers is an auspicious day when large bargains of ,piece ,goods for present and forward delivery are made4 ,ten to fifteen lakhs of ,rupees worth of articles are sold this day in three or four hours1 the general impression being that such bargains bring good luck both to the buyer and the seller4 ,about eight o'clock in the morning1 the officiating priest begins the service1 and in half an hour it is over4 ,music1 the indispensable accompaniment of ,hindoo ,poojahs1 must attend every such service4 ,a small looking-glass is placed on a pan of ,ganges water and every inmate of the family1 male or female1 is invited to see the shadow or rather the reflex of the goddess on its surface4 ,deeply imbued as the minds of the votaries are with religious ideas1 every individual looks on the mirror with a sort of devotional feeling1 and expresses his or her conviction as to the reality of the representation4 ,the children1 more from amusement than faith1 hang about the place1 but the females steadfastly cling to the panoramic view1 quite unwilling to leave it4 ,though totally ignorant of the philosophical theory of the association or suggestion of ideas1 the scene naturally presents to their mind's eye the emotions they feel when leaving the paternal roof for the father-in-law's house4 ,ma ,doorga is going to her father-in-law's and will not return for another twelve month1 exclaims one4 ,look at her eyes1 her sorrowful countenance1 ejaculates another4 ,the temple will look wild and desolate when ,ma ,doorga goes away1 adds a third4 ,to console them1 the mistress of the house exhorts all to offer their prayers to the goddess1 beseeching that she may continue to vouchsafe her blessings from year to year1 and give prolonged life and happiness to all concerned4 ,with this solemn invocation1 they1 each and every one1 fall down on their knees before the goddess1 whose spirit had departed on the day previous1 and in a contemplative mood implore her benediction4 ,before retiring1 however1 every one takes with her some precious relic of the offerings 7flowers or billaputtra7 made to ,doorga when her spirit was present1 and preserves it with all the care of a divine gift1 using it religiously in cases of sickness and calamity4 ,about three in the afternoon1 after washing their bodies and putting on new clothes and ornaments1 the females make preparations for performing the last and farewell ceremony in honor of the goddess4 ,the sudder 7main7 door is closed1 musicians are ordered to go out in the streets1 the ,doorga with all her satellites is brought out into the area of the temple1 the barandallah with all its sundries is produced1 and the females whose husbands are alive begin to turn round the images and touch the forehead of each and every one of the deities with the barandallah1 repeating their prayers for lasting blessings on the family4 ,to the inexpressible grief of the widows1 who are present on the occasion1 a cruel institution has long since debarred them from assisting in this holy work4 ,these ill-fated creatures are doomed only to stare at the images1 but are not permitted to take an active part in the ceremonial4 ,is it possible to conceive a more gloomy picture of society than that which absolutely expunges from a human breast all traces of a religious privilege the exercise of which1 though under a mistaken faith1 tends to sweeten a wretched life8 ,the miserable widows of ,india are unhappily destined to pine away their existence until greater leaders of native reforms arise and deliver them from the galling fetters of superstition4 ,the epilogue which closes the parting ceremony is called the kanakanjally1 which consists in a woman 7not a widow7 taking a small brass plate of paddy and doova grass with a ,rupee dyed in red lead in it1 and throwing it from the fore part of the image right over its head into the cloth of a man who stands behind for the purpose of receiving it4 ,this last offering1 it is needless to say1 is preserved with the greatest care4 ,the female who performs the rite is an object of envy4 ,this rite being performed1 the females take each a bit of the sweetmeat and betel which has been last offered to ,ma ,doorga4 ,a sudden reaction of feeling takes place1 all hearts are grieved1 and some actually shed tears4 ,two sensations1 though not exactly analogous1 arise in their minds2 first the religious part of the festival1 and the consequent arousal of a devotional spirit1 vividly reminding one of the unceasing round of ritualistic ceremonies as well as festivity and gaiety that the presence of the goddess naturally enough produced1 and which are about to vanish and disappear in an hour by the immersion of the goddess in the river or pond2 and second1 a worldly one1 the recurrence of the idea when a mother sends her daughter to the house of her father-in-law4 ,in either case1 the tender heart of a ,hindoo female easily breaks down under the pressure of grief4 ,the goddess is afterwards brought out and placed on a ,bamboo stage borne on the shoulders of a set of coolies1 all the flowers and billaputtra offered her during the past three days are also put in a basket and taken to the riverside4 ,the procession moves slowly forward1 preceded by bands of ,english and ,native musicians1 and the necessary retinue of servants and guards1 while from within the house1 the women1 not satiated with the sight of the goddess for one long month1 stretch their eyes as far as their visual organs can extend to catch a last farewell glimpse of her4 ,the streets of ,calcutta1 the ,english part of the town excepted1 become literally crammed and almost impassable on such a day4 ,groups of ,police constables are posted here and there with a view to maintain peace and order1 the streets become a pavement of heads4 ,at the lowest calculation1 there cannot be less than #ajj1jjj sight-seers abroad4 ,men1 women and children of all classes and ranks come from a great distance to have a sight of the image4 ,the tops of houses1 the verandahs1 the main roads1 nay the unfrequented corners present a thick mass of living creatures1 all anxious to feast their eyes upon the matchless grandeur of the scene4 ,a foreigner1 unaccustomed to such a magnificent spectacle1 is apt to overrate the wealth and prosperity of the people on such a day4 ,the number of images1 the dazzling and costly embellishments with which they are decorated1 the rich livery of some of the servants1 the bands of musicians preceding the procession1 the letting off of red and blue lights at intervals1 the gala dress of the multitude1 and last but not least1 the elegant carriages of the big swells1 and the still more elegant attire of their owners1 who loll back on the cushion of the carriages1 diffusing fragrant odours as they pass1 cannot fail to produce an imposing effect4 ,here a gaily clad ,baboo with his patent ,japan leather shoes2 there a ,hindoosthanee dandy with his massive gold necklace and valuable pearls hanging down his ears2 here a proud ,mogul in all the bravery of cloth of gold2 there a frowning ,mussulman with his dazzling cap and gossamer chapkan 7tunic71 and ivory mounted stick1 all combine to present a motley group of characters1 national in their costumes1 and unique in appearance4 ,the poor country woman1 her lord and children1 though not favored by fortune1 still cut a figure far above their normal condition4 ,those ,hindoos1 who adorn their images without stint of cost1 parade them through the most densely crowded streets till eight in the evening--vanity being the chief motive of action--while those who move in humbler spheres of life take them to boats on the river hired for the purpose1 and throw them into the water amidst shouts of exultation4 ,the mob of course sing obscene songs and dance indecently1 all which is tolerated for the occasion4 ,the growing sense of the people--the result of ,english education--has now-a-days greatly diminished the amount of indecency which was one of the distinguishing characteristics of former days on such an occasion4 ,between seven and eight o'clock in the evening1 the assembled crowd begins to disperse in joyous mood1 talking all the way as to the respective superiority of such and such images4 ,amongst such a great number and variety1 there is sure to be difference of opinion1 but it is soon settled by the affirmation of a wise head that the spirit of the goddess is the same in all the images2 ,ma ,doorga1 does not mind show4 ,when the worshippers and others return home1 they go at once to the temple1 where the officiating ,brahmin waits for them to sprinkle on their bodies the sacred water2 all are made to sit down on the floor with their feet covered with their clothes1 lest a drop should fall upon them4 ,the ,brahmin with a small twig of mangoe leaves sprinkles the water1 while repeating at the same time the usual incantation1 the meaning of which is that health1 wealth and prosperity may attend the votaries of ,doorga1 from year to year4 ,after this they write on a piece of green plantain leaf the name of the goddess several times1 and then clasp one another in their arms1 and take the dust off the feet of all the seniors1 with the mutual expression of good wishes for their worldly prosperity4 ,an elderly man thus blesses a boy2 may you have long life1 gold inkstand and gold pen1 acquire profound learning and immense wealth1 and support lakhs of men2 ,if a girl1 he thus pronounces his benediction 7there being no clasping of arms between man and woman nor between woman and woman71 may you enjoy all the blessings of a married life 7i4 e41 never become a widow7 become the mother of a rajah 7king71 use vermillion on your grey head1 continue to wear the iron bangle1 get seven male children1 and never know want4 ,it is well known that no blessing is more acceptable to a ,hindoo female than that she may never become a widow1 because the intolerable miseries of widowhood are most piercing to her heart2 nor can it be otherwise so long as human nature remains unaltered4 ,this social institution of the ,hindoos of cordially embracing each other and expressing all manner of good wishes on a particular day of the year1 when all hearts are more or less affected with grief at the departure of the goddess1 is a very commendable one4 ,it has an excellent tendency to promote social reunion1 good fellowship and brotherhood4 ,not only all the absent friends1 relatives1 acquaintances and neighbours1 male and female1 join in this annual greeting1 but even strangers and the most menial servants are not forgotten on the occasion4 ,every heart rejoices1 every tongue blesses1 every acrimonious feeling is consigned to oblivion4 ,this is a quiet interval at least between storm and storm2 interspaces of sunlight between the breadths of gloom1 a glad voice on summer holidays1 happy in unselfish friendships1 in generous impulses1 in strong health1 in the freedom from all cares1 in the confidence of all hopes4 ,during such a happy period it is a luxury to breathe the breath of life4 ,to drown their sorrows in forgetfulness1 the ,hindoos use a slight intoxicating beverage made of hemp leaves on this particular occasion4 ,every one that comes to visit--and there must be a social gathering--or is present1 is treated with this diluted beverage and sweets4 ,even the most innocent and simple females for once in a year are tacitly allowed to use it1 but very sparingly4 ,one farthing's worth of hemp leaves1 or about one ounce1 suffices for fifty persons or more1 so that it becomes almost harmless when so copiously diluted4 ,but those who have imbibed a taste for ,english wines and spirits always indulge freely on this occasion1 giving little heed to temperance rules and lectures4 ,it is ,bijoya and drinking to excess is justifiable4 ,it would not be proper to close this subject without saying a few words about the national excitement which the approach of this festival produces1 and the powerful impetus it gives to trade in general4 ,it has been roughly estimated that upwards of a crore of ,rupees 7,l#aj1jjj1jjj7 is spent every year in ,bengal on account of this festival4 ,every family1 from the aristocracy to the peasant1 must have new clothes1 new shoes1 new every thing4 ,men1 women1 children1 relatives1 poor acquaintances and neighbours1 nay beggars must have their holiday dress4 ,persons in straitened circumstances1 who actually live from hand to mouth1 deposit their hard-earned savings for a twelvemonth to be spent on this grand festival4 ,famished beggars who drag a miserable existence all their lives1 and depend on precarious alms to keep their body and soul together all the year round1 hopefully look forward to the return of this anniversary for at least a temporary change in their rags and tatters4 ,hungry ,brahmins1 whose daily avocation brings them only a scanty allowance of rice and plantain1 cheerfully welcome the advent of ,ma ,doorga and gratefully watch the day when their empty coffer shall be replenished4 ,cloth merchants1 weavers1 braziers1 goldsmiths1 embroiderers1 lace-makers1 mercers1 haberdashers1 carpenters1 potters1 basket-makers1 painters1 house-builders1 ,english1 ,chinese and ,native shoemakers1 ghee1 sugar and corn merchants1 grocers1 confectioners1 dealers in silver and tinsel ware1 songsters1 songstresses1 musicians1 hackney carriage keepers1 ,oorya bearers1 hawkers1 pedlars and such dealers in miscellaneous wares1 all look forward to the busy season when their whole year's hopes shall be realised by bringing lots of ,rupees into the till4 ,to a man of practical experience in business matters1 as far as the metropolis of ,british ,india is concerned1 it is perhaps well known that the ,trades because of the ,doorga ,poojah make more in one month than they can possibly make in the remaining eleven months4 ,from the first week in ,september to the middle of ,october1 when the ,poojah preparations are being actually made by the ,hindoos1 when they1 frugal as they assuredly are1 once in a twelvemonth1 loosen their purse strings1 when the accumulated interest on ,government securities is drawn1 when all the arrears of house rent are peremptorily demanded1 when remittance from the distant parts of the country arrives1 when in short1 rupees1 annas and pice1 are the ,go of the inhabitants1 the shopkeepers make a display of their goods as best they can4 ,from sunrise to ten o'clock at night the influx of customers continues unabated1 extra shops are opened and extra assistants employed1 the shopkeepers themselves have scarcely leisure enough to take a hasty meal a day1 and each day's sales swell the heart of the owner4 ,the thrifty and economical ,provincial1 who loves money as dearly as the blood that runs through his veins1 leisurely makes his sundry purchases before the regular rush of customers begins to pour in4 ,he has not only the choice of a large assortment1 and the pick1 of a new investment1 but gets the benefit of a reasonable price1 because the shopkeeper is not hard and tenacious in the early stage of the ,poojah sale4 ,as each day passes1 and novelties are exposed for public inspection1 the shopkeeper raises his prices according to increasing demand4 ,the effeminate and extravagant ,baboo of the ,city1 who does not worship ,mammon half so devoutly as his country brother1 does not mind paying a little too much for his whistle1 because he is large hearted and liberal minded4 ,his more frequent intercourse with ,englishmen has taught him to look upon money as filthy lucre4 ,he is not calculating1 and hence he defers making his purchases till the eleventh hour1 when1 to use a native expression1 the shopkeeper cuts the neck with one stroke4 ,about one-fifth of the ,hindoo population of ,calcutta consists of people that are come from the contiguous villages and pergunnas of the ,presidency ,division2 these men live in ,calcutta solely for employment1 keeping their families in the country where they have generally small farms of their own which yield them enough produce in the shape of rice1 pulses1 cereals1 vegetables1 c41 to last them throughout the year1 leaving1 in some instances1 ample surplus stock1 with which and a few milch cows as well as tanks1 they husband their resources with the greatest frugality1 and enjoy every domestic comfort and convenience4 ,they do not care for ,davie ,wilson's biscuits and sponge-cakes1 or a glass of raspberry ice-cream or ,roman ,punch on a summer day2 their bill of fare is as short and simple as their taste is primitive4 ,these men make their ,poojah purchases much earlier than their brethren in the city1 simply because they have to start for home as soon as the public holidays commence on the eve of the fourth day of the increase of the moon4 ,if the ,indian ,railways have benefited one class of the people more than another1 it is these men who should be thankful for the boon4 ,if the ,east ,indian and ,eastern ,bengal ,railway ,companies' coaching receipts are properly examined for two days1 viz41 the fourth and fifth days of the new moon or the beginning of the ,doorga ,poojah holidays1 they will certainly exhibit an incredibly large amount of receipts from third class carriages4 ,indeed it has been rather facetiously remarked by town's people that ,calcutta becomes much lighter by reason of the exit of country people during the ,doorga ,poojah holidays1 but then the return of the former to their home from the ,moffussil should be also taken into the account4 ,on a fair calculation1 the outgoing number far exceeds the incoming proportion4 ,it should also be observed that the list of purchases of the former embraces a greater variety of items than that of the latter4 ,their mothers1 wives1 daughters and sisters1 not to speak of the male members of the family1 being absent in the country-house1 the want of each and every one must be supplied4 ,articles for domestic consumption in a ,hindoo family are in the greatest requisition4 ,looking-glasses1 combs1 alta1 sidoor or ,china vermillion1 ghoomsi 7string round the loins71 scented drugs for ladies' hair1 black powder for the teeth1 soap1 pomatum1 otto of rose1 rose water1 wax candles1 sidoorchoobry 7toilet box made of small shells71 silk1 thread1 wool1 carpets1 spices of all sorts both for the betel and the kitchen1 betel-nuts1 cocoanut oil for ladies' hair1 sugar-candy1 almonds1 raisins1 ,cabul pomegranates1 ,dacca1 ,santipore and ,english made dhooties1 oorunees 7sheets71 sarees 7lady's apparel71 silk handkerchiefs1 silk cloth1 ,benares embroidered cloth1 satin and velvet caps1 lace1 hose1 tinsel ornaments for the images1 ,english shoes and sundries1 constitute the catalogue of their purchases4 ,this explains their going into the ,bazar early and accounts for their extra expenditure on the score of luxuries and superfluities of life1 but the reader should bear in mind that such extravagance is indulged in only once a year4 ,generally esteemed as these people are for their saving qualities1 frugal1 simple and abstemious habits1 an annual departure from the established rule is not unjustifiable4 ,the rich classes1 as will be evident from what has been said1 spend enormous sums in making their fashionable purchases on this occasion4 ,from the foregoing details it is easy to infer that the ,doorga ,poojah anniversary presses heavily on the limited resources of a ,hindoo family4 ,a rich man experiences little difficulty in meeting his expenses1 but the middling and the humbler classes1 who comprise nine-tenths of the population1 are put to their wits' end to make both ends meet4 ,they are sometimes obliged to solicit the pecuniary aid of their rich friends to enable them to get over the ,doorga difficulty4 ,it is1 perhaps1 not generally known that during this popular festival1 or rather before it1 when all ,bengal is in a state of social and religious ferment1 when money must be had by fair means or foul1 not a few unfortunate men1 chiefly libertines and rakes1 deliberately commit frauds by forging cheques1 drafts1 and notes1 which eventually lead them into the greatest distress and disgrace4 ,besides the high price of clothes and of all descriptions of eatables1 every family must have a month's provision to carry them through the period during which no money is forthcoming4 ,i had almost forgotten to say anything about the annual gratuity which the ,brahmins of ,bengal obtain on the occasion of this festival4 ,from time immemorial1 when orthodox ,hindooism was in the ascendant1 the ,brahmins not only advanced their claims1 as now1 to all the offerings made to gods or goddesses1 small or great1 but established a rule that every ,hindoo1 whose circumstances would permit it1 should give them individually1 one1 two1 four1 or five ,rupees at the return of this festival4 ,every respectable ,hindoo family1 even now-a-days when heterodoxy is rampant in all the great centres of education1 has to give ten1 fifteen1 twenty-five1 or fifty ,rupees to ,brahmins4 ,rich families give much more4 ,so very tenacious are the ,brahmins of this privilege that even if they earn one hundred ,rupees a month by employment they will not forego a single ,rupee once a year on this occasion1 seeing they claim it as a birthright4 ,these men have studied human nature1 but they have built their hopes of permanent gain on the baseless fabric of a hollow superstition1 which is destined1 through the progress of improvement1 inevitably to fall into decay4 ,it is too late to retrieve the huge blunder of laying a false foundation for their gains4 ,,footnotes3 #ea ,doorga is also worshipped in the month of ,april1 in the time of the vernal equinox1 but very few then offer her their devotion1 though this celebration claims priority of origin4 #eb ,for some general remarks on the religion of the ,hindoos1 see ,note c4 #ec ,in this ancient story says ,tod1 we are made acquainted with the distant maritime wars which the princes of ,india carried on4 ,even supposing ,ravana's abode to be the insular ,ceylon1 he must have been a very powerful prince to equip an armament sufficiently numerous to carry off from the remote kingdom of ,kousula the wife of the great king of the ,suryas4 ,it is most improbable that a petty king of ,ceylon could wage equal war with a potentate who held the chief dominion of ,india2 whose father1 ,dosaratha drove his victorious car 7ratha7 over every region 7desa7 and whose intercourse with the countries beyond the ,bramaputra is distinctly to be traced in the ,ramayana4 #ed ,this is also the day which is vulgarly called the ,kala kata amabashay when unripe plantain fruits are cut in immense quantities for offerings to ,doorga4 #ee ,this sacred jar is marked with two combined triangles1 denoting the union of the two deities1 ,siva and ,doorga1--the worshippers of the ,sakti1 female energy1 mark the jar with another triangle4 #ef ,the day before the ,kalpa begins1 these priests receive new clothes1 comprising a dhootie and dubja1 and some money for habishay1 or food destitute of fish4 ,very few1 however1 abide by the rules enjoined in the holy writings4 #eg ,even in the observance of this religious preliminary1 the ,brahmins take advantage of their superior caste1 and curtail five days out of six in order to save expense4 ,every thing is allowable in their case1 because they assume to be the oracles between the god and man4 #eh ,the vermilion is used by a ,hindoo female whose husband is alive1 the privilege of putting it on the forehead is considered a sign of great merit and virtue4 #ei ,there is a singular coincidence between the ,hindoos and the ancient heathen nations in regard to music4 ,in both it is used as an indispensable accompaniment to religious worship4 #fj ,it is no less strange than surprising that ornamental articles prepared by the hands of ,european artisans who are accustomed to eat beef and pork1 the very mention1 and much more1 the touch of which contaminates the purity of religion1 are put on the bodies and heads of ,hindoo gods without the least religious scruple1 simply for the gratification of vanity4 ,so much for the consistent and immaculate character of the ,hindoo creed6 #fa ,these scented oils are mostly prepared by ,mussulmans1 whose very touch is enough to desecrate a thing2 the ,brahmins knowing this fact unhesitatingly use them for religious purposes4 ,thus we see in almost every sphere of social and domestic life the fundamental rules of religious purity are shamefully violated4 #fb ,it is deserving of notice that the slaughter of oxen1 cows or calves is most religiously forbidden in the ,hindoo ,shaster4 ,divine honors are paid to the species4 ,the cow is regarded as a form of ,doorga and called ,bhuggobutty4 ,the husband of ,doorga1 ,shiva1 rides naked on an ox4 ,the very dung of a cow purifies all unclean things in a ,hindoo household1 and possesses the property of a disinfectant4 ,the milk of a cow assuredly affords the best nourishment to the young and the old1 hence the species was deified by the ,hindoo sages4 ,even after the advent of the ,english into this country for above two centuries1 an orthodox ,hindoo is apt to exclaim what impious times6 whenever he happens to see a ,mussulman butcher carry a cow or calf in the street for slaughtering purposes4 ,not a few wonder how the ,english power continues to prosper amidst the daily perpetration of such irreligious acts4 ,by way of derision1 the ,english are called gokhaduk or beef-eaters and the goylas 7milkmen7 ,kasays or butchers4 ,if such ,hindoos had power enough they would certainly have delivered their country from the grasp of these beef-eaters and placed it above the reach of sacrilligious hands4 ,but alas6 in the present ,kaliyaga or iron age1 both they and their gods are alike impotent4 #fc ,it is generally known that except the ,brahmins1 who are proverbially noted for their eating propensities1 scarcely any respectable ,hindoo condescends to sit down to a regular jalpan dinner at this popular festival4 ,he comes1 gives his usual pranamy of one ,rupee to the goddess in the thacoordallan1 talks with the owner of the house for a few minutes1 is presented by way of compliment with otto of roses and pan1 and then goes away1 making the stereotyped plea that he has many other places to go to4 ,besides this1 every man is expected to provide himself at home with a good stock of choice eatables on this festive occasion4 ,the prices of sweetmeats1 already too high1 are nearly doubled at this time1 because of the large demand and small supply4 ,from #cb ,rupees a maund 7#hb lbs7 the normal price of sundesh in ordinary times1 it rises to #fj or #gj ,rupees in the ,poojah time4 ,milk sells at four annas a pound1 and without milk no sundesh could be made4 ,it is the most expensive article of food among the ,hindoos of ,bengal1 when well made with fresh channa 7curded milk7 it has a fine taste1 but is entirely destitute of nutritive property4 ,the ,hindoos of the ,upper ,provinces1 however1 do not regard the preparation as pure1 and consequently do not use it1 because of its admixture with curded milk4 #fd ,rich men are in the habit of firing guns for the guidance of the people4 #fe ,the flesh of buffaloes is used only by sweepers1 shoemakers1 c41 who sometimes quarrel for the possession of the slaughtered animals4 ,the meat with country liquor ends in drunken feasts4 #ff ,the late ,rajah ,rajkissen ,bahadoor1 ,baboos ,santiram ,sing1 ,ramdoolal ,dey1 ,shibnarain ,ghose1 ,prankissen ,holdar1 the ,mullick family1 the ,ghosal family of ,bhookoylash and others1 spent large sums of money from year to year in giving clothes1 food and money to a very large number of poor men1 and liberating prisoners from jail on payment of their debts4 ,any relief to suffering humanity is certainly an act of great merit for which the donors deserve well of the community4 ,in our days there are several ,baboos who do the same on a limited scale1 but the name of ,baboo ,tarucknauth ,puramanick of ,kassiriparrah deserves a special notice4 ,naturally unassuming and unambitious1 his character is as irreproachable as his large-heartedness is conspicuous4 ,on every anniversary of the ,doorga ,poojah1 and on almost every religious celebration1 he gives alms to hundreds and thousands of poor people without distinction of caste or creed4 ,on the occasion of the ,doorga ,poojah festival he would not break his fast until midnight1 when he is assured that all the poor people who came to his door have been duly provided with food and coppers4 ,for three nights this distribution of alms continues4 ,the public road before his house is closed by order of the police for the accommodation of beggars4 ,five or six times in a month he feeds all the poor people that come to his house1 hence the fame of his generosity is spread far and wide1 and he is surnamed ,taruck ,baboo1 the datta or charitable--a distinction which the more opulent of his countrymen 7and there are not a few7 should seek to covet4 #fg ,an ,urghy is a bunch of doorva grass tied up at the last1 either with red cotton or a slip of plantain leaf4 ,two or three of such bundles are made1 one is placed on the crown of the goddess and two on her two feet4 ,it is usually stuffed with paddy and besmeared with sandal wood water and vermillion4 ,it is a sacred offering and consequently preserved for solemn occassions4 #fh ,home made things are1 in the long run1 cheaper and more preferable to the questionable products of the market1 which are not only inferior in quality but are more or less subject to defilement1 being exposed for sale to people of all castes4 ,this detracts from the absolute purity of the preparation4 #fi ,it would not be out of place to observe here that liberal ,hindoos as a body are not beef-eaters as is vulgarly supposed4 ,they are content with fowls1 goat1 sheep and fish4 ,about forty years ago before the ,calcutta ,university was founded1 the late ,baboo ,isser ,chunder ,goopto1 the editor of ,pravakur1 a vernacular news paper1 very cleverly hit off and satirised in popular ballads the then growing desire of the young ,hindoo reformers to adopt a ,european style of eating4 ,he commenced with ,rammohun ,roy--the pioneer of ,hindoo reformation--and thus sarcastically described his public career4 ,addressing ,saraswattee the ,hindoo goddess of learning1 he thus laments3 ,oh goddess6 in vain have you established schools in ,calcutta1 look at the end of that ,roy 7,rammohun ,roy72 profound learning had wafted him over the waters to a distant region 7,england71 and never brought him back again4 ,as regards the young alumni1 he makes a wife thus accost her husband3 ,pran1 ,pran1 my heart1 my heart1 you go to society and lectures every day1 and when the ,examination is held at the ,town ,hall you get prizes1 heaps and heaps of books you read and always remain outside4 ,is it written in the books that you should never touch the body of a female8 ,what sort of a gooroo 7master7 is your ,sahib8 he is a regular garu 7bull7 if he give you such lessons4 ,you dislike loochee and munda 7,hindoo sweetmeats7 but you get gunda and gunda of fowl eggs and satisfy your hunger1 and for you all there is an end of cows and calves4 ,but this is an exaggeration about the eating of beef by the educated ,hindoos4 ,except a few medical students1 who have1 in a great measure1 overcome their prejudices by the constant handling of dead bodies1 the rest still feel a sort of natural repugnance to eating beef4 ,this is1 perhaps1 the effect of early impressions produced by the religious veneration in which a cow is held among the ,hindoos4 ,the superstitious reverence1 says an eminent writer1 for the ox1 points doubtless to a period when that useful animal was first naturalized in ,india and protected by a law for its preservation and encouragement1 which1 now that the original intention is lost sight of in the lapse of ages1 has invested the cattle with a religious character1 and1 indeed1 it is not #bjj years since the ,emperor ,jehangir was obliged once to prohibit the slaughter of kine for a term of years1 as a measure absolutely required to prevent the ruin of agriculture4 ,it is a striking fact that that loathsome disease1 leprosy1 is very common among the lower orders of ,mussulmans who use this meat freely4 ,perhaps it is more suited to the inhabitants of milder regions than those of a tropical climate4 #gj ,so great was the mania for extravagant1 ostentations show1 that instances were not wanting in which a lakh of ,rupees was freely spent on this grand occasion4 ,the late ,prankissen ,holdar1 of ,chinsurah1 in the neighbourhood of ,calcutta1 expended annually for three or four years the above sum in furnishing his house without stint of cost in truly oriental style1 giving rich entertainments to ,europeans and ,natives1 and distributing alms among the poor4 ,there was no ,railway then1 and consequently the boat hire alone from ,calcutta to ,chinsurah for ,english and ,native grandees might have cost four to five thousand ,rupees4 ,the very invitation cards written in golden letters with gold fringes cost eight to ten ,rupees each4 ,for the entertainment of his ,english friends he used to give ten thousand ,rupees to ,messrs4 ,gunter and ,hooper1 the then public ,purveyors of ,calcutta4 ,first class wines and provisions were procured in abundance1 and arranged in the corridor under ,european and ,mahomedan stewards1 while one hundred ,brahmins were engaged in prayers1 reciting ,chundee and repeating the name of the god1 ,modosoodun1 for the propitiation of the goddess and the interests of the family4 ,it sometimes so happened that the clang of knives1 forks and spoons was simultaneous with the sound of the holy bell and conch1 the one neutralising what the other was supposed to produce in a religious point of view4 #ga ,the reader will recollect that the festivals of ,bacchus and ,cybele were equally noted for the indecencies practised by the worshippers both in their words and actions4 #gb ,the ,reverend ,mr4 ,maurice1 a pious clergyman1 who had never seen these ceremonies1 attempted to paint them in the most captivating terms4 ,should he think that ,hindoo idolatry is capable of exciting the most elevated conceptions about the godhead and leading the mind to the true path of righteousness1 let him come and join the ,brahmins and their numerous devotees in crying ,hurree ,bole6 ,hurree ,bole6 ,joy ,doorga6 ,joy ,kally6 ,mr4 ,forbes1 of ,stanmore ,hill1 in his elegant museum of ,indian rarities1 numbers two of the bells that have been used in devotion by the ,brahmins4 ,they are great curiosities1 and one of them in particular appears to be of very high antiquity1 in form very much resembling the cup of the lotus1 and the tune of it is uncommonly soft and melodious4 ,i could not avoid being deeply affected with the sound of an instrument which had been actually employed to kindle the flame of that superstition which ,i have attempted so extensively to unfold4 ,my transported thoughts travelled back to the remote period when ,brahmin religion blazed forth in all its splendour in the caverns of ,elephanta3 ,i was1 for a moment1 entranced1 and caught the odour of enthusiasm4 ,a tribe of venerable priests1 arrayed in flowing stoles1 and decorated with high tiaras1 seemed assembled around me1 the mystic song of initiation vibrated in my ear2 ,i breathed an air fragrant with the richest perfumes1 and contemplated the deity in the fire that symbolized him4 ,and again1 in another place1 ,she1 7the ,hindoo religion7 wears the similitude of a beautiful and radiant cherub from ,heaven1 bearing on his persuasive lips the accents of pardon and peace1 and on his silken wings benefaction and blessing4 ,what strange hallucinations some of these ,christian ministers labour under in attempting to reconcile the ideas of idolatry with those of the ,true and ,living ,god6 ,,ix4 ,,the ,,kali ,,poojah ,,festival4 ,in ,bengal1 next to the ,doorga ,poojah in point of importance stands the ,kali ,poojah1 which invariably takes place on the last night of the decrease of the moon1 in the month of ,kartik 7between ,october and ,november74 ,she is represented as standing on the breast of her husband1 ,shiva1 with a tongue projecting to a great length4 ,she has four arms1 in one of which she holds a scimitar2 in another1 the head of a giant whom she has killed in a fight1 the third hand is spread out for the purpose of bestowing blessing1 while by the fourth1 she welcomes the blessed4 ,she also wears a necklace of skulls and has a girdle of hands of giants round her loins4 ,to add to the terrific character of the goddess1 she is represented as a very black female with her locks hanging down to her heels4 ,the reason ascribed for her standing on the breast of her husband1 is the following3 ,in a combat with a formidable giant called ,ruckta ,beeja1 she became so elated with joy at her victory that she began to dance in the battle-field so frantically that all the gods trembled and deliberated what to do in order to restore peace to the earth1 which1 through her dancing was shaken to its foundation4 ,after much consultation1 it was decided that her husband should be asked to repair to the scene of action and persuade her to desist4 ,shiva1 the husband1 accordingly came down1 but seeing the dreadful carnage and the infuriated countenance as well as the continued dancing of his wife1 who could not in her frenzy recognise him1 he threw himself among the dead bodies of the slain4 ,the goddess was so transported with joy that in one of her dancing feats she chanced to step upon the breast of her husband1 whereupon the body moved4 ,struck with amazement she stood motionless for a while1 and fixing her gaze at length discovered that she had trampled on her husband4 ,the sight at once restored her feminine modesty1 and she stood aghast feeling shocked at the unhappy accident4 ,to express her shame1 she put out her tongue and in that posture she is worshipped by her followers4#gc ,her black features1 the dark night in which she is worshipped1 the bloody deeds with which her name is associated1 the countless sacrifices relentlessly offered at her altar1 the terrific form in which she is represented1 the unfeminine and warlike posture in which she stands1 and last but not least1 the desperate character of some of her votaries1 invest her name with a terror which is without a parallel in the mythological legends of the ,hindoos4 ,the authors of the ,hindoo mythology could not have invented in their fertile imagination a sanguinary character more singularly calculated to inspire terror#gd and thereby extort the blind adoration of an ignorant populace4 ,about seven hundred years ago1 a devoted follower of this goddess1 named ,agum ,bagish1 proclaimed that her worship should be performed in the following manner3 ,the image is to be made1 set up1 worshipped and destroyed on the same night4 ,it is a nishi or midnight ,poojah on the darkest night of the month1 so that not a single soul from outside could know it4 ,he strictly observed this rule while he was alive1 and it was said that ,rajah ,krishnu ,chunder ,roy of ,kishnaghur followed his example for some time4 ,baboo ,obhoy ,churn ,mitter of ,calcutta and ,bhobaney ,churn ,mookerjee of ,jessore also tried to observe the rule prescribed above1 but as it has been alleged the spirit of secret devotion forsook them after a little while4 ,they reverted to the general custom of worshipping the goddess on the darkest night in ,kartik1 inviting friends and making pantomimic exhibitions4 ,though her ,poojah lasts but one night1 the sacrifices of goats1 sheep and buffaloes are as numerous as those offered before the altar of ,doorga4 ,in former times1 when idolatry prevailed universally throughout ,bengal and religious belief of the people therein was firm and unshaken1 the splendour with which the worship of this goddess was performed was second only1 as ,i have remarked1 to that of the ,doorga4 ,both goddesses1 however1 still continue to count their votaries by millions4 ,the reader may form some idea1 says ,mr4 ,ward1 how much idolatry prevailed at the time when the ,hindoo monarchy flourished from the following circumstance1 which belongs to a modern period1 when the ,hindoo authority in ,hindoosthan was almost extinct4 ,rajah ,krishnu ,chunder ,roy1 and his two immediate successors1 in the month of ,kartick1 annually gave orders to all the people over whom they had a nominal authority to keep the shyma festival1 and threatened every offender with the severest penalties on non-compliance4 ,in consequence of these orders1 in more than ten thousand houses in one night1 in the ,zillah of ,kishnaghur1 the worship of this goddess was celebrated4 ,the number of animals destroyed could not have been less than ten thousand4 ,kali1 like ,doorga1 ,siva1 ,vishnu and ,krishna1 is the guardian deity of many ,hindoos1 who daily offer their prayers to her both in the morning and evening4 ,several1 who possess great wealth and know not how to employ it better1 dedicate temples to her service and consecrate them with ample endowments4 ,in the holy ,city of ,benares1 there still exists a ,kali shrine where hundreds of beggars are daily fed at the expense of the founder1 the late ,rani ,bhobaney of ,nattore4 ,nearly a hundred and fifty years ago1 ,raja ,ramkrishna erected a temple at ,burranagore1 about six miles north of ,calcutta1 in honor of this goddess1 and spent upwards of a lakh of ,rupees when it was first consecrated4 ,he endowed it with a large revenue for its permanent support1 so that any number of religious mendicants who might come there daily could be easily fed4 ,in his prosperous days1 this rich zemindar paid an annual revenue of fifty-two lakhs of ,rupees to the ,east ,india ,company4 ,unfortunately the family has since been reduced to a state of poverty1 and the temple is a heap of ruins4 ,the endowment1 like most other endowments of this nature1 disappeared soon after the death of the founder4 ,the ,rajah of ,burdwan's endowment of this kind still endures1 and promises to enjoy a longer lease of life4 ,the name of ,kali1 be it observed1 is more extensively used than either that of ,doorga or ,shiva4 ,whenever a ,native ,regiment is to march or set out on an expedition the stereotyped acclaim is1--,kali ,maikey ,jay1 victory to mother ,kali4 ,when the evening gun is fired in any of the military stations1 the almost involuntary exclamation is1 ,jay ,kali ,calcutta ,wallee4 ,nor is her worship less universal than her fame4 ,on the last night of the decrease of the moon in ,kartik1 every family in ,bengal must worship her though in a somewhat different shape4 ,every family1 rich or poor1 ,brahmin or ,soodar1 must celebrate the ,lucki or ,kali ,poojah before the sacred ,reck of dhan or paddy1 which in the estimation of a ,hindoo is a valuable heritage4#ge ,several incidents connected with this religious festival are worth recording4 ,in the ,upper and ,central ,provinces1 as in the ,south of ,hindoostan1 it is called the ,dewallee ,festival4 ,though the image is not set up1 yet the ,hindoo and ,parsi inhabitants observe the holiday by opening their new year's account on that day4 ,illuminations1 fireworks and all sorts of festivities mark the day4 ,to try their luck for the next year1 almost all ,hindoo merchants and bankers indulge in gambling that night1 and large sums are sometimes at stake on the occasion4 ,in ,calcutta1 where gambling is strictly prohibited1 the law is shamefully violated on that dark night4 ,this does not imply any reflection on the vigilance of the ,police1 because the game is carried on surreptitiously4 ,the ,parsi merchants who deal in wines and stores throw open their shops and treat their ,european customers free of cost on that particular day4 ,their brethren in ,bengal are1 however1 not so liberal to their customers1 simply because it is not their new year's day4 ,in ,calcutta and all over ,bengal the night is remarkable for illumination1#gf fireworks1 feasting1 carousing and gambling4 ,there is a time-honored custom among the people to light bundles of paycattee or faggots that night4 ,as is naturally to be expected the children take a great delight in such pastimes4 ,at the close of the ,poojah a servant of the house takes a ,koolow or winnowing fan and a stick with which he beats and sings ,bad luck out and ,good luck in4#gg ,kali is also the guardian deity of thieves1 robbers1 thugs and such like desperate characters4 ,before starting on their diabolical work1 they invoke her aid to protect them from detection and punishment4 ,the supposed aid of the goddess arms them with courage and leads them to commit the most atrocious crimes4 ,when successful they come and offer sacrifices of goats1 spirituous liquors and other things1 under an impression that the superintending power of the goddess has shielded them from all harm4 ,but the unbending rigor of the ,british law has almost entirely dissipated the delusion4 ,many an infamous dacoit in ,bengal has confessed his guilt on the scaffold1 lamenting that ,ma ,kali had not protected him in the hour of need4 ,the notorious ,rugho ,dacoit of ,hooghly1 whose very name terrified a wayward child into sleep1 made fearful disclosures as to the originating cause of his numerous crimes4 ,some forty years ago there lived in ,calcutta a very respectable ,hindoo gentleman1 by name ,rajkissore ,dutt1 who was a very great devotee of this goddess4 ,every month1 on the last night of the decrease of the moon1 he1 it was said1 used to set up an image of this goddess1 and adorned her person with gold and silver ornaments to the value of about one thousand ,rupees which were afterwards given to the officiating priest4 ,on the annual return of this grand ,poojah in the month of ,kartik1 he used to give the goddess a gold tongue1 and decorate her four arms with divers gold ornaments to the cost of about three thousand ,rupees1 and his other expenses amounted to another six or seven thousand4 ,for a number of years he continued to celebrate the ,poojah in the above magnificent style1 his veneration becoming more intensified as his wealth increased4 ,he established a ,bank in ,calcutta called the ,india ,bank1 which circulated notes of its own to a considerable amount4 ,a combination was formed among a few influential ,natives1 whose names ,i am ashamed to mention1 and a well concocted system of fraud was organised4 ,through one1 ,dwarkey ,nath ,mitter1 a son-in-law of ,rajkissore1 ,company's ,paper or ,government ,securities to the amount of about twenty ,lakhs of ,rupees were forged and passed off as genuine on the public4 ,but as fraud succeeds for a short while only1 the gigantic scheme was soon discovered1 and the delinquent was tried1 convicted and sentenced to transportation for life to one of the ,penal ,settlements of the ,east ,india ,company1 where he lived for several years to rue the consequences of his iniquitous conduct4 ,his eldest son told the writer that his father concealed in a wall of one of the rooms of his house ,bank notes for upwards of a ,lakh of ,rupees4 ,when the search of the ,police was over he opened the part of the wall and to his utter disappointment found all the notes crumbled to pieces1 and become a small bundle of rotten paper of no earthly use to any one4 ,thus was iniquity rightly punished4 ,no wonder that the deep faith of ,rajkissore in the goddess ,kali did not avail him in the hour of danger4 ,his flagitious career commenced by a blind devotion to his guardian deity1 culminated in a gigantic forgery1 and closed with transportation and infamy4 ,it is generally known that there exists a temple of this goddess in the suburbs of ,calcutta1 which has long been celebrated for its sanctity4 ,the place is called ,kali ,ghat1 about four miles south of ,government ,house4 ,it is not exactly known when this temple was first built4 ,the probable conjecture is that some three hundred years ago a shrewd and far-seeing member of the sacerdotal class1 observing the great veneration in which the goddess was held among the ,hindoos of those days1 erected a temple to the image and gave the place a name after her1 the renown of which1 as ,calcutta grew in importance1 gradually spread far and wide4 ,to perpetuate the holy character of the shrine1 and to consecrate it by traditional sanctity1 the following story was given out1 in the truth of which the generality of the orthodox ,hindoos have a firm belief4 ,in time out of mind1 when the ,suttee 7,doorga7 destroyed herself on the ,trisool 7three edged weapon71 one of her fingers was said to have fallen on the spot on which the temple now stands and in whose recess the priests pretend it is still preserved4 ,hence the sacred character of the shrine1 which still attracts thousands of devotees every year from all parts4 ,in popular estimation from a religious point of view she does not yield much to the ,juggernauth of ,orissa1 the ,bisseshur of ,benares1 the ,krishna of ,brindabun1 the ,gyasoor of ,gya1 and the ,mahadeb of ,buddinauth4 ,fortunately for the site of the temple1 which is in close proximity to the metropolis of ,british ,india1 and until recently was in the immediate neighbourhood of the highest ,appellate ,court 7,suddur ,dewanny ,adawlut7 independently of its bordering on the ,addigunga 7the original sacred stream of ,ganges71 it has always drawn the wealthiest and poorest portions of the ,hindoo community4 ,had the offerings in gold1 silver and in kind fallen to the share of one priest1 it is not too much to say that he would long before this have been as rich as the ,juggut ,sett 7,banker of the world7 of ,moorshedabad1 who was reputed to have been worth upwards of fifteen crores of ,rupees4 ,wealthy ,hindoos1 when on a visit to ,kali ,ghat1 expend from one to fifty thousand ,rupees on the worship of this goddess1 in the shape of valuable ornaments1 silver plate1 dishes c41 sweetmeats and food for a large number of ,brahmins1 and small presents to thousands of beggars1 besides numerous sacrifices of goats1 sheep and buffaloes1 which make the space before the temple swim with blood4 ,the flesh of goat1 and sheep is freely used by the sakta class of ,hindoos when offered to ,kali and ,doorga1 but they would never use it without such an oblation4 ,it is otherwise called britha or unsanctified flesh1 which is altogether quite unfit for the use of a religious ,hindoo4 ,but the progress of ,english education has made terrible inroads on the religious practices of the people1 at least of the rising generation4#gh ,the following description of the ,kali or ,shyma ,poojah given by ,mr4 ,ward will serve to convey to the reader some idea of the nature of the festival4 ,a few years ago1 says he1 ,i went to the house of ,kali ,sunkur ,ghose at ,calcutta1 at the time of the ,shyma festival1 to see the animals sacrificed to ,kali4 ,the buildings where the worship was performed were raised on four sides1 with an area in the middle4 ,the image was placed at the north end with the face to the south2 and the two side rooms1 and one of the end rooms opposite the image1 were filled with spectators3 in the area were the animals devoted to sacrifice1 and also the executioner1 with ,kali ,sunkur1 a few attendants1 and about twenty persons to throw the animal down and hold it in the post1 while the head was cut off4 ,the goats were sacrificed first1 then the buffaloes1 and last of all1 two or three rams4 ,in order to secure the animals1 ropes were fastened round their legs2 they were then thrown down1 and the neck placed in a piece of wood fastened into the ground and open at the top like the space betwixt the prongs of a fork4 ,after the animal's neck was fastened in the wood by a peg which passed over it1 the men who held it pulled forcibly at the heels1 while the executioner1 with a broad heavy axe cut off the head at one blow2 the heads were carried in an elevated posture by an attendant1 7dancing as he went7 the blood running down him on all sides1 into the presence of the goddess4 ,kali ,sunkur1 at the close1 went up to the executioner1 took him in his arms1 and gave him several presents of cloth1 c4 ,the heads and blood of the animals1 as well as different meat offerings1 are presented1 with incantations1 as a feast to the goddess1 after which clarified butter is burnt on a prepared altar of sand4 ,never did ,i see men so eagerly enter into the shedding of blood1 nor do ,i think any butchers could slaughter animals more expertly4 ,the place literally swam with blood4 ,the bleating of the animals1 the numbers slain1 and the ferocity of the people employed1 actually made me unwell1 and ,i returned about midnight1 filled with horror and indignation4 ,in the foregoing account1 ,mr4 ,ward has omitted to say anything about the nocturnal revelry with which the festival is in most instances accompanied4 ,i have witnessed scenes on such occasions1 which are too disgusting to be described4 ,not only the officiating priest and the spiritual guide1 but all the members of the family and not a few of the guests partake of the spirituous liquors offered to the goddess1 and in a state of intoxication sing ,ramprasadi songs befitting the occasion4 ,the festival closes with orgies such as are observed in the worship of ,bacchus4 ,there are1 however1 a few honorable exceptions to the rule1 who1 though they perform the worship of this goddess1 yet altogether abstain from drinking4 ,the goddess1 ,kali1 is their guardian deity1 they worship her daily1 but are known never to touch a drop of wine4 ,they attribute to her all the worldly prosperity they enjoy and look to her for everlasting blessedness4 ,such men have no faith in the common drunken motto1 ,bharey ma ,bhobaney1 mother ,bhobaney 7another name of ,kali7 is in the cup4 ,but the grand characteristic of this and similar festivals which are annually recurring is1 as ,i have already mentioned1 the wine1 the fruit and the lady fair4 ,even bacchanalian madness has its charms4 ,but to return to the priests of ,kali ,ghat4--,as time rolled on1 their descendants multiplied so rapidly that it soon became necessary to allot a few days only in the year to each of the families1 and on grand occasions1 which are not a few1 the offertories are proportionately divided among the whole set of the sacerdotal class4 ,thus it has now become a case of what a ,hindoo proverb so aptly expresses3 ,the flesh of a sparrow divided into a hundred parts1 or infinitesimal quantities4 ,god has so constituted man that he can find little or no enjoyment in a state of inactivity4 ,the proper employment of time1 therefore1 is essentially necessary to the progressive development of our powers and faculties1 the non exercise of which must needs induce idle and vicious habits4 ,no bread is sweet unless it is earned by the sweat of our brow4 ,the ,haldars 7priests7 of ,kali ,ghaut having no healthy occupation in which to engage their minds1 and depending for their sustenance on a means which requires neither physical nor mental labor1 have inevitably been led to adopt the ,epicurean mode of life1 which says1 eat1 drink and be merry4 ,this habit is further confirmed by the peculiar nature of the religious principles which the worship of this goddess enjoins4 ,certain texts of the ,tantra ,shaster expressly inculcate that without drinking the mind is not properly prepared for religious exercise and contemplation4 ,the pernicious effects of such a monstrous doctrine are sufficiently obvious4 ,it has been said that not only the men but the women also are in the habit of drinking4 ,as a necessary consequence the vicious practice has not only enervated their minds but made their wealth small and their want great4 ,disputes often arise between the worshippers and the priests of the temple respecting the offerings and the proper division of the same1 the latter often claiming the lion's share which the former are unwilling to submit to4 ,gross lies are sometimes told in the presence of the goddess in order to secure to the major portion of the offerings in the interests of the worshippers--an expedient which the notorious rapacity of the officiating ,brahmins imperatively demands4 ,surrounded by an atmosphere densely impregnated with the miasm of a false religion and a corrupt morality1 the ennobling thought of a true ,god and the moral accountability of man never enters their minds4 ,the chief end and aim of their life is to impose on the credulity of their blind votaries1 and thereby pander to their unhallowed desires and selfish gratification4 ,nor can they rise to a higher and purer sphere of life because from their childhood they are nurtured in the cradle of error1 ignorance1 indolence and profligacy4 ,who can contemplate the effects of their impure orgies on the eighth1 ninth1 fourteenth and fifteen nights of the increase and decrease of the moon without being reminded of the saturnalia of the ,greeks8#gi ,if a sober-minded man were to visit the holy shrine of ,kali ,ghat on one of these nights1 he would doubtless be shocked at the unrestrained debauchery that runs riot in the name of religion4 ,the temple1 no less than the private domicile of the priests1 presents an uninterrupted scene of bacchanalian revelry1 which is unspeakably abominable4 ,men deprived of a sense of shame1 and women of decency and morality1 mingle in the revels1 and the result is that all the cherished notions of the better part of humanity are at once put to flight4 ,it is painful to reflect that notwithstanding the progress of enlightenment in the great centre of ,indian civilization1 people still cling to the adoration of a blood-thirsty goddess1 and to the support of a depraved class of priests4 ,the sacrifices of goats that are daily offered before the altar of ,kali being too numerous for local consumption1 are sold to outside customers much in the same manner as fruits and vegetables are brought from the neighbouring villages into the market4 ,on ,saturday the sale is larger than on the other week days1 because that night is specially dedicated to the worship of ,bacchus1 ,sunday affording a respite from work4 ,but the sale of ,kali ,ghat goat meat has of late been much interfered with by the establishment of rival shrines in several parts of ,calcutta1 where a pound is to be had for three annas4 ,the owners 7mostly prostitutes and drunkards7 of these pseudo-goddesses1 vulgarly called ,kashaye or butcher ,kali1 sacrifice one or two goats every morning without any ceremony1 except on ,saturday when the number is doubled to meet increased requirements4 ,thus a regular and profitable butcher's trade is openly carried on in the name of the goddess1 and the generality of the ,sakta ,hindoos feel no religious scruples in using the meat which is thus sanctified4 ,the comparative ease with which flesh is now obtained in ,calcutta has tended1 in no small degree1 to encourage habits of drinking among a proverbially abstemious race of men2 it being the popular impression that meat neutralises the effects of spirituous liquors4#hj ,many images of ,kali which have from time to time been set up in and about ,calcutta1 ostensibly for religious but practically for secular purposes1 in imitation of the unrivalled prototype at ,kali ,ghat1 have acquired unenviable celebrity1 and been made subservient as a source of income to the owner and the officiating priests1 who fatten on the offerings made to the goddess in the shape of money and provisions4 ,thus1 for instance1 the ,sidhassurry or ,kali of ,nimtollah obtains a few ,rupees daily from such ,hindoos as are carried to the riverside to breathe their last1 independently of the small presents made at all hours of the day1 especially in the mornings and evenings1 when the crowd assembles4 ,it is amusing to observe the complaisance with which a ,brahmin gives a consecrated ,billaputtra or flower to a devotee in return for a ,rupee or so4 ,a shrewd ,brahmin1 like the ancient ,roman soothsayer1 laughs in his sleeves at such stupidity4 ,a ,sanskrit proverb says that a meritorious work endures4 ,it keeps alive the name of the founder1 and this vanity furnishes the strongest stimulus to the endowment of works of a religious character1 and of public utility4 ,it is1 however1 a painful fact that the nature and character of such endowments is1 in most cases1 lamentably wanting in the element of stability4 ,two or three generations after the death of the founder1 the substance of the estate being impaired1 the family is reduced to a state of poverty1 the surviving members1 often a set of demoralised idlers1 depend for their support on the usufruct of the ,deybatra1 originally set apart for exclusively religious purposes1 and placed beyond the reach of law4 ,in these days the offshoots of many families are absolutely dependent on this sacred fund for their subsistence1 and the consequence naturally is that the endowment is frittered away and the work itself inevitably falls into decay4 ,thus in process of time both the fund and the founder's name pass into utter oblivion4#ha ,the following account given by ,mr4 ,ward about the death of a devotee of this goddess will not be uninteresting4 ,in the year #ahji1 ,trigonu ,goswamee1 a vyuktavudhootu1 died at ,kali ,ghat in the following manner3 ,three days before his death1 he dug a grave near his hut1 in a place surrounded by three vilwu trees which he himself had planted4 ,in the evening he placed a lamp in the grave1 in which an offering of flesh1 greens1 rice1 c41 to the shakals was made1 repeating it the next evening4 ,the following day he obtained from a rich native ten rupees worth of spirituous liquors1 and invited a number of mendicants1 who sat drinking with him till twelve at noon1 when he asked among the spectators at what hour it would be full moon2 being informed1 he went and sat in his grave1 and continued drinking liquors4 ,just before the time for the full moon1 he turned his head towards the temple of ,kali1 and informed the spectators that he had come to ,kali ,ghat with the hope of seeing the goddess1 not the image in the temple4 ,he had been frequently urged by different persons to visit the temple1 but though he had not assigned a reason for his omission1 he now asked what he was to go and see there3 a temple8 ,he could see that from where he was4 ,a piece of stone made into a face1 or the silver hands8 ,he could see stones and silver any where else4 ,he wished to see the goddess herself1 but he had not1 in this body1 obtained the sight4 ,however1 he had still a mouth and a tongue1 and he would again call upon her2 he then called out aloud twice1 ,kali8 ,kali8 and almost immediately died2--probably from excessive intoxication4 ,the spectators1 though ,hindoos 7who in general despise a drunkard71 considered this man as a great saint1 who had foreseen his own death1 when in health4 ,he had not less than four hundred disciples4 ,the various causes which have hitherto conspired to impart a sanctity to this famous temple are gradually waning in their influence1 but it will be a very long time before the minds of the mass of the people are completely purified in the crucible of true ,religion1 before which superstition and priestcraft must vanish into air4 ,,footnotes3 #gc ,the ,hindoos put out their tongues when they are shocked at anything4 #gd ,the image of ,minerva1 it will be recollected1 was that of a threatening goddess1 exciting terror4 ,on her shields she bore the head of a gorgon4 ,sir ,william ,jones considers ,kali as the ,proserpine of the ,greeks4 #ge ,a ,reck is a small round basket1 with which ,natives measure rice1 the staff of life in ,bengal4 ,every family has its sacred ,reck of paddy which is preserved with religious care and brought out on such special occasions4 #gf ,a superstitious idea prevails among the ,hindoos that unless they illuminate their houses on this particular night1 devils would come and take possession of them4 ,in the ,upper and ,central ,provinces it is customary with the ,hindoo inhabitants not only to illuminate but whitewash their houses and decorate the doors and walls of shops with colored ,china paper so that every thing may look smart according to ,native taste4 ,in the ,jubbulpore ,district ,i have seen the poorest laborer whitewash the mud walls of his tiled-hut with one farthing's worth of white earth called ,sewmattee which is found in great abundance in that part of the country4 #gg ,one ,joy ,ghose1 a notorious buffoon1 was once asked by his old mother to perform the above rite4 ,joy1 instead of reciting the motto in the right way1 purposely inverted it just to irritate the old lady1 and repeated the first last and the last first4 ,the joke was too much for the sensitive mother2 she wrung her breast1 tore her hair1 and refused to be consoled until the son repeated the song in proper order1 i4 e41 bad luck out1 good luck in4 ,trifling with ,luckee1 the goddess of prosperity1 is the height of folly4 ,it is punished with misery here and perdition hereafter4 #gh ,young ,bengal is no longer satisfied with ,kali ,ghat meat2 his taste being improved and his mind disabused1 he must needs have kid and mutton from the new ,municipal market1 which is certainly superior in quality to that of ,kali ,ghat4 #gi ,the writer in his younger days remembers to have been once taken up on a ,kali ,poojah night by a gang of infamous drunkards in the very heart of ,calcutta4 ,when he was returning home about midnight in company with some of his friends after seeing the tamasha1 he being the youngest of the lot had necessarily lagged behind1 when to his utter dismay he was suddenly laid hold of by a man who smelt strongly of liquor and carried him hurriedly into an empty house on the roadside4 ,the first shout at the very threshold was1--here we have got a moori1 i4 e4 a victim2 the ruffians1 who had their faces covered with clothes1 jumped up at the announcement1 and one of them accosted him in the following manner--what money and pice have you got8 ,the writer replied a few an his pice only4 ,no ,rupees8 asked another2 whereupon they all fell to searching his person and stripped him of all his clothes1 which consisted of a dhooty1 a chadur and a jama1 and finally bade him go4 ,as a matter of course he was obliged to return home almost in a state of nudity1 one of his friends lending him a chadur on the occasion4 ,in these days the introduction of gas light and the posting of constables on the highway have greatly checked such ruffianism4 #hj ,this idea is strengthened by the opinion of ,native medical students1 many of whom1 it is a matter of regret1 are not great advocates of temperance4 ,natives use liquor not for health but solely for intoxicating purposes4 ,a very successful ,native ,practitioner to whom not only the writer but many of his respectable friends are under great obligation1 not long ago fell a victim to the besetting vice of intemperance1 and confessed his guilt like a penitent sinner in his dying moments4 ,his reputation was so great at one time that it was said patients felt half cured when he entered the room4 ,in the beginning of his brilliant career1 he was one of the most staunch advocates of temperance4 ,how frail is human nature6 #ha ,for an account of the ,bamacharee ,sect1 see note ,d4 ,x4 ,,the ,,saraswati ,,poojah4 ,saraswati is the ,hindoo goddess of learning4 ,she is represented as seated in a water lily and playing on a lute4 ,throughout ,bengal her worship is celebrated with more or less pomp on the fifth day of the increase of the moon1 in the ,bengali month of ,magha or ,falgoon 7,february74 ,as the popular ,shastras reckon the commencement of spring from this date1 the people1 especially the young and gay of both sexes1 put on basantee or yellow garments1 and indulge in all sorts of low merriment1 manifesting a depraved and vitiated taste4 ,every ,hindoo1 young or old1 who is able to read and write1 observes this ceremony with apparent solemnity1 abstaining from the use of fish on that day as a mark of reverence to the goddess4 ,the worship is performed either before an image of the goddess1 or before a pen1 ink-bottle and pooti 7manuscript71 which are symbolically regarded as an appropriate substitute for the image4 ,the officiating priest1 after reading the prescribed formula1 and presenting rice1 fruits1 sweetmeats1 flowers1 c41 directs the votaries of the goddess to stand up with flowers in their hands and repeat the usual service1 beseeching her to bestow on them the blessings of learning1 health1 wealth1 good luck1 longevity1 fame1 c4 ,apart from its idolatrous feature1 it is a rather strange sight to see a number of youths1 after going through the process of ablution and changing their clothes1 stand up before the goddess in a body1 and in a devotional spirit address her in prayer for the blessings above enumerated4 ,even apart from its superstitious character1 it is decidedly objectionable on the score of its purely secular tendency1 as it makes no allusion whatever to the primary object of all prayer1 viz41 the atonement and pardon of sin and the salvation of the soul--an element in which the religious ceremonies of the ,hindoos are singularly deficient4 ,life is real1 life is earnest1 ,and the grave is not its goal2 ',dust thou art1 to dust returnest1' ,was not spoken of the soul4 ,it was reported of ,sir ,william ,jones that when he studied ,sanskrit1 he used to place on the table a metal image of this goddess1 evidently to please his ,pundit4 ,let it not be inferred from this that he advocated the continuance of idolatry2 far from it1 but even in appearance to acquiesce in homage to an idol made of clay and straw is to withhold from the ,most ,high the reverence1 gratitude and obedience due to ,him alone4 ,the early formation of a prayerful habit divested of any idolatrous feature will always exercise a healthy religious influence on the mind in maturer years4 ,in every chatoospati or school1 the ,brahmin ,pundit and his pupils worship this goddess with religious strictness4 ,the ,pundit setting up an image1 invites all his patrons1 neighbouring friends and acquaintances on this occasion4 ,every one who attends must make a present of one or a half ,rupee to the goddess1 and returns home with the hollow benediction of the ,brahmin4 ,to so miserable a strait have the learned ,pundits been reduced of late years1 that they anxiously look forward to the anniversary of this festival as a small harvest of gain to them1 as the authoritative ministers of the goddess4 ,they make from fifty to one hundred ,rupees a year by the celebration of this ,poojah1 which keeps them for six months2 should any of their friends fail to make the usual present to the goddess1 they are sure to come and demand it as a right4#hb ,females are not allowed to take a part in the worship of this goddess1 simply because the great lawgiver of the country has denied them this privilege4 ,they1 however1 now-a-days read and write in spite of the traditional prohibition1 but are religiously forbidden to say their prayer before the goddess1 though she is herself an embodiment of their sex4 ,it is quite obvious that feelings of lamentable debasement arise in their hearts at the annual recurrence of this festival1 strongly reminding them of the unhealthy1 unnatural ordinance of their great lawgiver4 ,the day following the ,poojah1 the women are not permitted to eat any fresh prepared article of food1 but must be satisfied with stale1 cold things1 such as boiled rice and boiled pease with a few vegetables1 totally abstaining from fish1 which they cannot do without on any other day4 ,taking place on the sixth day of the increase of the moon1 this part of the festival is called ,situl ,shasthi as enjoining the use of cold food4 ,as a mark of homage to the goddess1 the ,hindoos do not read or write on that day4 ,hence the day is observed as a holiday in public and mercantile offices where the clerks are mostly ,hindoos4 ,should any necessity arise they write in red ink1 as all the inkstands in the household are washed out and placed before the goddess for annual consecration4 ,they are1 however1 not prevented from attending to secular business on this occasion4 ,unlike the sanguinary character of the ,poojahs of ,doorga and ,kali1 no bloody sacrifices are offered to this gentle goddess1 but as regards rude merriment1 the one in question does not form an exception to the others4 ,revelry and unbecoming mirth are the grand characteristics of this as indeed of almost every other ,hindoo festival4 ,it is sickening to reflect how indecency and immorality are thus unblushingly countenanced under the sacred name of religion4 ,loose women celebrate this festival1 and keep up dancing and singing all night in a bestial state of intoxication to the utter disgust of all sober-minded men4 ,the ,moharajah of ,burdwan used to expend large sums of money on this occasion1 engaging the best dancing girls of the metropolis and illuminating and ornamenting his palace in a splendid style1 besides giving entertainment to his ,english and ,native friends4 ,vast multitudes of people from ,calcutta still resort to his palace and admire the profuse festoons of flowers and the yellow appearance of everything1 indicative of the advent of spring1--a season which1 according to popular notion1 invites the mind to indulge in licentious mirth4 ,it is needless to enumerate farther the many obscenities practised in songs and actions on this occasion4 ,,footnotes3 #hb ,a gift once made to a ,brahmin must be continued from year to year till the donor dies2 in some cases it is tenable from one generation to another4 ,,xi4 ,,the ,,festival ,,of ,,cakes4 ,on the annual commemoration of this popular festival in ,bengal1 which is analogous to the ,english ,harvest home1 the people in general1 and the agricultural classes in particular1 manifest a gleeful appearance1 indicative of national demonstrations of joy and mirth4 ,it takes place in the ,bengalee month of ,pous or ,january1 following immediately in the wake of the ,english ,christmas and ,new year's day4 ,with the exception of the upper ten thousand1 almost all men1 women and children alike participate in the festivities of the season1 and for three succeeding days are occupied in rural pastimes and gastronomical enjoyment4 ,the popular cry on this occasion1 is--,awoynee1 ,bownee1 teen deen1 pittaey1 bhat1 khawnee1 the ,pous or ,makar ,sankranti is come1 let three days be passed in eating cakes and rice1 accompanied by a supplementary invocation to the goddess of ,prosperity 7,lukshmee7 that she may afford her votaries ample stores so that they may never know want4 ,as the outward manifestation of this internal wish1 they tie all their chests1 boxes1 beddings1 the earthen cooking pots in the kitchen1 as well as those in the store-house containing their food grains1 and in fact every movable article in the house1 with shreds of straw that they may always remain intact4 ,the origin of this festival is involved in obscurity1 but tradition says that it sprung from the general desire of the people engaged in agricultural pursuits to celebrate the last day of ,pous1 and two succeeding days1 in eating what they most relish1 cakes of all sorts1 to their hearts' content1 after having harvested and gathered their corn and other food grains1 which form the main staff of their life4 ,whatever may have been the origin of this festival1 it is evident that it does not owe its existence1 like most other ,hindoo festivals1 to priestcraft4 ,the idea is good and the tendency excellent4 ,after harvesting and gathering the fruits of their labour1 on which depend not only their individual subsistence throughout the year1 but the general prosperity of the country by the development of its resources1 the husbandmen are well entitled to lay aside1 for a short while1 the ploughshare1 and taking three days' rest1 spend them in rural amusements and festivities amid their domestic circle4 ,all this tends1 in no small degree1 to awaken and revive dormant feelings of love and friendliness by mutual exchange of invitations as well as of good fellowship4 ,their incessant toil in the field during the seven previous months1 their intense anxiety on the score of weather1 carefully noting1 though not with the scientific precision of the meteorological reporter1 deficient and plenteous rainfall1 and apprehending the destructive ,october gale1 when the ears of corn are almost fully developed1 their constant watchfulness for the prevention of theft and the destruction of the crops by cattle1 their unceasing weeding out of troublesome and useless plants and cassay grass1 sometimes wading in marshy swamp or mire knee deep1 and their incessant anxiety for the due payment of rent to the zemindar1 or perhaps of interest to the relentless money lender1 are sources of uneasiness that do not allow them a moment's peace of mind4 ,should they1 by way of relaxation1 cease to work for three days in the year1 they are not to be blamed for laziness or supineness4 ,the question of a good harvest is of such immense importance to an agricultural country like ,india1 that when the god1 ,ram ,chunder1 the model king1 visited his subjects in ,oude1 the first thing he asked them was about the state of the crops1 and when the enquiry was favorably answered1 his mind was set at rest1 and he cheerfully unfolded to them the scheme of his future ,government4#hc ,physically and practically considered1 temporary cessation from labor is indispensable to recruit the energy of the exhausted frame of body1 and promote the normal vigor of mind4 ,so in whatever light this national jubilee is regarded1 socially1 morally or scientifically1 it is productive of beneficial results1 ultimately contributing to the augmentation of the material prosperity of the land4 ,some of my countrymen of a fastidious taste look upon this festival as a puerile and foolish entertainment1 because it possesses no dignified feature to commend it to their attention1 but they should consider that it is free from the idolatrous abominations and rank obscenity by which most of the ,hindoo festivals are characterised1 independently of its having a tendency to promote the innocent mirth and general hilarity of the masses1 whose contentment is the best test of a good government and of a generous landed aristocracy4 ,so popular is this festival amongst the people that the ,mussulmans have a common saying to the effect1 that their ,eed1 ,bakrid and ,shub-i-,barat--three of their greatest national festivals--are no match for the ,hindoo ,pous ,sakrad4 ,our children and women in the city1 whose minds are so largely tinctured with an instinctive regard for all festivities1 share in the general excitement4 ,on this occasion1 exchanges of presents of sweetmeats1 cloths1 jaggery1 ghee1 flour1 oranges1 cereals1 cocoanuts1 balls of concentrated milk1 vegetables1 spices1 sugar1 almonds1 raisins1 etc1 are made between relatives in order that they may be enabled to solemnise the cake festival with the greatest eclat4 ,in respectable families1 the women cheerfully take the trouble of making these preparations1 instead of trusting them to their female cooks1 because male cooks are no adepts in the art4 ,so nicely are these cakes made and in such variety1 that the late ,mr4 ,cockerell1 a highly respected merchant of this ,city1 used every year to get an assortment from his ,baboo and invite his friends to partake of them2 and notwithstanding the proverbial differences of taste1 there are few who would not relish them4 ,the boys in the many patshalas or primary schools around ,calcutta1 annually keep up this festival in a splendid style4 ,the more advanced form themselves into a band of songsters1 and1 attended by bands of musicians with all the usual accompaniments of flags1 staves1 etc41 proceed in procession from their respective schools to the bank of the river ,bhagiruttee1 singing rhythmically in a chorus all the way in praise of the holy stream1 and of her powers of salvation in the present ,kali ,yuga1 or iron age4 ,when they reach their destination they pour forth their songs most vociferously4 ,they afterwards perform the usual ablutions and return home in the same manner as they set out from the ,patshala1 regarding the performance as an act of great merit4 ,,footnotes3 #hc ,indeed1 it has become a byword among the ,natives in general that the compound word1 ,ram-,rajya1 or the empire of ,ram is synonymous with a happy dynasty4 ,there existed peace1 union and harmony among the people in the infancy of society4 ,almost every family had its assigned plot of land which they cultivated1 and the fruits of which they enjoyed without the incubus of a rack-renting system1 because the virgin soil always afforded an abundant harvest4 ,the wants of the people were few and those were easily supplied4 ,in fact there was a complete identity of interests between the rulers and the ruled4 ,the result was universal contentment and happiness4 ,but unhappily the present advanced stage of social organisation has considerably impaired the relation4 ,,xii4 ,the ,holi ,festival4 ,the annual return of this festival in honor of the god ,krishna1 excites the religious feelings and superstitious frenzy of the ,hindoos not only in ,bengal but also in ,orissa1 ,bombay1 and in the ,upper ,provinces of ,india4 ,from time immemorial1 it has continued to exercise a very great influence over the minds of the people at large1 so much so that what the ,holi festival is in the ,upper ,provinces1 the ,doorga ,poojah is in the ,lower ,provinces of ,bengal1 being by far the most popular and demonstrative in all their leading features4 ,though originally and essentially a ,hindoo festival of a religious character1 dedicated to the worship of a ,hindoo god1 it has subsequently assumed a jubilant phase1 drawing the followers of a different creed to its ranks2 hence not a few ,mussulmans in ,upper ,india observe it in a secular sense1 quite distinct from its religious aspect or requirements4 ,in ,bengal it is called ,dole ,jattra1 or the rocking of the image of ,krishna on its throne4 ,it occurs on the day of the full moon in the ,bengallee month of ,falgoon or ,march1 at the vernal equinox1--a season of the year when all the appetites1 passions and desires of the people are supposed to be more or less inflamed1 and they naturally seek outlets of gratification4 ,in the ,upper ,provinces it is known by the name of ,holi1 or festival of scattering fhag or red powder among friends and others4 ,on the previous night the people both here and in the ,upper ,provinces burn amidst music the effigy of an uncouth straw image of a giant named ,maydhasoor1 who caused great disturbance among the gods and goddesses in their hours of meditation and prayer4 ,to put a stop to this unholy molestation the god ,narayan or ,krishna destroyed the giant by means of his matchless valor and skill1 and thus restored peace in heaven as well as on earth4 ,to commemorate this glorious achievement1 the image of the above giant is annually burnt on the night previous to the ,holi festival4 ,the religious part of the ceremony1 irrespective of its idolatrous element1 is performed in accordance with the original rules of the ,hindoo ritual1 which are free from all kinds of abominations4 ,but the great body of the people1 lacking the vital principle of a pure and true faith and following the impulse of unrestrained appetites1 have gradually sunk into the depths of corruption1--the outcome of impure imaginations and of a vitiated taste4 ,in ,bengal1 the observance of this festival is not characterised by anything that is violently opposed to the social amenities of life4 ,notwithstanding the many-featured phases and multitudinous requirements of the ,hindoo creed1 the peculiarities of this festival are mainly confined to the worship of the household image1 and the entertainment of the ,brahmins and friends4 ,daubing the bodies of the guests with red powder in an either dry or liquid state1 and singing songs descriptive of the sports of ,krishna with the milk-maids in the groves of ,brindabun1 form the constituent elements of the festival in ,bengal4 ,offerings of rice1 fruits and sweetmeats are made to the god1 and its body is also smeared with red powder by the officiating priest1 so as to render it one with that of its followers4 ,at the close of the ceremony1 the rite of purification is performed1 which restores the image--either a piece of stone or metal--to its normal purity4 ,it is a noteworthy fact that in this festival1 no new image made of clay and straw is either set up or thrown into the sacred stream1 as is invariably the case with the other ,hindoo gods and goddesses generally worshipped by the people of ,bengal4 ,krishna1 in whose honor this festival is celebrated1 has many forms1 one of which generally constitutes the household deity that is worshipped every morning and evening by the hereditary priest with all the solemnity of a religious service4 ,a ,hindoo who keeps an image of this god is esteemed more in a religious point of view than one who is without it4 ,in the popular estimation he escapes many censures to which a godless ,hindoo is often exposed4 ,nor is this at all singular4 ,an orthodox ,hindoo who offers up his daily prayer to his tutelar deity is at least more consistent in his principles1 which1 as ,confucius very justly says1 means ,heaven1 than one who is tossed about by a wavering faith in the indistinguishable whirl of life4 ,the festival of ,dole ,jattra or ,holi in ,bengal1 commencing on the day of the full moon1 varies1 however1 in its observance as to the day on which it is to be held4 ,some celebrate it on the first1 some on the second1 and some again on the third1 fifth1 seventh1 ninth day of the dark phase of the moon4 ,generally ,vaishnaws1 or the followers of ,krishna1 observe it1 though in some cases1 the ,saktos1--the followers of ,doorga and ,kalli--also celebrate it4 ,no bloody sacrifices are offered on the occasion4 ,apart from the religious merit attributed to the ceremonial1 it is comparatively a tame and undemonstrative affair in the ,lower ,provinces of ,bengal when compared with the sensational excitement with which it is celebrated in the ,upper ,provinces4 ,in ,orissa too1 it is kept up with great eclat before the shrine of ,juggurnauth and its environs4 ,thousands and tens of thousands of pilgrims from a great distance congregate there on this occasion and offer their oblations to the stumped lord of the world4 ,when the inhabitants of ,bengal talk of their most popular festivals1 they pronounce almost involuntarily the ,dole and ,doorgutsub1 but the latter has long since completely eclipsed the former4 ,morally1 socially and intellectually the enlightened ,bengallees are assuredly the ,athenians of ,hindoostan4 ,their growing intelligence and refined taste1--the outcome of ,english education--have imbued them with a healthier ideal of moral excellence than any other section of the ,indian population throughout the length and breadth of the land 7the ,parsis of ,bombay excepted74 ,it is owing to the influence of this superior moral sense that they do not abandon themselves to the general corruption of manners obtaining in ,upper ,india during the ,holi festival4 ,fools make a mock at sin is a scriptural proverb which is especially applicable to the inhabitants of the ,upper ,provinces on the annual return of this festival4 ,unlike their brethren in ,bengal they pay greater attention to the secular than to the religious part of the ceremony4 ,a few days before the ,holi1 as if to enkindle the flame of a national demonstration of a sensational character1 they return to the low1 obscene old ballads which constitute a notable feature of the ceremonial4 ,week after week1 day after day1 and hour after hour1 they pour them out almost as spontaneously as a bird1 because they have a perverse propensity for the indulgence of impure thoughts1 and rude1 profane mirth1 which is an outrage on common decency and a scandal to a rational being4 ,notwithstanding the vigilance of the ,police and the stringency of the ,penal ,code1 these ragamuffins stroll along the public streets in bands1 dance antics and sing obscene songs with impunity1 simply because the major portion of the ,native constables come from the same lower strata of society4 ,of course before a ,european they dare not commit the same nuisance4 ,should a luckless female1 even old and infirm1 chance to come in their way1 they unblushingly assail her with a volley of scurrilous and insulting epithets much too gross to be tolerated by a rational being having the smallest modicum of decorum about him4 ,to give a specimen of the songs1 vulgar as they unquestionably are1 would be an act of unpardonable profanation4 ,even in the ,burra ,bazar of ,calcutta1 where the ,up-country ,hindoos mostly reside1 excesses and enormities are committed1 even in the full blaze of day1 which alike belie reason and conscience1 and ignore the divine part of humanity4 ,mirth1 music and melody do not form the programme of their amusement1 but a feverish excitement1 originating in lust and leading to criminal excesses1 is the characteristic of the scene4 ,if a sober-minded man were permitted to examine the ,cash ,book of a country liquor shop1 he would most assuredly be struck with the enormous receipts of the shopkeeper during the festive days on this occasion4 ,bacchanalianism in all its most detestable forms reigns rampant in almost every home and purlieu throughout the ,upper ,provinces4 ,every brothel1 every toddykhannah1 every grog shop1 is crowded with customers from early morning to dewy evening and later on4 ,an almost incessant volume of polluted and polluting outcries rises to the skies from these dens of sin1 smirching and vulgarising the brilliant ideals of a holy festival4 ,the endless chanting of obscene songs1 the discordant notes of the inebriated songsters almost tearing their throats in excessive vociferations1 the harsh din of music1 their frightful gesticulations and contortions of the body1 their frantic dance1 their dithyrambic fanaticism in which every sense of decorum is lost1 their horrid looks rendered tenfold more horrid by reason of their smearing their bodies with red powder1 the pestiferous atmosphere by which they are encompassed1 and their reeling posture and bestial intoxication1 all conspire to make them mock at sin4#hd ,nor is this to be wondered at4 ,the lives and examples of the ,hindoo gods have1 in a great measure1 moulded the character of their followers3 ,shiva is represented as declaring to ,luckhee that he would part with the merit of his works for the gratification of a criminal passion2 ,brahma as burning with lust towards his own daughter2 ,krishna as living with the wife of another1 murdering a washerman and stealing his clothes1 and sending his friend ,yoodhisthira to the regions of torment by causing him to utter a falsehood2 ,indra and ,chundra are seen as the paramours of the wives of their spiritual guides4 ,it is much to be lamented that the authors of the ,hindoo mythology have unscrupulously held up the revels of their gods to the imitation of their followers4 ,it is but just to observe that the more respectable classes are restrained by a sense of honor from participating with the populace in the vicious pleasures of undisciplined passions4 ,but their implied approval of such sensual gratifications tends1 in no small degree1 to fan the flame of superstitious frenzy4 ,if they do not expose themselves in the highway1 they betray their concupiscence within the confines of their own dwellings4 ,they substitute opium and bhang 7hemp7 for spirituous liquors1 and among the females of the house1 some aunt or other is the butt of their rude1 unseemly satire4 ,their lusts and want of inward discipline1 stimulated by a false religion as well as by the demoralized rules of an abnormal conventionalism1 have deadened1 as it were1 their finer sensibilities1 and generations must pass away before they are enabled rightly to appreciate their social relations and their moral and religious duties4 ,,footnotes3 #hd ,when the late ,mr4 ,thomason1 the ,lieutenant-,governor of the ,north-,western ,provinces1 visited ,benares1 the far famed city of holy shrines and holy bulls1 during this festival1 he exclaimed in pious indignation1 what disgusting scenes are enacted and frightful crimes perpetrated in the name of religion by rational beings capable of purer and sublimer enjoyments4 ,surely the shameless ragamuffins are the fit subjects of a bedlam4 ,,xiii4 ,,caste4 ,the distinction of caste is woven into the very texture of ,hindoo society4 ,in whatever light it is considered1 religiously1 morally1 or socially1 it must be admitted that this abnormal system is calculated to perpetuate the ignorance and degradation of the race among which it prevails4 ,it is useless to enquire when and by whom it was founded4 ,the ,hindoo ,shastras do not agree as to this point1 but it is obvious to conclude that it must have originated in a dark age when a proud and selfish priesthood1 in the exercise of its sacerdotal functions1 imposed on the people this galling yoke of religious and social servitude4 ,even the rulers of the land were not exempt from its baneful influence4 ,they were as much subject to the prescribed rules of their order as the common people4 ,calculating on the implicit and unquestioning obedience of men to their authoritative injunctions1 a scheming hierarchy established a universal system1 the demoralizing effects of which are perhaps without a parallel in the annals of human society4 ,the capacity and culture of man's intellect was shamefully under-estimated when it was expected that such an artificial order1 so preposterously unsuited to the interests of humanity and to the advancement of civilization1 should for ever continue to influence the life and destiny of unborn generations4 ,the distinctions of rank in ,europe says ,mr4 ,ward1 are founded upon civic merit or learning1 and answer very important ends in the social union2 but this system commences with an act of the most consummate injustice that was ever perpetrated2 binds in chains of adamant nine-tenths of the people1 debars them for ever from all access to a higher state1 whatever their merits may be2 puts a lock upon the whole intellect of three of the four orders1 and branding their very birth with infamy1 and rivetting their chains for ever1 says to millions and millions of mankind1--'you proceeded from the feet of ,brahma1 you were created for servitude4' ,history furnishes no parallel to such an audacious declaration1 made in utter defiance of the fundamental principles of humanity4 ,the onward march of intellect can never be checked1 even when fenced in by the strongest of artificial barriers4 ,still will that grey spirit rise and chase away the errors which age has accumulated and superstition cherished4 ,that grey spirit yearning in desire ,to follow knowledge1 like a sinking star1 ,beyond the utmost bound of human thought4 ,the distinction of caste1 it is obvious1 was originally instituted to secure to the hierarchy all the superior advantages of a privileged class1 and to condemn all other orders to follow menial occupations such as the trades of the country could furnish4 ,they kept the key of knowledge in their own hands1 and thus exercised a domineering influence over the mass of the people1 imagining that their exclusive privileges should have endless duration4 ,this power in their hands was either a treasury chest or a rod of iron4 ,the mind recoils from contemplating what would have been the state of the country1 the extent of her hopelessness and helplessness1 if the light of ,european knowledge had not dawned and penetrated the ,hindoo mind1 and thereby introduced a healthier state of things4 ,eighty years back this system was at the zenith of its splendour2 men clung to it with all the tenacity of a natural institution1 and proscribed those who ventured to break through its fetters4 ,it was a terrible thing then to depart from the established order of social union2 the least whisper of a deviation and the slightest violation of its rules were visited with social persecution of the worst type4 ,i cannot do better than give a few instances1 illustrating the nature of the punishments to which a ,hindoo was subjected in that period of terror1 when caste-mania raged most furiously4 ,after the establishment of the ,english power in ,bengal1 the caste of a ,brahmin of ,calcutta was destroyed by a ,european who forced into his mouth flesh1 spirits1 c4 ,after remaining three years an outcast1 great efforts were made1 at an expense of eighty thousand rupees1 to restore him to the pale of his caste1 but in vain1 as many ,brahmins of the same order refused to associate with him as one of their own4 ,after this1 an expense of two lacks of ,rupees more was incurred1 when he was re-admitted to the privileges of his caste4 ,about the year #ahjb1 a person in ,calcutta expended in feasting and presents to ,brahmins fifty thousand ,rupees to be re-admitted into the ring of his caste from which he had been excluded for eating with a ,brahmin of the ,peeralee caste4 ,not long after this1 two ,peeralee ,brahmins of ,calcutta made an effort to wipe out the opprobrium of ,peeralism1 but were disappointed1 though they had expended a very large sum of money4 ,ghunusyamu1 a ,brahmin1 about thirty-five years ago1 went to ,england and was excommunicated4 ,gocool1 another ,brahmin1 about the same time went to ,madras1 and was renounced by his relatives2 but after incurring some expense in feasting ,brahmins1 he was received back4 ,in the year #ahjh1 a blacksmith of ,serampore returned from ,madras and was disowned by his fellow caste men1 but after expending two thousand ,rupees amongst the ,brahmins1 he was restored to his family and friends4 ,in the same year the mother of ,kali ,prosaud ,ghose1 a rich ,kayusto of ,benares1 who had lost caste by intercourse with ,mussulmans and was called a ,peeralee1 died4 ,kali ,prosaud was much concerned on account of the rites required to be performed in honor of the manes of his deceased parent1 but no ,brahmin would officiate at the ceremony2 after much entreaty and promise of rewards1 he prevailed at last upon eleven ,brahmins to perform the necessary ceremonies at night4 ,a person who had a dispute with these ,brahmins informed against them1 and they were immediately abandoned by their friends4 ,after waiting several days in vain1 hoping that his friends would relent1 one of these ,brahmins1 tying himself to a jar of water1 drowned himself in the ,ganges4 ,some years ago1 ,ram1 a ,brahmin of ,tribany1 having1 by mistake1 married his son to a ,peeralee girl1 and being abandoned by his friends1 died of a broken heart4 ,in the year #ahjc1 ,shibu ,ghose1 a ,kayusto1 married a ,peeralee girl1 and was not restored to his caste till after seven years1 and after he had expended seven thousand ,rupees for the expiation of his offence4 ,about the same period1 a ,brahmin woman of ,velupookuria1 having been defloured1 and in consequence outcasted1 put an end to her existence by voluntary starvation4 ,in the village of ,buj ,buj1 some years ago1 a young man who had lost his caste through the criminal intrigues of his mother1 a widow1 in a state of frenzy poisoned himself1 and his two surviving brothers abandoned the country4 ,goorooprasaud1 a ,brahmin of ,churna1 in ,burdwan1 not many years ago1 through fear of losing caste1 in consequence of the infidelity of his wife1 left his home and died of grief at ,benares4 ,about the year #ahjj1 a ,brahmin lady of ,santipore murdered her illegitimate child1 to prevent discovery and loss of caste4 ,in the year #ahjg1 a ,brahmin of ,tribany murdered his wife by strangling her to avert loss of caste through her criminal intrigues4 ,about the year #agij1 ,kalidass1 a ,brahmin1 who had been inveigled into marrying a washerman's daughter1 was obliged to flee the country to ,benares1 where being discovered1 he sold all his property and fled1 and his wife became a maniac4 ,in the time of ,rajah ,krishna ,chunder ,roy1 a ,brahmin of ,santipore was found to have a criminal intrigue with the daughter of a shoemaker3 the ,rajah forbade the barber of the village to shave the family or the washerman to wash for them3 in this distress they applied to the ,rajah and afterwards to the ,nawab for restoration1 but in vain4 ,after having been despoiled of their resources by the false promises of pretended friends1 the ,rajah relented and removed the ban1 but the family have not obtained to this day their pristine position4#he ,numbers of outcasts abandon their homes and wander about till death4 ,many other instances might be given in which the fear of losing caste had led to the perpetration of the most shocking murders1 which in this country are easily concealed1 and thousands of children are murdered in the womb1 to prevent discovery and the consequent loss of caste1 particularly in the houses of the ,koolin ,brahmins4 ,the inveterate tenacity with which the rites and privileges of caste are clung to is a prominent feature of the ,hindoo character1 showing1 like many other facts1 that as a nation--the ,rajpoots excepted--they fear the sword-blade1 but can meet death with calmness and fortitude when they apprehend any danger to the purity of caste4 ,in the year #aggg1 a ,mussulman nobleman forcibly seized the daughters of three ,brahmins4 ,they complained to the judge of the district1 but obtaining no redress1 they committed suicide by poison under the nose of the unrighteous judge4 ,when1 about a century since1 a body of sepoys were being brought from ,madras to ,calcutta1 the provisions ran short1 till at last the only food consisted of salted beef and pork4 ,though a few submitted to the necessity of circumstances and defiled themselves1 many preferred a languishing death by famine to a life polluted by tasting forbidden food4 ,the ,mussulman ,governors often took advantage of this prejudice1 when their exchequers were empty4 ,the ,hindoo would submit to the most excruciating tortures rather than disclose his hoard1 but the moment his religious purity was threatened1 he complied with any demand1 if the sum asked for was within his means2 if not1 the man being linked to his caste fellows1 the latter raised the required sum by subscription4 ,in a moral point of view1 the effects of this distinction are equally mischievous4 ,far from promoting a spirit of benevolence and good fellowship between man and man1 it has a natural tendency to engender hostile feelings1 which cannot fail to militate against the best interests of humanity4 ,should a ,hindoo of inferior caste happen to touch one of superior caste1 while the latter is cooking or eating1 he throws away everything as defiled4 ,even in cases of extreme sickness1 the one will seldom condescend to drink water out of the hands of the other4 ,there are also instances on record in which two ,hindoos of the same caste refuse to eat together1 simply because they belong to two several dalls or parties2 in the villages especially this partisan feeling is sometimes carried to so great a length that no party will scruple to blast the fair fame of their antagonists by scandalous accusations and uncalled-for slanders4 ,thousands and thousands of ,rupees are spent in securing the favors or alliance of the ,koolins--the great arbiters of caste1--and he who by the power of his purse can enlist on his side a larger number of these pampered ,koolins1 generally takes away the palm4 ,the hard struggle for the attainment of this hollow1 ephemeral distinction1 instead of stimulating any noble desire or laudable ambition1 almost invariably terminates in fostering an antagonistic spirit1 which is decidedly opposed to the laws of good fellowship and the general brotherhood of mankind4 ,genuine charity can never exist in such an unexpansive state of society1 and mutual love is torn in shreds4 ,if the original founder of the system had calmly and soberly considered1 apart from selfish motives1 a tithe of the evils which the caste system was calculated to inflict on society1 he would1 ,i make no doubt1 have paused before imposing on ,hindoo society the fetters of caste servitude4 ,it has been urged by the advocates of the system that it is designed to confer a great boon on society by confining each trade or occupation to one particular class1 and thereby securing perfection in that line2 but the argument is as fallacious as the result is disappointing4 ,experience and observation sufficiently prove that the ,hindoo artisans use almost the same tools and implements which their predecessors used centuries ago4 ,they work with the same loom and spindle1 the same plough1 the same spade1 the same scythe1 the same threshing machine1 and the same everything that were in vogue at the time of ,vicramadyatta in the sixteenth century1 and if any improvement has been effected1 it is owing to the superior skill of the foreigners4 ,it is1 however1 creditable to the native artisans to say that they evince a great aptitude for learning and imitating what they see4 ,native carpenters1 shoemakers1 tailors1 engravers1 lithographers1 printers1 gold and silver-smiths1 c41 now-a-days turn out articles which in point of workmanship are not very much inferior to those imported from ,europe4 ,of course they are materially indebted to ,europeans for this improvement4 ,the circumstances which cause the loss of caste are the following3 ,the abandonment of the ,hindoo religion1 journey to foreign countries which involves the eating of forbidden food1 the eating of food cooked by one of inferior caste or of food forbidden to the ,hindoos1 female unchastity in a family1 the cohabiting with women of a lower caste1 or with those of foreign nations and the non-performance of religious rites prescribed in the ,shastras4#hf ,there are other circumstances which detract from the dignity of a family1 but they are of secondary importance4 ,these causes were in full operation some seventy or eighty years ago4 ,the unanimous voice of the neighbours denounced a ,hindu as an outcast if he were found guilty of any of the above transgressions4 ,purity of caste was then watched with greater solicitude than purity of conscience and character4 ,the magnates of the land spared neither expense nor pains to preserve inviolate the outward purity of their caste4 ,the popular shastras of the ,hindoos are certainly very convenient and accommodating in every respect2 the sins of a life-time1 nay of ten lives1 may be washed away by an ablution in the sacred stream of the ,ganges on the occasion of certain holy days called yogas2 so requisite provision is made in them for the atonement of the loss of caste by performing certain religious rites and feasting1 and making suitable presents to ,brahmins in money and kind4 ,but it has always been a matter of wonder to many that the ,peeralees or the ,tagores of ,calcutta1 alike noted for their wealth and liberality1 have not as yet been able to regain their caste or their original position in ,hindu society4 ,the obvious reason appears to be that they are not desirous of a restoration by submitting to any kind of humiliating atonement4 ,they have shown their wisdom in pursuing such an independent and manly course4 ,the history of ,peeralee is thus given by ,mr4 ,ward3 ,a ,nabob of the name of ,peeralee is charged with having destroyed the rank of many ,hindus1 ,brahmins and others2 and from these persons have descended a very considerable number of families scattered over the country1 who have been branded with the name of their oppressor4 ,these persons practise all the ceremonies of the ,hindu religion1 but are carefully avoided by other ,hindus as outcasts4 ,it is supposed that not less than fifty families live in ,calcutta1 who employ ,brahmin priests to perform the ceremonies of the ,hindu religion for them4 ,it is said that ,rajah ,krishna ,chunder ,roy was promised five lacks of ,rupees by a ,peeralee1 if he would only honor him with a visit of a few moments1 but he refused4 ,such was the virulence with which the caste mania raged when ,hindu bigotry had reached its culminating point4 ,rajah ,krishna ,chunder ,roy of ,kishnaghur1 about #ajj miles north of ,calcutta1 was otherwise reputed to have been a very generous-hearted man1 a great patron of learning and learned men1 but he was so blindly led away by the impulse of bigotry that he unhesitatingly declined to assist a brother countryman of his who had been subjected to social ostracism through mere accident4 ,but the ,rajah's grandson1 if ,i am rightly informed1 when he had occasion to come down to ,calcutta a few years back1 unscrupulously took up his quarters at ,spence's ,hotel1 and freely enjoyed the company of his ,european friends1 indicating a healthy change in the social economy of the people1 the result solely of intellectual expansion1 and of the inauguration of a better era through the rapid diffusion of western knowledge4#hg ,the ,peeralee or the ,tagore family of ,calcutta1 be it recorded to their honor1 have long been eminently distinguished by their liberality1 manly independence1 enlightened principles and enterprising spirit4 ,some of the members of this family occupy the foremost rank amongst the friends of native improvement4 ,the late ,baboo ,dwarkey ,nath ,tagore set a noble example to his countrymen by his disinterested exertions in the cause of native education and public charities4 ,several of his ,european friends were under deep obligations to him for his unbounded liberality under peculiarly embarrassed circumstances2#hh the length of his purse was equalled by the breadth of his views4 ,his object in proceeding to ,england was mainly to extend his knowledge by a closer and more familiar intercourse with ,europeans4 ,he was the right hand of the illustrious ,hindoo reformer1 the late ,raja ,rammohun ,roy4 ,his magnanimous mind1 his enlightened views1 his engaging manners1 his amiable qualities both in public and private life1 and his indomitable zeal in endeavouring to elevate his country in the scale of civilization1 gave him an influence in ,english society never before or after enjoyed by any ,hindoo gentleman4 ,his worthy relative and coadjutor1 the late ,baboo ,prosono ,coomar ,tagore1 ,c4 ,s4 ,i41 who has left a princely fortune1 was no less distinguished for his enlarged views and liberal sentiments4 ,his rich endowment of the ,tagore ,law ,lecturship in connection with the ,calcutta ,university has substantially established his claim on the gratitude of his countrymen4 ,it was he that first started the native ,english ,paper called the ,reformer1 which not only opened the eyes of the ,hindoos to the errors of the antiquated system under which they lived1 but diffused a healthy taste for the cultivation of ,english literature among the rising generation of his countrymen1 and thereby paved the way for the development of advanced thought and intelligent opinion on the practical enunciation and appreciation of which mainly depends the future advancement of the nation4 ,the late ,moha ,rajah ,ramanauth ,tagore1 ,c4 ,s4 ,i41 another member of the ,tagore family1 was deservedly esteemed for his liberal sentiments1 his high sense of honor1 his scrupulous fidelity and his unblemished character4 ,baboo ,debendernath ,tagore1 the son of the late ,baboo ,dwarkeynauth ,tagore1 bears a highly exemplary character4 ,his uncompromising straightforwardness1 his sincerity and piety1 his high integrity1 his devotedness to the cause of religion1 his unassuming habits1 the suavity of his disposition1 and his utter contempt for worldly enjoyments1 have shed an unfading lustre around his name4 ,well may ,india be proud of such a worthy son4 ,moha ,raja ,jotendermohun ,tagore1 ,c4 ,s4 ,i41 ,raja ,sourendermohun ,tagore1 his brother1 and ,baboo ,gynendermohun ,tagore1 the son of the late ,baboo ,prosonocoomar ,tagore1 also belong to this family3 all of them bear a very high character for intelligence1 integrity1 and sound moral principles4 ,all these distinguished individuals are descended from ,peeralee ancestors4 ,few have more deservedly merited the respect and esteem of their countrymen1 or better vindicated their rightful claim to the honors bestowed on some of them4 ,if they are denounced as outcasts1 such outcasts are the ornaments of the country4 ,if they are far in the rear of caste they are assuredly far in the van of intelligence1 ability1 mental activity1 refinement and honesty4 ,if to be a ,peeralee were an indelible stigma1 it is certainly a glory to the whole nation that such a noble and stainless character as ,baboo ,debendernauth ,tagore is a member of the same family4 ,we would search in vain among the countless myriads of ,india for such a meek1 spotless1 but bright and glorious model4 ,it is1 moreever1 to the ,peeralee or ,tagore family that the enlightened ,hindoo community of ,calcutta is principally indebted for its refined taste and elevated ideas4 ,may they continue to shed their benign influence not only on the rising but unborn generations of their countrymen1 and carry on the work of reformation1 not with the impetuosity of rash innovators1 but with the cool deliberation of reflecting minds4 ,the rules of caste are not now strictly observed1 and their observance is scarcely compatible with the spirit of the age1 and in one sense we have scarcely a ,hindoo in ,bengal1 especially amongst those who live in the ,presidency town and the district towns4 ,the distinction of caste is more honored in the breach than in the observance of it4#hi ,as ,english schools and colleges are multiplying in every nook and corner of the empire1 more liberal ideas and principles are being imbibed by the ,hindoo youths1 which bid fair in process of time to exercise a regenerating influence on the habits of the people4 ,idolatry1 and its necessary concomitant1 priestcraft1 is fast losing its hold on their minds2 a new phase of life indicates the near approach of an improved order of things2 ideas which had for ages been pent up in the dark1 dreary cell of ignorance now find a free outlet1 and the recipients of knowledge breathe a purer atmosphere1 clear of the hazy mists that had hitherto clouded their intellect4 ,to a philanthropist such a forecast is in the highest degree encouraging4 ,the distinction of caste has also received a fatal blow by the frequent visits of young and aspiring native gentlemen to ,england for the purpose of completing their education there4 ,this growing desire among the rising generation should be encouraged as it has an excellent tendency to promote the moral and intellectual improvement of the nation4 ,the late ,baboo ,ramdoolal ,dey1#ij of ,calcutta1 who was a self-made man and a millionaire1 was a ,dullaputty or head of a party4 ,when the subject of caste was discussed1 he emphatically said1 that the caste was in his iron chest1 the meaning of which was that money has the power of restoring caste4 ,the late ,baboo ,ram ,gopal ,ghose1 a distinguished merchant and reformer of this ,city1 had a country residence at ,bagati1 near ,tribani1 in the ,hooghly district1 about #ajj miles east of ,calcutta4 ,he had a mother who was1 as might be expected1 a superstitious old lady4 ,baboo ,ram ,gopal on principle never wounded her feelings by interfering with her religious belief4 ,on the occasion of the ,doorga ,poojah at his country house1 his mother as usual directed the servants to distribute the noybidhi1 or offerings1 consisting of rice1 fruits and sweetmeats1 among the ,brahmins of the neighbourhood2 but they all1 to a man1 refused to accept the same1 on the ground that ,ram ,gopal was not a ,hindoo1 which was tantamount to declaring that he had no faith in ,hindooism1 and was an outcast from ,hindooism4 ,on seeing the offerings brought back1 his mother's lamentations knew no bounds1 because the refusal of the ,brahmins to accept the offerings was a dishonor1 and involved the question of the loss of caste4 ,apprehending the dreadful consequences of such a refusal1 especially in a village where bigotry reigned supreme1 the old lady became quite disconsolate4 ,ram ,gopal1 who with strong common sense combined the benefit of a liberal ,english education1 thought of the following expedient3 ,he at once suggested that every noybidhi 7offering7 should be accompanied by a sum of five ,rupees4 ,the temptation was too great to be resisted1 the very ,brahmins who1 two hours back1 openly refused to take the offerings1 now came running in numbers to ,ram ,gopal's house for their share1 and regularly scrambled for the thing4 ,in fact1 he had more demands than he could meet4 ,thus a few ,rupees had the marvellous effect of turning a ,sahib into a pure ,hindoo1 fully illustrating the truth of ,ramdoolal ,dey's saying1 that ,caste was in his iron chest4 ,examples of this nature may be multiplied to any extent1 but they are not necessary4 ,thus we see the decadence of this artificial system is inevitable1 as indeed of every other unhealthy institution opposed to the best interests of humanity4 ,i cannot close this chapter without drawing the attention of my readers to the gross inconsistency of the conduct of the caste apologists4 ,thousands and tens of thousands of the most orthodox ,hindoos daily violate the rules of caste by using the shidho chall1 7rice produced from boiled paddy7 which is often prepared by ,mussulmans and other low caste husbandmen1 whose very touch is pollution to the food of the ,hindoo4 ,it is a notorious fact that nine-tenths of the ,hindoos of ,bengal1 including the ,brahmin class1 are in the habit of eating shidho chall1 which is the prime staff of their lives1 simply because the other kind of rice1 atab chall7rice produced from sun-dried paddy71 contains too much starch or nutritive property and is difficult of digestion by bhayto or rice-fed ,bengallees who are1 with a few exceptions1 constitutionally weak from a variety of causes enumerated before4 ,in the ,north-,west ,provinces1 people never use shidho rice owing to its being boiled in an unhusked state4 ,the ,hindoos of our day often consume sugar refined with the dust of charcoal bones4 ,the universal use of shidho rice and sweetmeats which contain refined sugar leads the ,hindoos to break the rules of caste almost every hour of their lives4 ,besides these two chief articles of food1 there are several other things made by ,mussulmans1 such as rose-water1 kaywra arauk1 and the like1 the general use of which is a direct violation of the rules of caste4 ,a ,hindoo female1 when she becomes a widow at an advanced period of life1 sometimes takes to atab rice because it is not produced from boiled paddy which makes it impure1 but from sun-dried paddy1 and here the members of the ,tagore family are more strict in their regime than any other class of ,hindoos in ,bengal4 ,there are1 however1 yet a few orthodox ,hindoos1 who1 though they eat shidho rice1 nevertheless abstain from using bazar-made sweetmeats and ,municipal pipe water because the engines of the latter are said to be greased and worked by ,mussulman and ,christian hands4 ,such men make their own sweetmeats at home with ,benares sugar and drink ,ganges water1 but the younger members of their family1 if not without their approval at least with their partial cognisance1 daily make the greatest inroads on this institution without having the moral courage to avow their acts4 ,they eat and drink in the ,european fashion1 and preserve their castes intact by a positive and emphatic disclaimer4 ,so much for the consistency of their character4 ,when the orthodox heads of ,hindoo families are gathered unto their fathers1 the key-note of the present or rising generation will be--perish caste with all its monstrous evils4 ,,footnotes3 #he ,rajah ,kissen ,chunder ,roy1 in the latter end of the #ahth century1 used to restore persons and families who had forfeited their caste by their laches by recovering from them a heavy fine for which there used to be much higgling4 ,this fine was in addition to the expenses incidental to the ceremony of ,prayischittra4 ,many heads of ,dalls or parties of our day follow the same practice4 #hf ,the non-performance of religious rites does not now1 however1 entail forfeiture of caste4 ,hindu society is getting lax in our days4 #hg ,i am inclined to believe that what the late ,nuddea ,raja did was his individual act2 as the head of the ,hindus of ,bengal1 the ,rajah of ,nuddea would strictly follow the practices of his great ancestor even to this day4 #hh ,to one friend alone he gave two lacs of ,rupees without any security1 showing a degree of magnanimity seldom to be met with among the millionaires of the present day4 #hi ,the young members of a family have no hesitation in partaking of food cooked by ,mussulmans and forbidden in the ,hindoo ,shasters4 ,on holidays or on special occasions1 they send orders to the ,great ,eastern ,hotel1 and get supplies of ,english delicacies such as they have a liking for4 ,it is a well-known fact that almost every rich family in ,calcutta and its suburbs 7the orthodox members excepted7 recognised as the head of the ,hindoo community1 patronise the ,english ,hotel-keepers4 ,mr4 ,d4 ,wilson1 the famous purveyor in ,government ,place1 seeing the great rush of native gentlemen into his shop on a ,christmas eve1 was said to have remarked that the ,baboos were amongst his best customers4 ,the great purveyor was right1 because the ,baboos give large orders and pay regularly for fear of exposure4 ,such of them as are placed in mediocre circumstances arrange with their ,mussulman syces and get fowl curry or roast as often as they choose4 ,there are indeed a few honorable exceptions1 who on principle do not encourage the ,english style of eating and drinking4 ,a very little reflection will convince any one that the ,english mode of living is ill suited to the ,natives4 ,it not only leads a man into extravagance1 but what is more reprehensible1 begets a habit of drinking1 which1 ,i need hardly say1 has been the ruin of many a promising young ,baboo4 #ij ,this gentleman was a ,banian to several ,american and ,english firms1 which used to deal largely in cow and other hides4 ,from religious scruples he refused to accept the usual commission on such articles by which he might have obtained at least forty thousand ,rupees per annum4 ,in these days no ,baboo declines to take the usual commission1 but on the contrary1 many are engaged in the trade1 which is a sacrilegious act in the eye of the ,hindoo ,shaster4 ,,xiv4 ,a ,,brahmin4 ,a ,brahmin of the present iron age is quite a different ecclesiastic from what he was in the past golden age4 ,he is a metamorphosed being4 ,believing in the doctrine of metempsychosis1 he claims to have descended from the mouth of the ,supreme ,brahma1 the ,creator according to the ,hindoo triad4 ,in the lapse of time1 his physical organisation1 his traditional reputation as a saint and sage1 his thorough devotion to his religious duties1 his mental abstraction1 his logical acumen1 the purity of his character1 his habitude and mode of living1 have all undergone a radical change1 unequivocally indicating the gradual declension of corporeal strength1 of intellectual vigor1 as well as of moral worth4 ,in former times he was popularly regarded as the visible embodiment of the ,creator1 and the delegated exponent of all knowledge1 revealed or acquired4 ,the old and venerable ,munis and ,rishis1 and their philosophical dissertations1 their theological controversies and their religious and ethical disquisitions1 evoked the admiration of the world in the dark ages before the ,christian era4 ,almost all of them lived in a state of asceticism1 and devoted their lives to religious contemplation1 renouncing all the pleasures1 passions and desires of the mundane world4 ,the longevity of their lives in their sequestered retreat1 the perfect purity of their manners1 the simplicity of their habits1 and their elevated conception of the immutable attributes of ,god1 inspired the people with a profound reverence for their precepts and principles4 ,the prince and the peasant alike paid their homage to the sacerdotal class1 whose doctrines had1 in the primitive state of society1 the authority of religion and law4 ,the power of the ,brahmins penetrated every class of the people1 and by way of eminence they called themselves ,dvija1 i4 e41 the regenerated or the twice born--a term which should only be applied to the really inspired sons of ,god4 ,since the promulgation of the ,institutes of ,manu they obtained that prominent rank among the ,hindoos which they have retained unimpaired amidst all dynastic changes4 ,keeping the key of all knowledge in their exclusive custody1 their functions were originally confined to the performance of religious ceremonies and the promulgation of laws4 ,in all the affairs of the state or religion1 the fiat of their ordinances had all the weight of a sacred command4 ,even the order of a mighty potentate was held in subordination to their injunctions4 ,they were enjoined to worship their guardian deity three times a day1 and were strictly prohibited from engaging in any secular occupation4 ,they practised all manner of austerities tending to beget a contempt for all worldly enjoyments1 and paved the way by religious meditation for ultimate absorption into the divine essence1--an ideal of the sublimity of which we can have no conception in the present degenerate age4 ,the complete monopoly of religious and legal knowledge which the ,brahmins enjoyed for a very considerable period after the first dawn of learning in the ,east anterior to the ,christian era1 enabled them to put forth their very great influence upon the spiritual and temporal concerns of the three other orders of the ,hindoo population1 who implicitly accorded to them all the valuable rights of a privileged class1 superior to all earthly power whatsoever4 ,it has been expressly declared in the ,institutes of ,manu that ,hindoo ,law was a direct emanation from ,god4 ,that ,immutable ,power1 says ,manu1 having enacted this ,code of ,laws1 himself taught it fully to me in the beginning2 afterwards ,i taught ,marichi and the nine other holy sages4 ,it is believed that in the tenth century1 ,b4 ,c4 the complete fusion of ,hindoo law and religion1 was effected1 and that both were administered by the ,brahmins1 until some mighty kings arose in ,rajpootana1 who curtailing their supreme influence reduced them to a secondary position4 ,thenceforward their ascendency gradually began to decline1 till at length through succeeding generations it dwindled into comparative insignificance4#ia ,in process of time1 the four grand original classes slowly multiplied1 which is not to be wondered at in a great community split into divisions and subdivisions1 separated from each other by different creeds1 manners1 customs and modes of life4 ,these ramifications necessarily involved diversities of religious1 moral and legal opinions and doctrines more or less fatal to the unquestioned authority of the ,brahmins1 who seeing in the progress and revolution of society the inevitable decay of their hitherto undisputed influence1 abandoned the traditional and prescribed path of religious life and betook themselves to secular pursuit of gain for their subsistence4 ,the necessary consequence now is that in almost every sphere of life1 in every profession or calling1 the ,brahmins of the present day are extensively engaged4 ,and their cupidity is so great1 that every principle of law and morality is shamefully compromised in their dealings with mankind4 ,a ,brahmin is no longer typical of either religious purity or moral excellence4 ,his profound erudition1 his logical subtlety in spinning into niceties the most commonplace distinctions1 his spirit of deep research and his illimitable power of polemical discussion1 have all forsaken him1 and from an inspired priest he has degenerated into a mercenary purohit4 ,he no longer wears on his forehead the frontlet of righteousness1 his whole heart1 his whole soul is impregnated with corruption4 ,in a fervent spirit1 he no longer says to his followers--let us meditate on the adorable light of the ,divine ,ruler2 may it guide our intellects4 ,his sacred poita 7,brahminical thread7 his divine gayutree 7prayer7 his holy basil 7bead roll71 his three daily services with the sacred water of the ,ganges1 no longer inspire the minds of his votaries with awe1 obedience and homage4 ,from the worship of the only ,living and ,true ,god he has descended to the worship of #ccj millions of gods and of goddesses4 ,human numeration reels at the list4 ,the individuality of the godhead is lost in the never ending cycles of deified objects1 animate and inanimate4 ,we no longer recognise in the ,brahminical character and life an unsullied image of godlike purity1 holiness and sublimity4 ,his ministrations no longer fill us with joyful and exhilarating hopes which extend beyond the grave and promise to lead us to the safe anchorage of everlasting bliss4 ,they no longer stir up in our breasts during each hour of life's waning lustre a sublimer faith1 a brighter prospect1 a kinder sympathy1 a gentler resignation4 ,i ask every ,hindoo to look into his heart honestly and answer frankly whether a ,brahmin of the present day is a true embodiment1 a glorious display1 a veritable representative of ,brahma1 the ,creator4 ,has he not long since sacrificed his traditional pure faith on the altar of selfishness and concupiscence and committed a deliberate suicide of his moral and spiritual faculty8 ,we blush to answer the question in the affirmative4 ,i now purpose to give a short account of the ceremonies connected with the investiture of the poita1 the sacred thread of a ,brahmin1 on the strength of which he assumes the highest ecclesiastical honors and privileges4 ,according to the ,hindoo almanac1 an auspicious day is fixed for this important ceremonial1 which opens a new chapter in the life of a ,brahmin especially intended to ensure him all the rare benefits of a full-blown ,dwija1 or the twice-born4 ,in celebrating the rite1 particular regard is had to the state of the weather2 should any atmospheric disturbance occur1 the ceremony is postponed to the next clear day4 ,the age assigned for the investiture is between nine and fifteen years4 ,the occasion is accompanied in many cases by the preparation of ananunda naru1 a kind of sweetmeat made of powdered rice1 treacle1 cocoanut and gingelly seeds rolled up into small round balls and fried in mustard oil4 ,this particular sort of ,hindoo confectionery1 evidently a relic of primitive preparations1 is manufactured on all occasions indicative of domestic rejoicing1 hence the significance of the name given above4 ,before the appointed day1 the boy is enjoined to abstain from the use of fish and oil1 and on the morning of the ceremony1 having been shaved1 he is made to bathe1 and put on red clothes1 and when the rite of investiture commences wears a conical shaped tinsel hat1 while the priest reads certain incantations and worships ,narayan or ,vishnoo1 represented by a small round stone called ,saligram ,sulu1 the ordinary household god of all ,hindoos4 ,a piece of cloth is held over his head1 that he may not see or be seen by any of the non ,brahminical caste4 ,he then assumes the dunda1 or the staff of an ascetical mendicant1 which is represented by the branch of a vilwa tree held in his right hand1 at the top of which is tied a knot with a bit of dyed cloth4 ,an initiatory poita made of twisted khoosh grass1 to which is fastened a piece of deer's skin1 is next placed over the boy's left shoulder during the repetition of the prescribed incantations4 ,the father then repeats to his son1 in a low voice1 lest a ,soodra should hear1 the sacred gayutree three times1 which he tries his best to commit to memory4 ,the khoosh grass poita is here removed1 and a real thread poita spun by ,brahmin women#ib which he is to wear ever afterwards1 is substituted in its place4 ,the boy now puts on his shoes and holds an umbrella in his hand while the priest reads and the father repeats the usual incantations1 tending to awaken in the boy a sense of the grave responsibility he assumes4 ,thus dressed as a ,brahmacharee 7a religious mendicant71 with a staff upon his shoulder and a beggar's wallet hanging by his side1 he goes to his mother1 father and other relatives and begs alms1 repeating at the same time a certain word in ,sanskrit4 ,they give him each a small quantity of rice1 a few poitas and a few ,rupees1 amounting in some cases to two or three hundred4 ,the boy then squats down while the father offers a burnt sacrifice and repeats the customary incantations4 ,after the performance of these ceremonies1 the boy in his ,brahmacharee attire suddenly rises up in a fit of pretended ecstacy and declares before the company that he is determined in future to lead the life of a religious mendicant4 ,the announcement of this resolution instantly evokes the sympathy of the father1 mother and other relatives1 and they all persuade him to change his mind and adopt a secular life1 citing instances that that life is favourable to the cultivation and growth of domestic and social affections as well as religious principles of the highest order4 ,the holy ,shastra expressly inculcates that a clean heart and a righteous spirit make men happy even amid the sorrows of earth1 and that the sackcloth of mendicancy is not essential to righteousness if we earnestly and sincerely ask ,god to give us ,his true riches4 ,thus admonished1 he with apparent reluctance abandons his pre-concerted design1 which is a mere sham1 and assumes the role of secularism4 ,certain formulas are now repeated1 after which the boy leaves his vilwa staff1 and takes in hand a thin ,bamboo staff1 which he throws over his shoulder4 ,other ritualistic rites are then performed1 at the close of which the priest receives his fee for the trouble and departs home with the offerings4 ,the boy next walks into a room1 a woman pouring out water as he goes4 ,he is then taught to commit to memory his daily service1 called sundhya1 after the repetition of which he eats the charu made of milk1 sugar and rice boiled together4 ,for three days after being investited with the poita the boy is enjoined to sleep either on a carpet or a deer's skin1 without a mattress or a musquito curtain4 ,his food consists of boiled rice1 ghee1 milk and sugar1 etc41 only once a day1 without oil and salt4 ,he is strictly prohibited to see the sun or the face of a soodra1 and is constantly employed in learning the sacred gayutree and the forms of the daily service which should be repeated thrice in a day4 ,on the morning of the fourth day1 he goes to the sacred stream of the ,ganges1 throws the two staves into the water1 bathes1 repeats his prayers1 returns home1 and again enters on the performance of his ordinary secular duties4 ,during the day1 a few ,brahmins are fed according to the circumstances of the family4 ,thus the ceremony of investiture is closed1 and the boy being purified and regenerated is elevated to the rank of a ,dwija or twice born4 ,how easily does the ,brahminical ,shastra make a change for the better in a religious sense in a youth quite incapable of forming adequate conceptions of a spiritual regeneration by the mere administration of a single rite6 ,having endeavoured to give thus a short account of the ceremonies connected with the investiture of the sacred thread of a ,brahmin1 it remains to be seen how far his present position1 character and conduct harmonise with the reputed sanctity of his regenerated nature4 ,great blame is laid at the door of the ,british ,government1 because it does not accord that high respect to the sacerdotal class which their own ,rajahs had shewn them in the halcyon days of ,hindooism4 ,before the advent of the ,british to ,india1 the doctrines of the ,brahminical creed1 as indicated above1 were in full force4 ,every ,hindoo king used to enforce on all classes of the people high or low1 a strict observance of the idolatrous ceremonies prescribed in the ,hindoo ,shastra4 ,in the dark ages scarcely any nation in the world was hemmed in by such a close ring of religious ceremonials as the people of this country4 ,almost every commonplace occurrence had its peculiar rites which required the interposition of the sacerdotal class4 ,on occasions of prosperity or adversity1 of rejoicing or calamity1 their ministration was alike needed4 ,these formed their ordinary sources of gain1 but the greatest means of support consisted in the grants of lands1 including sometimes houses1 tanks1 gardens1 etc41 given in perpetuity to gods or the priests4 ,these grants are called1 as ,i have already stated1 the ,debatras and ,brahmatras4 ,among others1 the ,rajahs of ,burdwan1 ,kishnaghur1 and ,tipperah made the greatest gifts1 and their names are still remembered with gratitude by many a ,brahmin in ,bengal4 ,but the ,law authorizing the resumption of rent-free tenures has1 as must naturally be expected1 made the ,english ,government obnoxious1 and it is denounced in no measured terms for the sacrilegious act4 ,if ,manu were to visit ,bengal now1 his indignation and amazement would know no bounds in witnessing the sacerdotal class reduced to the humiliating position of a servile1 cringing and mercenary crowd of men4 ,their original prestige has suffered a total shipwreck4 ,generally speaking1 a ,brahmin of the present day is practically a ,soodra 7the most inferior class7 of the past age1 irretrievably sunk in honor and dignity4 ,indeed it was one of the curses of the ,vedic period that to be a ,brahmin of the present ,kali yagu would be an impersonation of corruption1 baseness and venality4 ,there is a common saying amongst the ,natives that a ,brahmin is a beggar even if he were possessed of a lakh of ,rupees 7,l#aj1jjj47 ,it is a lamentable fact that impecuniosity is the common lot of the class4 ,in ordinary conversation1 when the question of the comparative fortunes of the different classes is introduced1 a ,brahmin is often heard to lament his most impecunious lot4 ,the gains of the sacerdotal class of the present day have been reduced to the lowest scale imaginable4 ,if an officiating priest can make ten ,rupees a month1 he considers himself very well off4 ,he can no longer plume himself on his religious purity and mental superiority1 once so pre-eminently characteristic of the order4 ,the spread of ,english education has sounded the death-knell of his spiritual ascendancy4 ,in short1 his fate is doomed2 he must bear or must forbear1 as seems to him best4 ,the tide of improvement will continue to roll on uninterruptedly1 in spite of every freezing and blighting influence1 and we heartily rejoice to discover already that the tender blade is grown into the green ear1 and from the green ear to the rich and ripened corn4 ,when1 a few years ago1 ,sir ,richard ,temple carefully examined the ,criminal ,statistics of ,bengal1 he was most deeply concerned to find that the proportion of the ,brahmin criminals in the jails of the ,province far outnumbered that of any other caste4 ,this is an astounding fact1 bearing the most unimpeachable testimony to the very lamentable deterioration of the ,hindoo ecclesiastical class in our days4 ,to expatiate on the subject would be unpalatable4 ,but we believe we can point with a degree of pardonable pride to a past period when nine men of literary genius1 among whom the renowned ,kalidas1 the ,indian ,shakespeare1 was the most brilliant1 flourished in the ,court of ,vikramaditya in ,ougein2 but dynastic changes were simultaneously accompanied by the rapid decline of learning as well as of religious purity4 ,the ,english rule1 though most fiercely denounced by selfish1 narrow-minded men1 has nevertheless been productive of the most beneficial results even as far as the sacerdotal class is concerned4 ,every encouragement is now-a-days afforded to the cultivation of the classical language of ,india--,sanskrit--and not only are suitable employments provided for the most learned ,pundits#ic in all the ,government1 ,missionary and private educational ,institutions throughout the country1 but the ,university degrees conferred on the most successful students1 tend to stimulate them to further laudable exertions in the study of the sacred language1 which1 but for this renewed attempt at cultivation and improvement1 would have been very much neglected4 ,independently of the above consideration1 it is no less gratifying than certain that the progress of education has produced men1 sprung from the sacerdotal class1 whose eminent scholarly attainments1 high moral principles and unblemished character1 as well as a practical useful career1 have raised them to the foremost ranks of ,hindoo society4 ,rammohun ,roy1 ,dr4 ,k4 ,m4 ,banerjea1 ,pundit ,isser ,chunder ,vidyasager1 ,baboo ,bhoodeb ,mookerjee1 and others of equal mental calibre1 are names deservedly enshrined in the grateful memory of their countrymen4 ,if ,western knowledge had not been introduced into ,india1 men of such high culture and moral excellence would have passed away unnoticed and unrecognised in the republic of letters1 and the fruits of their literary labors1 instead of being regarded as a valuable contribution to our stock of knowledge1 would have been buried in obscurity4 ,to study the lives of such distinguished pioneers of ,hindoo enlightenment1 is to stir up our breasts to an exhilarating pursuit of high and ever-growing attainments in intellect and virtue4 ,,footnotes3 #ia ,as the natural consequence of this declension of supremacy1 ,brahminical learning1 from this and other analogous circumstances1 slept a winter sleep1 occasionally disturbed and broken by brilliant coruscations of light thrown upon it by ,western researches1 contemporaneously sustained by the faint efforts of learned ,pundits4 #ib ,to so miserable a strait are some of them reduced that they actually strive to get a living by making these sacred thread poitas and strings for loins1 indicating the pinching poverty and repulsive squalor in which they pine away their wretched existence4 ,indeed not a few of these widows are left to the cold pity and grudging charity of a frosty world4 ,they might almost sing and sigh with the poet as he sat in deep dejection on the shore4 ,alas6 ,i have nor hope1 nor health1 ,nor peace within1 nor calm around2 ,nor that content1 surpassing wealth1 ,the sage in contemplation found2 99 99 99 99 99 ,others ,i see whom these surround1 ,smiling they live1 and call life pleasure2 ,to me that cup hath been dealt in another measure4 #ic ,however learned a ,pundit might be in philology1 philosophy1 logic and theology1 he is lamentably deficient in scientific knowledge1 notably in geography and ethnology4 ,with a view to test the knowledge of his ,pundit on those two subjects1 ,bishop ,middleton was said to have once asked him two very simple questions1 7#a7 whence are the ,english come8 7#b7 what is their origin8 ,the reply of the ,pundit was somewhat to the following effect3 ,the ,english are come somewhere from ,lunka or ,ceylon 7the imaginary land of cannibals71 and they are of mixed origin1 sprung from monkey and cannibal1 because they jabber like monkeys1 and sit like them on chairs with their legs hanging down1--an attitude peculiar to the monkey species1--and they eat like cannibals half-boiled beef1 pork1 mutton1 c4 ,childish as the reply was1 the pious ,bishop1 however1 with his wonted benignity1 smiled and corrected his error4 ,,xv4 ,,the ,,bengalee ,,baboo4 ,this is an euphonious oriental title1 suggestive of some amiable qualities which are eminently calculated to adorn and elevate human life4 ,a ,bengalee ,baboo of the present age1 however1 is a curious product composed of very heterogeneous elements4 ,the importation of ,western knowledge has imbued him with new fangled ideas1 and shallow draughts have made him conceited and supercilious1 disdaining almost everything ,indian1 and affecting a love of ,european aesthetics4 ,the humourous performance of ,dave ,carson1 and the caustic remarks of ,sir ,ali ,baba1 give graphic representations of his anglicised taste1 habits and bearing4 ,any thing affected or imitated is apt to nauseate when contrasted with the genuine and natural4 ,the anglicised ,baboos are certainly well-meaning men1 instinctively disposed to move within the groove traditionally prescribed for them1 but the scintillation of ,european ideas and a servile imitation of ,western manners have played sad havoc with their original tendencies4 ,ambitious of being considered enlightened and elevated above the common herd1 their improved taste and inclination almost unconsciously relegate them to the enchanted dream-land of ,european refinement1 amidst the ridicule of the wise and the discerning4 ,society now-a-days is a quick-shifting panorama4 ,old scenes and associations rapidly pass away to make room for new ones1 and prescriptive usages fall into oblivion4 ,a new order of things springs up1 and new actors replace the old ones4 ,the influence of the aged is diminished1 and the young and impulsive seize with avidity the prizes of life1 forgetting in their wild precipitancy the unerring dictates of cool deliberation4 ,the hurried1 bustling1 tumultuous1 feverish ,present swallows up men's thoughts1 and the momentous interests of society looming in the ,future are almost entirely disregarded4 ,the result necessarily carries them wide of the great object of human life4 ,they forfeit the regard and sympathy of their fellow countrymen whose moral and intellectual advancement they should gradually strive to promote by winning their love and confidence4 ,as a man of fashion he cuts a burlesque figure by adopting partly ,mussulman and partly ,european dress1 and imitating the ,european style of living1 as if modern civilization could be brought about by wearing tight pantaloons1 tight shirts and black coats of alpaca or broadcloth4 ,he culminates in a coquettish embossed cap or thin-folded shawl turban1 with perhaps a shawl neckcloth in winter4 ,he eats mutton chops and fowl curry1 drinks ,brandy panee or ,old ,tom1 and smokes ,manilla or ,burmah cigars a la ,francaise4 ,certainly the use of those eatables and drinkables is proscribed in the ,hindoo ,shastra1 and an honest avowal of it will sooner or later expose him to public derision1 and estrange him from the hearts of the orthodox ,hindoos4 ,a wise ,european1 who has the real welfare of the people at heart1 will never encourage such an objectionable line of conduct1 because it is per se calculated to denationalise4 ,to be more explicit1 even at the risk of verbosity1 it should be mentioned that ,baboos resident in ,calcutta not unjustly pride themselves on being the denizens of the great ,metropolis of ,british ,india1 which is unquestionably the focus of enlightenment1 the centre of civilization and refinement1 and the emporium of fashion in the ,east4 ,people in the country glory and console themselves with the idea that in their adoption of social manners and customs they follow the example of the big ,baboos of ,calcutta4 ,although the fashions of ,hindoo society in ,calcutta do not change with the rapidity they do in ,paris and ,london1 monthly1 fortnightly and weekly1 yet they vary1 perhaps1 once in two or three years1 and even then the change is partial and not radical4 ,slowly and gradually1 the ,hindoos of ,bengal have abandoned their original and primitive dress1 which consisted of thin slender garments1 suited to the warm temperature of the climate at least for the greater part of the year1 and adopted that of their conquerors4 ,a simple dhootee and dubjah1 with perhaps an alkhala on the back and a folded pugree on the head1 constituted the dress of a ,bengali not long before the battle of ,plassey4 ,the court dress was1 indeed1 somewhat different1 but then it was a servile imitation of that of a ,rajpoot chief or a ,mussulman king4 ,when ,rajahs ,rajbullub1 and ,nubkissen1 and ,suddur-ud-din1 a ,mohamedan1 attended the ,government ,house in the time of ,clive and ,hastings1 what was their court costume but an exact copy of the ,mussulman dress8 ,even now1 after the lapse of a century and a half1 they use their primitive dress at home1 viz41 a dhootee and an uraney4 ,an ,englishman would not easily recognise or identify a ,bengalee at home and a ,bengalee in his office dress1 the difference being striking and marked4 ,but the establishment of the ,british rule in ,india has introduced a very great change in the national costume and taste1 irrespective of the intellectual revolution1 which is still greater4 ,twenty years ago the gala dress of a ,bengalee boy consisted of a simple ,dacca dhootee and a ,dacca ecloye1 with a pair of tinsel-worked shoes2 but now rich ,english1 ,german and ,china satin1 brocade and velvet with embossed flowers1 and gold and silver fringes and outskirts1 have come into fashion and general use4 ,it is a common sight to see a boy dressed in a pantaloon and coat made of the above costly stuffs1 with a laced velvet cap1 driving about the streets of ,calcutta during the festive days4 ,of course the more genteel and modest of the class1 sobered down by age and experience1 do not share in the juvenile taste for the gaudy and showy4 ,as becomes their maturer years1 they are satisfied with a decent broadcloth coat and pantaloon1 with a white cloth or ,cashmere shawl pugree1 more in accordance with simple ,english taste4 ,but both the young and the old must have patent ,japan leather shoes from ,cuthbertson and ,harper1 ,monteith ,co41 or the ,bentinck ,street ,chinese shoemakers1 the laced ,mussulman shoes having gone entirely out of fashion4 ,nor is the taste of the ,hindoo females in a primitive stage as far as costliness is concerned4 ,instead of ,dacca ,taercha or ,bale ,boot4a ,sari1 they must have either ,benares gold embroidered or ,french embossed gossamer ,sari1 with gold lace borders and ends4 ,it would not be out of place to notice here that it would be a very desirable improvement in the way of decency to introduce among the ,hindoo females of ,bengal a stouter fabric for their garment in place of the present thin1 flimsy1 loose sari1 without any other covering over it4 ,in this respect1 their sisters of the ,north-,western and ,central ,provinces1 as well as those of the ,south1 are decidedly more decent and respectable4 ,a few respectable ,hindoo ladies have of late years begun to put an unghia or corset over their bodies1 but still the under vestment is shamefully indelicate4 ,why do not the ,baboos of ,bengal strive to introduce a salutary change in the dress of their mothers1 wives1 sisters and daughters1 which private decency and public morality most urgently demand8 ,these social reforms must go hand in hand with religious1 moral and intellectual improvement4 ,the one is as essential to the elevation and dignity of female character as the other is to the advancement of the nation in the scale of civilization4 ,the ,lancashire and ,german weavers have ample cause to rejoice that their manufactured colored woollen fabrics have greatly superseded the ,indian ,pashmina goods--,cashmere shawls not excepted1--and ,european ,cashmere1 broadcloth1 flannel1 hosiery and haberdashery are now in great request4 ,from the wealthiest ,baboo to the commonest fruit seller1 half hose or full stockings are very commonly used4 ,this forms an essential part of the official gear of a keranee 7writer7 of the present day1 though he is now seen without his national pugree or head dress4 ,a ,bengalee ,baboo is said to be a money-making man4 ,by the most ingenious makeshifts he contrives to earn enough to enable him to make both ends meet1 and lay by something for the evening of his life4 ,he is generally a thrifty character1 and does not much mind how the world goes when his own income is positive4 ,he lacks enterprise1 and is therefore most reluctant to engage in any haphazard commercial venture1 though he has very laudable patterns amongst his own countrymen1 who1 by dint of energy1 prudence1 perseverance and probity1 have risen from an obscure position in life to the foremost rank of successful ,native merchants4 ,he is destitute of pluck1 and the risk of a commercial venture stares him in the face in all his highways and byways4 ,in many cases he has inherited a colossal fortune1 but that does not stir up in his breast an enterprising spirit4 ,he seeks and courts service1 and in nine cases out of ten succeeds4 ,the sweets of service1 and the prospect of promotion and pension1 slowly steal into his soul1 and he gladly bends his neck under the yoke of servitude4 ,it is a lamentable fact that he is a stranger to that proud submission of the heart which keeps alive in servitude itself the spirit of an exalted freedom4 ,as a vanquished race1 subordination is the inevitable lot of the ,natives1 but it is edifying to see how they hug its trammels with perfect complacency4 ,the ,english ,government is to the people of ,bengal a special boon1 a god-send4 ,almost every respectable family of ,bengalee ,baboos1 past or present1 is more or less indebted to it for its status and distinction1 position and influence1 affluence and prosperity4 ,the records of authentic history clearly demonstrate the fact that the ,baboos of ,bengal have been more benefited by their ,british rulers than ever they were under their own dynasty4 ,instances are not wanting to corroborate the fact4 ,the love of money is natural in man1 and few men are more powerfully and1 in many cases1 more dangerously influenced by it than the people of this country4 ,it is a thirst which is inflamed by the very copiousness of its draughts4 ,possession or accumulation does not sufficiently satisfy it4 ,experience and observation amply attest the truth of the following current saying among the ,hindoos of the ,upper ,provinces1 viz41 ,kamayta topeewallah1 lotetah dhoteewallah1 the meaning of which is1 the ,english earn1 the ,bengalees plunder4 ,to be more explicit1 the ,english continue to extend their conquests1 the ,bengalee ,baboos participate in the loaves and fishes of the ,public ,service4 ,in a dejected spirit of mind1 a ,hindoosthanee is often heard to mourn2 he addresses a ,sahib in the most respectful manner imaginable1 by using such flattering terms as ,khodabund1 garibparbar1 but in nine cases out of ten the ,sahib scornfully turns away his head2 when1 on the contrary1 a ,bengalee gir gir karkay dho bat4h sanay diya1 i4 e41 jabbers to him a few words1 he patiently listens to him1 and signifies his acquiescence in what he says by a nod4 ,in his boorish simplicity1 the ,hindoosthanee concludes that the ,bengalee ,baboos are well versed in charms1 or else how do they manage to tame a grim biped like a ,sahib4 ,with a view to remove this erroneous impression1 which until recently was so very common among the inhabitants of the ,upper ,provinces1 and the existence of which is so prejudicial to the general encouragement of education throughout ,india1 as well as to the impartial character and high dignity of the paramount power1 the local ,governments have been directed in future to select for public service all the educated ,natives born and bred up under their respective ,administrations in preference to the ,bengalees4 ,thus the aspiration of a ,bengalee ,baboo1 so far as ,public ,service is concerned1 is now restricted within the limits of his own ,province4 ,a ,bengalee ,baboo is an eager hunter after academic honors4 ,the ,university confers on him the high degrees of ,b4 ,a41 ,m4 ,a4 and ,b4 ,l41 and he distinguishes himself as a speaking member of the ,british ,indian ,association or of the ,calcutta ,municipality4 ,he also reads valedictory addresses to retiring ,governors and other ,government ,magnificoes4 ,he is created a ,maharajah1 a ,rajah1 a ,rai ,bahadoor1 with perhaps the additional paraphernalia of ,c4 ,s4 ,i4 or ,c4 ,i4 ,e4 ,as a ripe man of vivid ambition and lofty aspiration1 he necessarily hankers after and is all a-gog to dash through thick and thin for these new honors and decorations4 ,he drives swiftly about in his barouche with his staff holder on the coach-box in broadcloth livery4 ,unfortunately no baronetcy blazons forth in ,bengalee heraldry1 like that bestowed on ,sir ,jamsetjee ,jeejeebhoy4 ,the cause is obvious4 ,no millionaire ,bengalee has to this day contributed so munificently to public charities as the ,parsee baronet4 ,when that distinguished ,hindoo reformer1 ,baboo ,dwarkanath ,tagore1--the most staunch coadjutor of ,rajah ,rammohun ,roy1--visited ,england1 it was reported that ,her ,majesty had most graciously offered to confer on him the title of a ,rajah2 and his liberality and public spirit fully entitled him to that high distinction1 but he politely refused it on the ground that his position did not justify his accepting it4 ,he felt that the shadow of a name without substance was but a mockery4 ,when ,rajah ,radhakant ,deb was elected ,president of the ,british ,indian ,association he used to declare that he was more proud of that office than of his title of ,rajah ,bahadoor1 inasmuch as it indicated the chiefship of a body which was a power in the ,state and was destined to achieve immense good for the country4 ,at the time of the ,prince of ,wales' visit to ,calcutta1 it was said that a certain ,english-made ,rajah was introduced by a ,government ,magnifico to the ,maharajah of ,cashmere2 among other matters1 the ,cashmere ,rajah out of curiosity asked the ,bengal ,rajah1 where was his ,raj and what was the strength of his army8 ,the question at once puzzled him1 and his answer was anything but satisfactory4 ,of all the ,indian ,viceroys1 ,lord ,lytton was certainly the most liberal in bestowing these hollow titles on the ,baboos of ,bengal1 under a mistaken notion of winning the love and confidence1 which ought to constitute the solid basis of a good ,government4 ,a ,rajahship1#id without the necessary equipage and material and moral grandeur of royalty is but a gilt ornament that dazzles at first sight but possesses little intrinsic value4 ,it is in fact a misnomer1 a sham1 a counterfeit4 ,the love of honor or power constitutes one of the main principles of human nature4 ,a ,rajah1 in the true sense of the word1 is one who shares in the royalty of divine attributes4 ,he should remember that a man is bound to look to something more than his mere wardrobe and title2 he must possess a goodness and a greatness which would benefit thousands and tens of thousands of his fellow-creatures by the exercise of real1 disinterested virtue4 ,such a career alone can leave an imperishable and ennobling name behind1 which will go down to posterity as a pattern of moral grandeur4#ie ,politically considered these titles and decorations have their value1 inasmuch as they have a tendency to promote the entente cordiale between the rulers and the ruled1 and1 next to the ,public ,debt1 furnish1 in an indirect way1 an additional buttress to the stability of the ,british ,indian empire4 ,in former times1 when the ,english rule was in its inceptive stage1 when external pageant--the outcome of vanity--was not much thought of1 when the simple taste of the people was not tainted by luxury and corruption1 an unnatural craving for titles exerted but a very feeble influence on the minds of the great4 ,instead of seeking the bubble reputation they vied with each other in the extent of their religious gifts and endowments1 affording substantial aid to the learned of the land and to the poorer classes of the community4 ,a spirit of disinterestedness and self-sacrifice never at variance with magnanimity was conspicuous in all their gifts4 ,the immense extent of ,debatra and ,brahmatra land1 i4 e41 rent-free tenures throughout ,bengal1 even after the relentless operation of the ,resumption ,act1 still bears testimony to their disinterested benevolence and the heartiness with which they entered into other men's interests4 ,of course they were incapable of comprehending the innumerable affinities and relations of life in all its varied phases1 rising from the finite and transient to the infinite and the enduring1 but whatever they gave1 they gave not with a stinted hand nor in an ostentatious way1 but with a truly benevolent and disinterested heart1 looking to the ,most ,high for their guerdon4 ,the sublime and elevated conception of organised charity never penetrated their minds4 ,religious gifts and endowments formed the great bulk of their contributions1 but they also made permanent provision for the relief of the helpless and the destitute1#if not on the recognised principles of ,english charity1 i4 e4 the ,hospital system1 the ,nurses' ,institutions1 ,reformatories for unfortunates1 parish relief1 funds for the aged and infirm1 provision of improved dwellings as well as for baths and wash-houses for the working-classes inaugurated by the magnificent gift by ,mr4 ,g4 ,peabody of ,l#bej1jjj1 ragged schools and asylums for the deaf1 dumb and blind1 supported by voluntary contributions1 and other organised methods for the relief of distress and destitution throughout the country4 ,it is a sad reflection on the benevolent disposition of the ,natives that they cannot boast of anything bearing a remote analogy to the above recognised forms of ,charity4 ,in ,india there is much individual charity of an impulsive and interested character1 but the great element of success in ,english charity is combination and organisation1 without which no work of public utility can be practically carried out4 ,it is obvious that the peculiar social economy of the ,natives presents an almost insuperable barrier to the harmonious amalgamation of the different classes artificially split into numerous subdivisions4 ,in the neighbourhood of ,poona1 ,mr4 ,elphinstone says1 there are about #aej different castes1 and in ,bengal they are very numerous4 ,they maintain their divisions1 however obscurely derived1 with great strictness4#ig ,the religious1 social and moral duties of these classes1 exhibit marked differences1 which are opposed to the combination of united efforts in the cause of relieving suffering humanity4 ,the idea of a national brotherhood and a system of universal philanthropy1 such as ,christianity has nobly inaugurated1 is much too elevated for the narrow1 contracted minds of the people4 ,independent of the numerous subdivisions of caste1 unhappily there still exists an impassable gulf between the ,hindoos and ,mussulmans--at present the children of the same soil--which has hitherto kept up a state of unhallowed separatism1 essentially at variance with a cordial coalition for the consummation of any comprehensive system of ,public ,charity designed to benefit both4 ,age has rooted in the minds of the two communities an implacable mutual hate1 quite subversive of the best interests of humanity4 ,plausible arguments may be adduced in support of the existence of this race antagonism1 but let both of them be assured that by abusing this world they shall not earn a better4 ,let every act or feeling or motive of both races be merged in one harmonious whole1 developing the perfection of human nature in a distinct and bright reality4 ,a ,bengalee ,baboo is fond of discussing ,european politics4 ,the reading of history has given him a superficial insight into the rise and progress of nations4 ,he does not deny that he amplifies and emphasises the sentiments he has learnt in the school of ,english politics4 ,the orations of ,lall ,mohun ,ghose in ,england have proved that a native of ,india has mastered the art of thinking on his legs1 which is the beginning and end of oratory4 ,a few more men like him1 steadily working in earnest at the fountain head of power1 would certainly awaken public attention towards the present condition of our country4 ,it was ,lord ,william ,bentinck who advised a body of ,native ,memorialists1 anxious for the political emancipation of their country1 to continue to agitate until they gained their end4 ,constitutional representation to proper authority1 his ,lordship remarked1 would as much command public attention as idle1 factious declamation divert it4#ih ,he was emphatically the ,people's ,william in ,india1 as ,gladstone is the ,people's ,william in ,england4 ,he was a statesman who directed his whole attention and energy to internal improvement1 repudiating all schemes of aggression or conquest4 ,his beneficence1 immortalised in a noble monument--the ,calcutta ,medical ,college1--will be more gratefully acknowledged by the latest generation than the genius of a ,hastings1 a ,wellesley1 or a ,dalhousie4 ,the complete emancipation of ,india1 however1 is a question of time4 ,baboo ,lall ,mohun ,ghose's speeches in ,england have not been entirely fruitless1 inasmuch as they have evoked and enlisted the sympathy of a few leaders of public opinion4 ,he is manfully struggling to remove the bar of political disabilities1 and to secure for his countrymen the benefit of representative institutions1 for the recognition and appreciation of which they are now prepared4 ,while they hope for the best1 they must be prepared for the worst4 ,they must learn meanwhile to cherish1 as among the essential elements of ultimate success1 a firm1 manly1 independent and self-denying spirit4 ,a ,bengalee ,baboo is often voted a man of tall talk4 ,platitude is his forte4 ,this is surely true to a certain extent2 and until he descends from the elevated region of speculation to the matter of fact arena of practice1 both his writings and harangues must necessarily prove abortive4 ,he must learn to exchange his verbosity for action in the great battle of life4 ,every great politician or statesman must have a thorough practical training to enable him to overcome the opposition of different factions whose interests are jeopardised by his success1 and to render his administration a blessing to the people4 ,he must be prepared to grow and advance under adverse influences4 ,the history of that consummate statesman1 ,sir ,salar ,jung1 of that distinguished scholar and councillor1 ,sir ,t4 ,madeo ,rao1 of that astute minister1 ,maharajah ,sir ,dinkur ,rao1 furnishes the most convincing examples of superior administrative ability combined with practical wisdom4 ,lord ,northbrook1 in a recent speech at ,birmingham1 has made honorable mention of these three eminent statesmen1 whose valuable services in their respective spheres have long since established their substantial claims to the the gratitude of their fellow countrymen4 ,when ,sir ,salar ,jung visited ,europe1 his very comprehensive and enlightened views elicited the admiration of several of the wisest statesmen of the age4 ,his able and successful administration at ,hyderabad1 amidst the fierce opposition of factious parties1 affords an admirable illustration of his superior practical wisdom4 ,when1 some thirty years ago1 ,maharajah ,sir ,dinkur ,rao visited ,calcutta1 he was the wonder of all who heard him enunciate1 in a telling speech at the ,town ,hall1 his high1 noble and practical views on civil ,government4 ,the speech was not made feverish by visions of indistinct good1 as ,mr4 ,theodore ,dickens said1 but it was a clear exposition of the liberal sentiments of a wise statesman4 ,the ,bengalees are not a warlike race4 ,their traditional habits and usages1 their physique1 their diet and dress1 their natural tendency to slothfulness and effeminacy1 their proverbial quietude1 their general want of pluck and manly spirit1 their ascetic composure1 placing the chief joys of life in rest and competency1--an heirloom descended from their ancestors1--all indicate an unwarlike temperament4 ,during the ,mutiny of #ahge1--;an event which in atrocious acts of cruelty incomparably surpasses all other historical events ever recorded1--that kind hearted ,governor ,general1 ,lord ,canning1 was advised to introduce ,martial ,law into ,calcutta1 but he negatived the proposal by emphatically declaring in the ,council ,chamber that the ,bengalees are a mild1 tame1 inoffensive and loyal race of people1 whose only weapon of defence is a simple penknife4 ,a common ,police constable with his baton is to them a grim master of authority4 ,a red-coated ,highlander is formidable enough to cope with and drive away an immense crowd of ,bengalees even in the very heart of the ,city of ,palaces1 while in the villages all shops and houses are closed at the very sight of an ,european soldier in his uniform4 ,in fact1 ,bengal can well be governed by a handful of ,native ,police constables1 especially when the ,arms' ,act is in full force4 ,unlike the military races of ,upper ,india1 or the border tribes1 the ,bengalees will never1 even under the influence of the most aggravated wrongs and injuries1 retaliate or resort to such a desperate court of appeal as war and murder4 ,english is the adopted language of a ,bengalee ,baboo4 ,it is an instructive study to take a cursory view of the rapid progress of ,english education throughout ,india from the day when ,david ,hare had held out pecuniary inducements to ,hindoo youths to attend his school1 and ,dr4 ,duff called in the aid of ,rammohun ,roy to found the infant ,general ,assembly's ,institution1 now developed into the largest ,college in ,india4 ,fifty years ago1 who dreamt or even hazarded a prediction that a ,native lad of sixteen or seventeen years of age would venture to traverse the perilous ocean and compete for the ,civil ,service ,examination in ,england1 paying no heed whatever to the manifold disadvantages arising from social persecution1 and the disruption of domestic relations of the tenderest nature4 ,when ,bacon said that knowledge is power1 he certainly did not mean physical but intellectual power4 ,it is the irresistible influence of this power that has inspirited an ,indian youth to appear at the ,english open competition for the purpose of winning academic spurs and entering a closely fenced service2 it is the quickening influence of this power1 combined with an enterprising spirit1 that has gradually enabled a mere handful of ,english adventurers to convert a small factory into one of the vastest empires in the ,east4 ,the gigantic strides that ,english education has made in ,india within a short time1 have been the wonder of the age1 the foundation rock of her ultimate emancipation1 socially1 morally and intellectually4 ,the prison wall round the mind which ages had reared and learning fortified has been completely demolished1 and not only men but matronly zenana females have picked up a few crumbs of broken ,english words which they occasionally use in familiar conversation1 for instance1 ,rail1 ,talygraf1 ,guvner1 ,juj ,majister1 ,high ,cote1 etc4 ,some of the ,bengalee ,baboos read and write ,english with remarkable fluency1 and the epistolary correspondence of most of them is commonly carried on in that language4 ,when two or more educated ,baboos meet together1 or take their constitutional in the morning1 they perhaps talk of some reading articles in the ,anglo-,indian or ,english journals or periodicals1 and eagerly communicate to each other the flotsam and jetsam of advanced ,european thoughts1 the ripest outcome in the ,nineteenth century1 or the aftermath in the ,fortnightly1 as if the vernacular dialect were not at all fitted for the communication of their ideas4 ,it is a pity that the cultivation and improvement of a national literature--the embodiment of national thought and taste and the mainspring of national enlightenment--seldom or never engages their serious attention4 ,but it is a great mistake to suppose that the large mass of the ,indian population can be thoroughly instructed and reformed through the medium of a foreign language4 ,the richness and copiousness of modern ,english1 combining as it does conciseness with solidity and perspicuity1 are admittedly very great2 it is admirably adapted for the educated few1 but it is not equally suited to the capacity and comprehension of the many4 ,it is incumbent1 therefore1 on all well disposed ,hindoos1 who have the real welfare of their country at heart1 to endeavour to fertilise their national literature by transplanting into it the advanced thoughts of modern ,europe1 and to enrich it with copiousness1 such as would obviate its acknowledged deficiency and barrenness4 ,until this is done1 it is as unreasonable to expect elegance and perfection in the national literature as it is to expect harvest in seed-time or the full vigor of manhood in the incipient state of childhood4 ,assuredly the ,bengalees are a race of keranees or writers1 as ,napoleon said the ,english were a nation of shopkeepers4 ,every morning and evening1 almost all the main streets of ,calcutta leading to the ,english quarter--bright prospect for the ,tramway--are literally thronged with dense crowds of keranees in their white cloth uniform1 busily making for their respective offices1 either in shabby looking third class hackney carriages or on foot4 ,a foreigner not used to such sights cannot fail almost unconsciously to come to a conclusion that the ,bengalees are a nation of keranees4 ,every ,government1 ,railway or ,merchant's office1 is filled with these ,baboos1 either actually employed or serving on probation1 biding their time in fond expectation of picking up a slice of official bread1 buttered or unbuttered4 ,even graduates of the ,calcutta ,university do not hesitate to serve as apprentices1 because a collegiate course does not teach the rules of bureaucracy or official routine4 ,most of them are good copyists or clever accountants1 while a few are correspondence clerks4 ,as a rule1 their pay is very small compared with what is given to ,english ,clerks1 for reasons which ,i need not dilate upon here4 ,within the range of our experience1 extending over fifty years1 we remember only one ,native gentleman--,baboo ,shama ,churn ,dey1 the present vice-chairman of the ,calcutta ,municipality--who1 by his tried ability1 intelligence and integrity has managed to climb to the top of keraneedom4 ,in recognition of his high efficiency his salary has been raised to one thousand ,rupees a month1 in spite of many instances of supersession4 ,i1 in common with others1 am fully persuaded that had he been a ,british-born ,civilian1 he would undoubtedly have drawn a much larger salary4 ,but it is useless to repine at a misfortune which is inevitable4 ,even the amusements of a ,bengalee ,baboo are more or less anglicised4 ,instead of the traditional ,jattras1 7representations7 and ,cobees 7popular ballads7 he has gradually imbibed a taste for theatrical performances1 and native musical instruments are superseded by ,european flutes1 concertinas and harmoniums1 organs and piano-fortes4 ,this is certainly a decided improvement on the old antiquated system1 demonstrating the slow growth of a refined taste4 ,thus we see in almost every phase of life1 at home or outside1 the ,bengalee ,baboo is ,europeanized4 ,in his style of living1 in his mode of dress1 in his writings1 in his public and private utterances1 in his household arrangements and furniture1 in his bearing and department1 in his social intercourse1 in his mental accomplishments1 and in fact1 in his passionate partiality for ,western aesthetics1 he is a modified ,anglo-,indian4 ,but it were devoutly to be wished that he possessed a larger admixture of the essential elements of ,european truthfulness of character1 energy and manliness of spirit1 straightforwardness in his dealings with society1 nobility of sentiment1 magnanimity combined with simplicity1 disinterested love and sympathy1 and above all1 moral and spiritual elevation4 ,,footnotes3 #id ,it is a disreputable fact1 but it most assuredly is a fact1 that when some years ago a teacher of the ,government ,school of ,art published a book in ,bengallee on the ancient arts and manufactures of ,hindoosthan1 and sent a copy of it to one of these ,english-made ,rajahs1 he politely refused to take it--the price being one ,rupee only--saying it was of no use to him though it was an instructive and suggestive manual4 ,this refusal offers a sad comment on the liberality of my fellow countrymen towards the encouragement of learning4 ,but turning from the dark to the bright side of the picture1 ,i may perhaps be permitted to point with pardonable pride to the almost unparalleled munificence of the late ,baboo ,kally ,prosono ,singh of this ,city1 in this respect4 ,that distinguished patron of vernacular literature had1 it is said1 spent upwards of ,l#ej1jjj on the compilation of ,mohabharat1 that grand ,epic poem of the ,hindoos1 which says ,talboys ,wheeler1 still continues to exercise an influence on the masses of the people infinitely greater and more universal than the influence of the ,bible upon modern ,europe4 #ie ,of all the ,english-made ,rajahs of the present day1 it is pleasing to recognise1 in ,moharajah ,rajender ,mullick of this ,city1 some of the noble attributes of a ,rajah4 ,modest and unassuming1 he manifests to a great degree a generous disposition to relieve suffering humanity and to do good by stealth4 ,never did he struggle to thrust himself1 by the nature of his work1 upon public notice4 ,gifted with an intelligent mind1 a refined taste1 and considerable artistic ability1 his moral greatness throws all other forms of greatness into the shade4 ,he is not ambitious to make his name the theme1 the gaze1 the wonder of a dazzled community4 #if ,of all the ,hindoo millionaires whose life afforded the most ennobling example of a pious and disinterested man that of ,lalla ,baboo--the ancestor of the present ,paikparra ,rajah family1 in the suburbs of ,calcutta--was certainly one of the most remarkable4 ,he possessed a princely fortune1 a considerable portion of which he wisely set apart for the support of the poor and destitute4 ,unlike most of his wealthy countrymen1 he renounced all the pleasures of the world1 and in the evening of his life retired with only a shred of cloth into the holy city of ,brindabun4 ,as a practical illustration of self-denial he actually led the life of a religious mendicant1 daily begging from door to door for a mouthful of bread4 ,his religious endowments still continue to offer shelter and food to hundreds of poor people in and around ,brindabun1 which has been so graphically described by ,colonel ,tod4 ,though the groves of ,brinda says he1 in which ,kanaya 7,krishna7 disported with the ,gopis1 no longer resound to the echoes of his flute2 though the waters of the ,jumna are daily polluted with the blood of the sacred kine1 still it is the holy land of the pilgrim1 the sacred ,jordan of his fancy1 on whose banks he may sit and weep1 as did the banished ,israelite of old1 the glories of ,mathoora1 his ,jerusalem4 #ig ,division always implies weakness and estrangement intolerable isolation impeding the expansion of genuine benevolent feelings in a comprehensive sense4 #ih ,very few persons remember the days when ,chuckerbutty faction and grievance ,thomson used to raise a hue and cry in the ,fouzdarry ,balakhanah ,debating ,club1 formed for the political emancipation of ,india before the people were fully prepared to appreciate the value of their rights and privileges4 ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,kobiraj ,,or ,,native ,,physician4 ,notwithstanding the rapid progress of medical science throughout the country since the establishment of the ,calcutta ,medical ,college1 it is an undeniable fact that the practice of ,hindoo ,kobirajes and ,mussulman hakims still continues to find favour in the eyes of a large section of the ,indian population4 ,in ,chemistry1 ,anatomy1 ,midwifery and ,surgery1 the decided superiority of the ,english over the ,native system1 is admitted by all4 ,this is unquestionably an age of improvement2 everything around us indicates the progressive development of arts and sciences1 and a society that does not keep pace with the onward march of intellect is certainly much behind the age4 ,there was a time when upwards of sixteen original medical writers1 some of whose works are still extant1 flourished in ,india1 and medicines prepared according to the formulas of the ,ayurveda--the best standard medical work--were supposed to have produced wholesome results1 affording no inconsiderable amount of relief to thousands afflicted with diseases of various kinds1 and even of a most malignant character4 ,under the ,hindoo dynasty1 every encouragement was given to the cultivation and improvement of medical science4 ,next to the ,brahmins1 the ,vidya class was respected1 though sometimes they are unjustly twitted with what is called a hybrid origin4 ,it is1 however1 foreign to our purpose to determine this point1 which seems to be enveloped in obscurity4 ,the common theory on which the ,hindoo system of physic is based1 has reference to the country1 the season and the age of the patient1 to which is superadded the course of regimen suited to his physical organisation4 ,the scientific and philosophical theory is that there are certain defined elements in the human body on the natural equilibrium of which mainly depends the health of man4 ,the disturbance of this normal equilibrium1 either by the increase or decrease of the essential ingredients1 deranges the system and requires the use of medicines generally obtained from several kinds of indigenous drugs1 bark1 root1 wood1 fruits1 flowers1 metals1 c4 ,from the existing medical works according to which medicines are prepared and cures effected1 it is evident that the ,hindoo system is not entirely destitute of science1 but the light it is capable of diffusing is greatly dimmed by a combination of unfavourable circumstances brought about by the overthrow of the ,hindoo dynasty1 the decay of learning in every branch of human knowledge1 and the consequent growth and progress of empiricism4 ,in his eleventh discourse before the ,asiatic ,society1 that distinguished orientalist1 ,sir ,william ,jones1 has said ,physic appears in these regions to have been from time immemorial as we see it practised at this day by the ,hindoos and ,mussulmans1 a mere empirical history of diseases and medicines4 ,this is presumably a remark applicable to a society but little removed from a state of barbarism1 but the existence of such scientific works as ,ayurveda1 ,nidan1 ,churruck-,swasru1 ,sarasungraha1 ,boidya1 ,sarvuswn1 c41 furnishes abundant proof that the ,hindoo system of physic is not altogether founded on empiricism4 ,in #ahch the ,honorable the ,east ,india ,company appointed a ,committee1 consisting of ,drs4 ,jackson1 ,rankin ,bramby1 ,pearson1 ,w4 ,b4 ,o',shaughnessy and ,mr4 ,james ,prinsep1 to examine and report upon the state of the ,honorable ,company's ,dispensaries1 and the possibility of substituting native drugs for ,european medicines1 the primary object being twofold1 namely cheapness and efficacy4 ,death1 ill health and the casualties of the service dispersed the ,committee long before the members could accomplish the task imposed on them1 and subsequently the whole charge devolved upon ,dr4 ,w4 ,b4 ,o',shaughnessy1 who1 after the unwearied labour of four years1 assisted by some of the best ,native physicians1 produced a work entitled ,the ,bengal ,dispensary published under the authority of the ,government of ,india1 which still remains a valuable monument of his indomitable zeal and untiring devotion to medical science4 ,great attention has also been given to the scientific analysis of the various indigenous drugs by ,roxburgh1 ,wallick1 ,ainslie1 ,white1 ,arson1 ,royle1 ,pereira1 ,lindlay1 ,richard1 c41 c4 ,the result of their analytical examination1 though not so exhaustive as the very great importance of the subject required1 was nevertheless very favourable to the opinion that the native system was based on fixed scientific principles1 and that many of the drugs possessed great curative properties4 ,unfortunately the improved principles and important discoveries of modern ,europe have not been sufficiently brought to bear on the simultaneous development of the native system4 ,they have1 however1 proved greatly beneficial in teaching the native kobirajes to adopt1 to a certain extent1 the ,european method and regime4 ,it is a remarkable fact that even now1 when this science may be said to be in a retrogressive stage both for want of adequate culture as well as of sufficient encouragement1 there are a few ,hindoo kobirajes#ii in this ,city1 and in other parts of the country1 whose treatment in chronic cases of fever1 dysentery1 diarrhoea1 phthisis1 pulmonary consumption1 asthma1 c41 proves1 in a great measure1 successful4 ,hence in almost every respectable ,hindoo family there is a competent kobiraj1 who is always consulted in cases of a serious nature4 ,it is generally considered that on the subject of pulsation greater weight is attached to the opinion of a ,hindoo kobiraj than to that of an ,english doctor4 ,by the pulse1 in the different parts of our physical organisation1 the state of the body may be ascertained and suitable remedies applied4 ,in cases of severe indisposition among the ,hindoos1 the friends of a patient have not only to contend against the struggle between life and death1 but to closely watch the last expiring flicker of vitality that he may be removed in time to the banks of the sacred stream for insuring his entrance into heaven4 ,it has been urged by some native physicians that the ,sanskrit work1 ,ayurveda1 above-mentioned1 treats of anatomy and of the doctrine of the circulation of the blood4 ,if this be true1 great credit is doubtless due to its author for having made in a comparatively dark age such considerable advances in an important branch of medical science1 without which medicine and surgery are of little avail4 ,chemistry1 which enables us to distinguish the real properties of different substances1 was certainly not unknown to the ,hindoo physicians1 because their medicines indicate a scientific selection of several ingredients mixed together to produce a certain result4 ,but it can by no means be asserted that the people ever attained to a thorough knowledge1 either in the one or the other1 which can bear comparison with the perfection of the modern ,european system4 ,in almost every department of human knowledge steady progress is the grand characteristic of the age1 but in this country unhappily a spirit of scientific investigation has very nearly been extinguished simply for want of adequate cultivation and support4 ,if empirics abound in enlightened ,christendom1 where chemical analysis1 scientific researches in materia medica and pharmacy1 and anatomical demonstration and surgical operations almost daily bring to light new discoveries and inventions1 what can be expected in a country where medical science has long since been in a state of absolute stagnation4 ,ignorant and unprincipled quacks1 quite unacquainted with the rules of the ,hindoo medical shastras1 abound all over the country1 which has for some years past been severely suffering from malarious fever of a virulent type1 carrying death and devastation wherever it prevails4#ajj ,they literally sport with the health of their patients1 and the natural consequence is1 hundreds and thousands of human beings are mercilessly sacrificed to their ignorance and cupidity4 ,not one in a hundred of those who call themselves kobirajes is acquainted with the principles of physic as laid down in the standard medical works of the ,hindoos4 ,some of them have a few nostrums of their own1 the composition of which is unknown to every one but themselves4 ,a ,bengalee kobiraj carries a miniature dispensary about him4 ,he takes with him a small packet1 containing different kinds of pills or powders1 wrapped up in a piece of paper1 in small doses which are commonly used twice a day with ginger1 honey1 betel1 roots of doov-grass1 c4 ,he seldom uses phials2 liquids1 when required1 are made in a patient's own house4 ,his medicines are chiefly made of drugs1 but he has neither a proper classification of them1 nor a complete system of botany4 ,he uses1 however1 certain preparations of oil1 which are sometimes beneficially administered in chronic cases4 ,these preparations are rather expensive1 selling from two to ten ,rupees per pound4 ,the popularity of some of these kobirajes stands very high in ,native public estimation4 ,almost every wealthy family in the interior as well as in the ,town has its own physician4 ,the fee of a quack in the villages is one ,rupee on the first day of his visit1 and he continues to attend twice daily until the patient recovers4 ,when completely recovered1 the physician gets one or two ,rupees more1 a suit of clothes and some provisions4 ,the introduction of ,english medicines into the interior1 though not scientifically administered in every case1 has very considerably affected the trade of the native quacks4 ,their occupation1 it may be said1 is nearly gone1 because the doctors of the ,bengalee class1 more systematically trained under the auspices of the ,government ,vernacular ,colleges1 have1 in a manner1 superseded them4 ,in strong fevers1 instead of compelling the patient to fast for twenty-one days or longer1 and restricting his regimen to parched rice1 the ,bengalee class doctor first reduces him by evacuations1#aja and then gives him either fever mixture1 or cinchona febrifuge1 or quinine mixture as he thinks best4 ,in place of warm applications--the quondam regimen of a kobiraj in strong fevers--he gives ice or cold water1 thus relieving the patient from the effects of a merciless abstinence and excessive thirst4 ,on the periodical return of the unhealthy season in ,bengal1 i4 e41 in the months of ,september1 ,october1 ,november and ,december1 when the atmosphere is surcharged with a large quantity of vapour1 these doctors generally reap a harvest of gain from their practice4 ,it should be mentioned1 however1 that their imperfect knowledge and want of sufficient experience1 are too often attended with the most disastrous results4 ,,footnotes3 #ii ,the most popular and successful among them are1 ,gunga ,prosad ,sen1 ,chunder ,coomar ,roy1 ,gopee ,bullub ,roy1 ,prosono ,chunder ,sen1 ,brojendro ,coomar ,sen1 ,kally ,dass ,sen1 c4 ,they profess to practise on the principles of ,ayurveda1 the best standard work on ,hindoo ,medical ,science1 and their mode of treatment is much appreciated by respectable ,hindoos4 #ajj ,the general climate of ,bengal has for some years past become very unhealthy1 and as fever is the most prevalent epidemic in the ,lower ,provinces1 ,dr4 ,d4 ,n4 ,gupto's ,mixture has become a patent medicine1 proving efficacious in the majority of cases1 so that the doctor is said to have made a very large fortune by the sale of it within a few years4 ,as far as success is concerned1 ,dr4 ,d4 ,n4 ,gupto has almost become the minimized ,holloway of ,bengal4 ,several other ,native assistant surgeons have from time to time endeavoured to offer their anti-malarious mixture to the inhabitants of ,lower ,bengal1 but they have signally failed in winning public confidence and favor4 ,attempts at counterfeit trade marks have also been tried1 but on conviction before a ,court of ,justice the guilty have been punished4 #aja ,the late indisposition of the ,marquis of ,ripon gave rise to many alarming rumours as to the probable turn and termination of the disease--malarious fever--with which he was unhappily attacked during his travels to and from ,bombay1 and which1 according to telegraphic messages1 had considerably weakened his constitution1 and diminished the wonted activity and vigor of his mind4 ,the antiquated notion that violent paroxysm of fever in a ,european in this country causes the abnormal depletion of the system by constant evacuations has still a strong hold on the popular mind4 ,hence a pessimist view was generally taken of the speedy and complete recovery of so good and beneficent a ,governor-,general1 whose rule1 though only just begun1 has been happily inaugurated by several circumstances of a peculiarly hopeful character1 tending1 in no small degree1 to make the people happy and contented by anticipation4 ,the termination of the disastrous and ruinous ,afghan war1 the few public utterances of his ,lordship bearing on the future policy of the ,government of ,india for the general well-being of the subjects1 and the sure prospect of an abundant harvest1 and the consequent appreciable reduction in the price of rice--the main staff of life in this country--by nearly fifty per cent41 have all combined to evoke a sincere desire and fervent hope among the people for the long continuance of a rule so nobly begun and beneficently administered4 ,may undisturbed peace and undiminished plenty and prosperity be the distinguishing features of such a liberal1 generous and pure administration1 and may it end fitly what it has begun so auspiciously4 ,in speaking thus favorably of the ,marquis of ,ripon's ,government1 ,i merely echo the sentiments of my countrymen from one end of the vast ,british ,indian empire to the other4 ,,xvii4 ,,hindoo ,,females4 ,the condition of a ,hindoo female1 partially described in the preceding pages1 is usually deplorable4 ,the changes and vicissitudes to which her chequered life is subject are manifold4 ,from the day she is ushered into the world to her dissolution1 she is surrounded by adventitious circumstances1 which1 from the peculiar constitution of the society in which her life is cast1 contain a larger admixture of misery than of happiness4 ,weak and frail as she assuredly is made by nature1 the conventional forms and social usages to which she is religiously enjoined to adhere alike tend to deprive her of temporal and spiritual happiness4 ,born under unfavorable circumstances chiefly by reason of her sex1 her life is rendered doubly miserable by the galling chains of ignorance and superstition4 ,accursed the day when a woman child was born to me1 was the emphatic exclamation of a ,rajpoot when a female birth was announced4 ,the same motive1 says ,colonel ,tod1 which studded ,europe with convents1 in which youth and beauty were immured until liberated by death1 first prompted the ,rajpoot to infanticide3 and1 however revolting the policy1 it is perhaps kindness compared to incarceration4 ,there can be no doubt that monastic seclusion1 practised by the ,frisians in ,france1 the ,langobardi in ,italy and the ,visigoths in ,spain1 was brought from ,central ,asia1 the cradle of the ,goths4#ajb ,it is in fact a modification of the same feeling1 which characterizes the ,rajpoot and the ancient ,german warrior1--the dread of dishonor to the fair3 the former raises the poniard to the breast of his wife rather than witness her captivity1 and he gives opiate to the infant1 whom1 if he cannot portion and marry to her equal1 he dare not see degraded4 ,descending from the lofty ideal of a chivalrous ,rajpoot character to the more familiar portraiture of tame ,hindoo life in ,bengal1 we find the same sad destiny is the portion of a female in both cases4 ,when a female is born no anxious inquiries await the mother--no greetings welcome the new comer1 who appears an intruder on the scene1 which often closes in the hour of its birth4 ,but the very silence with which a female birth is accompanied forcibly expresses sorrow4 ,in almost every stage of life1 from infancy to old age1 her existence presents a uniform picture of gloominess1 uncertainty1 despondency1 and neglect4 ,freedom of thought and independence of action--the natural birthrights of a rational being--are denied her not by her ,creator but by a selfish1 narrow-minded and crafty priesthood4 ,she is treated and disposed of as if she were entirely destitute of the feelings and ideas of a sentient being4 ,she dare not emerge from the unhealthy seclusion of the closely confined andarmahal1 or female department1 where suspicions and jealousies1 envy and malignity are not unfrequently brewing in the boiling caldron of domestic discord4 ,born within the precincts of an ill-ventilated zenana1 and cooped up in the cage of an uncongenial cell1 she is destined to breathe her last in that unwholesome retreat4 ,a ,european lady can have no idea of the enormous amount of misery and privation to which the life of a ,hindoo female is subjected4 ,in her case1 the bitters far counterbalance the sweets of life4 ,the natural helplessness of her condition1 the abject wretchedness to which she is inevitably doomed1 the utter prostration of her intellect1 the ascendency of a dominant priesthood exacting unquestioning submission to its selfish doctrines1 the unmerited neglect of an unsympathetic world1 and the appalling hardships and austerities which she is condemned to endure in the event of the death of her lord1 literally beggar description4 ,all the graces and accomplishments with which she is blessed by nature1 and which have a tendency to adorn and ennoble humanity1 are in her case unreasonably denounced as unfeminine endowments and privileges1 to assert which is a sacrilegious act4 ,if she is ever happy1 she is happy in spite of the cruel ordinances of her lawgiver1 and the still more cruel usages and institutions of her country4 ,manu1 the greatest fountain of authority1 has expressly inculcated the doctrine that no man other than a ,brahmin should receive the blessings of knowledge1 and much more severely was the rule enforced in the case of females1 who were held to be naturally unfit for mental culture6 ,it was worse than a blasphemy to attempt to educate a female2 she was born in ignorance1 she must die in ignorance4 ,all the horrors of a premature and certain widowhood were pictured forth to her eyes1 were she to make an effort to enlighten her mind4#ajc ,how shamefully contracted were the views of the ,hindoo lawgiver in respect of the progressive development of the human intellect6 ,his prohibitory injunction was and is now more honored in the breach than in observance4 ,from the moment a female child is brought into the world1 a new source of anxiety arises in the minds of its parents1 which becomes more and more intense as it advances in years4 ,the thought of educating the child is not what troubles their heads1 it is a thought which is at the furthest remove from their imagination2 but the idea how to dispose of it in the world continually preys on their minds4 ,the child1 perfectly unconscious of the fate that awaits it1 begins to handle the playthings set before it1 and as nature in almost every case works intuitively1 it soon learns to make a miniature kitchen with earthen pots and pans resembling that in the midst of which it has to spend the greater portion of its existence4 ,it is a noteworthy fact that a ,hindoo lady even when placed in affluent circumstances does not consider it beneath her dignity to occasionally take a part in the cuisine1 or at least in making preparations for the same1 though the family has professional cooks in its employ1 the principal object being to feed her husband and children with extra delicacies prepared with her own hand4 ,instead of idle and unprofitable talk and scandalous gossipings1 reflecting on the characters of others1 such an occupation is deserving of commendation4#ajd ,when six or seven years of age1 the mother endeavours to initiate the girl in the first course of simple ,bratas or religious vows1 which are destined1 as has been already shewn1 to exercise a vast influence on her mind4 ,the germs of superstition being thus sown so early take a deep root4 ,meanwhile the anxiety of the mother for her marriage increases with her growth4 ,numerous proposals are received and rejected1 till at length a selection is made according to the rules stated in a former sketch4 ,in this manner1 persons are married with as much indifference as cattle are yoked together1 they are disposed of according to the judgment of their parents1 without the parties1 who are to live together till death1 having the slightest opportunity of seeing each other1 much less of studying each other's disposition4 ,if a female child possess1 as is very rarely the case1 finely chiselled features1 embodying the ideal of a ,hindoo beauty1 the breast of the mother is freed for a time1 but for a time only1 from perturbation or internal agitation4 ,it may be she is congratulated on the birth of so beautiful a child1 and it is but natural that she should indulge in pleasant delusions about the future of her offspring4 ,she looks forward to a match at once desirable and happy4 ,fed with such hopes1 she cherishes many a fond idea of the wealth of joys in store for her daughter4 ,but how often are our brightest hopes blasted by the ruthless hand of fortune4 ,if1 on the contrary1 the girl be deficient in beauty1 the bosom of the mother is perpetually disturbed by gloomy forebodings1 which no worldly advantage can effectually remove1 no reasoning can sufficiently suppress4 ,the reassuring admonition of congenial minds may sustain her spirits for a time1 but whenever alone or disengaged from the toils of domestic duties1 her mind almost involuntarily reverts to the future destiny of the girl4 ,as day by day she grows older1 and her features begin to assume a more distinctive form1 the deformity1 which was but faintly perceived at first1 becomes more striking4 ,the mother herself1 perhaps1 being a living illustration of how fruitless were the attempts of her parents to secure for her a desirable match1 naturally feels a strong misgiving as to the good fortune of her child4 ,while the hearts of the parents are thus filled with disquieting thoughts1 the girl is perfectly unconscious of the fate that awaits her4 ,she laughs and sports about1 regardless of what is written on her forehead by the ,bidhata pooroosh4 ,the performance of the religious vow in her infancy1 having for its object the securing a good husband1 might incidentally remind her of marriage1 but the thought passes off in a moment like the streaks of a morning cloud4 ,hence it has been justly said that the happiest days in the life of a ,hindoo female are those preceding her marriage4 ,if in ,bengal1 under the paternal care of a ,christian ,government1 she is not permitted to become a victim to the poppy at her dawn1 or the flames at her riper years1 like her ,rajpoot sister in times of yore1 she is ever and anon subject to the appalling hardships of a bidhaba life1 or widowhood4 ,though too young to fully realise the thousand and one evils of such a wretched existence1 yet the living examples she daily and hourly sees around her make1 to use a native phrase1 her hands and feet enter into her belly4 ,to those who have studied the existing state of ,hindoo society1 it is a matter no less of wonder than of gratulation that the system of early marriage1 the arbitrary manner in which it is consummated1 and the utter absence of the voice and consent of the parties thus affianced1 deriding the very idea of the slightest opportunity being given to study each other's disposition and habitude1 should produce such a large amount of conjugal felicity1 which is the fundamental object of this solemn compact4 ,in every nation removed from barbarism1 marriage is a recognised ordinance1 alike sanctioned by the law of ,god and the law of man4 ,it is a solemn covenant between a man and a woman to love each other through all the vicissitudes of life1 till the union is dissolved by the death of either4 ,we may go further and say that even then the tie of relationship does not become totally extinct1 inasmuch as the party surviving has to provide for the nurture and education of children1 should there be any4 ,such being the nature of a matrimonial engagement1 it is next to impossible that a boy of fourteen wedded to a girl of nine should be capable of forming an adequate idea of the grave responsibility4 ,the evil must work its own remedy with the general spread of education and the growth of a sound system of domestic and social economy1 because the existing one is unhealthy and unnatural4 ,it is useless to dilate on the evil consequences of early marriage1 they are clearly apparent in the every-day life of a ,hindoo4 ,nature is so propitious to us in every respect that out of evil she brings good4 ,when the female1 destitute as she is of the blessings of knowledge1 becomes the mother of several children1 she is raised to the rank of a governess1 or in other words1 she becomes a ghinni1 or head of the family4 ,to all intents and purposes1 she seems to understand her duties so thoroughly that almost instinctively she exercises a salutary control over a number of young girls1 newly married1 corrects all improprieties of conduct1 and teaches them to cherish feelings of mutual kindness1 love and affection4 ,in many cases1 however1 it must be acknowledged1 the custom of several families--all branches of the same stem1--living together under one roof1 is a fruitful source of evil1 often embittering the sweet enjoyments of a peaceful conjugal life4 ,where there is no harmony among the several female members of a family1 the slightest misunderstanding occasions bitterest quarrels1 especially when there is no recognised ghinni or female head to check the same1 or reconcile the parties by matronly advice4 ,for instance1 if one son in a family be well-to-do in the world1 and another does not possess the same advantages1 it is ten to one but that the wife of the former constantly advises him to mess separately1 if not to remove to a different house1 and as unequal combination is always disadvantageous to the weaker side1 the latter has to put up with slights and indignities which are oftentimes unbearable1 and terminate in a separation either in food or domicile1 or both4 ,it is a well established fact that a woman is the principal cause of a disruption between brothers and other members of a family4 ,though she is mild1 soft1 kind and flexible1 yet she belies her nature when sordid self and mean avarice exert a dominant sway over her mind4 ,stinted in her culture and contracted in her views1 ,mammon is her god1 and she looks to the welfare of her husband and her own children as the chief end of her existence4 ,she is naturally loath to give a share of the affection of her husband to a rival2 she also cannot brook the idea of frittering his earnings among his kindred4 ,i have known of the most affectionate and devoted of brothers not being able to see each other's face under the all powerful influence of petticoat government4 ,a ,european becomes a housekeeper as soon as he marries4 ,the arrangement is an excellent one1 no doubt1 and as educated ,hindoos are very much disposed to imitate ,english manners1 the practice where feasible is gradually gaining ground1 despite the prevalence of the old patriarchal system throughout the greater portion of the country4 ,there is a common native saying1 which runs thus3 as many brothers1 so many abodes4 ,it is to a certain extent a striking illustration of the existing state of things2 harmony and peace can scarcely be found in a family where brothers are swayed1 as they must be1 by the irresistible influence of their wives4#aje ,to the credit of the patriarchal system1 there still exist in every part of the country numerous families that scout the idea of a segregation4 ,turning from the dark to the bright side of the picture1 it is gratifying to observe that of late years1 attention has been directed to1 and laudable exertions are being made for1 the education of ,hindoo females4 ,nothing can compare in importance with the steady progress of this movement4 ,after the movement had been begun by the ,missionary ,societies1 the late ,hon4 ,mr4 ,drinkwater ,bethune gave an important impetus to this noble cause from the side of ,government4 ,these examples have since been followed up by other devoted friends of native improvement1 and the ,government has fully recognised the paramount importance of the object4 ,this combination of efforts has already produced the most gratifying results4 ,that there is a growing desire for learning among the females by the study of such elementary books1 ,bengallee and ,english1 as have a tendency to improve their understanding1 is a patent fact4 ,not only young girls1 whose age permits them to attend schools1 but grown up ladies1 who are confined within the precincts of a zenana1 are alike influenced by this commendable desire4 ,almost every respectable ,hindoo family in ,calcutta has a ,christian governess1 who besides giving primary and ,bible instruction1 teaches all sorts of needle-work--an art in which considerable progress has been made within the last few years4#ajf ,this is an indication of the growth of a refined taste which is a great step towards the cause of national improvement4 ,as we have said elsewhere1 instead of spending their time in idle talk and unprofitable occupation1 if not in unpleasant dissension1 they now vie with each other in producing works of art and usefulness1 and as a matter of course the annual distribution of rewards is a great incentive to exertion4 ,it is devoutly to be wished that this desire for learning and taste for works of art should gradually spread and be appreciated throughout the length and breadth of the land4 ,in the interior1 however1 the mass of the people of all ranks and of both sexes are still as remote from the influence of this improvement as they were centuries ago4 ,it is a pity that ,hindoo females are withdrawn from schools the moment they are married2 this is an insuperable obstacle to the full development of their mental powers4 ,the progress made by some of them in the zenana is really very creditable1 and challenges the commendation of all who have the elevation of native female character at heart4 ,they are not only assiduous in the cultivation of feminine graces and accomplishments1 but their superior grasp of thought and language rank them among the literary women of their country4 ,some thirty years back the ,hindoo females of ,bengal were immersed in ignorance2 they were represented as degraded beings incapable of improvement2 not one in a thousand could read or write2 but since proper steps have been taken to remove this national reproach1 they have evinced an ardent desire to enrich their minds by a course of study which1 though not profound1 is well fitted to adorn female life4 ,the ,english ,church ,mission1 ,the ,scottish ,ladies' ,association1 a department of the ,church of ,scotland ,mission1 the ,free ,church ,mission1 the ,american ,mission1 c4 are all doing an incalculable amount of good by their disinterested efforts to impart the blessings of knowledge to such zenana females as are precluded by being married from attending schools4 ,the complete regeneration of ,india cannot be expected until the emancipation of the females is accomplished1 practically proving to the world1 as it has already done in a very limited degree1 the palpable absurdity of ,manu's interdictory edict1 restraining them from cultivating their intellectual powers4 ,as a proof of the progress already made in the higher branches of female education1 it is gratifying to state that two young ladies passed the ,first ,arts' ,examination of the ,calcutta ,university at the end of last year4 ,one of these was trained in the ,bethune ,school1 and the other in the ,free ,church ,normal ,school4 ,this examination represents a very considerable amount of acquirement1 and is next to the ,b4 ,a4 ,several other female candidates also passed the ,entrance or ,matriculation ,examination at the same time4 ,similar progress has been reported from the ,madras ,presidency4 ,authentic history furnishes abundant evidence of the prevalence of female education in the country to a considerable extent1 until ,mahomedan oppression not only proscribed ,hindoo women from pursuing a literary career1 but ultimately dragged them into a state of unhealthy seclusion for the preservation of their honor1 which they valued more than their very life4 ,in ,rajpootana every respectable female was instructed to read and write4 ,of their intellectual endowments and knowledge of mankind1 whoever has had opportunities of conversing with them could not fail to form a favorable impression4#ajg ,,footnotes3 #ajb ,the ,ghikers1 a ,scythic race1 inhabiting the banks of the ,indus1 at an early period of history were given to infanticide4 ,it was a custom1 says ,ferishta1 as soon as a female child was born1 to carry her to the market place1 and there proclaim aloud1 holding the child in one hand1 and a knife in the other1 that any one wanting a wife might have her2 otherwise she was immolated4 ,by this means they had more men than women1 which occasioned the custom of several husbands to one wife4 ,when any husband visited her1 she set up a mark at the door1 which being observed by the others1 they withdrew till the signal was removed4 #ajc ,the ,hindoo lawgivers1 whatever their shortcomings in other respects1 showed a great insight into human nature when they looked more to women than men for the comparative stability of their doctrines4 ,that the perpetual ignorance of the former promises a permanent harvest of gain to the hierarchy1 is quite evident4 ,if a correct return were available as to the number of pilgrims who periodically visit the different holy places throughout the country1 it would doubtless establish the fact that upwards of two-thirds of such pilgrims are females4 ,if it were not for their pertinacious adherence to their traditional faith1 the ,brahminical creed1 at least in the great centres of education1 would have long since fallen into desuetude4 ,the blind unquestioning faith of the female devotees in their gods and goddesses is the great secret of the very high estimation in which they are still held4 ,if we educate the females and gradually disabuse their minds of early prejudices1 we not only lay the axe at the very root of idolatry1 but pave the way for the ultimate recognition of the true religion4 #ajd ,the late ,baboo ,rajbullub ,roy ,chowdhry1 of ,baripore1 a very wealthy zemindar1 south of ,calcutta1 used1 it was said1 to bring up the girls of his family1 which was almost a small colony1 in the art of cooking all sorts of native dishes1 from the highly spiced polowya to simple dhall-bath and vegetable curry2 he also taught them to bring up water for culinary purposes from a tank inside of the house in silver ghara or pots4 ,though he possessed the most practical of all worldly advantages1--the power of a purse1--yet he did not hesitate to initiate the girls in the art of cooking1 that they may be fully prepared to perform the duty in case of necessity4 ,i can easily cite other instances of a similar nature1 but ,i believe they are not necessary4 #aje ,at the time of the ,churruck ,poojah or swinging festival1 which takes place about the middle of ,april1 the ,khasharees or ,braziers of ,calcutta are accustomed to make ,sungs or caricature-representations of different sorts of familiar scenes1 illustrative of the prevailing manners of the present age4 ,in many cases they hit off the mark so admirably that they cannot fail to make a deep impression on the popular mind4 ,among other representations they once exhibited a caricature of a son taking a wife on his shoulder1 while dragging a mother by a rope round her neck1 exemplifying thereby the respective estimation in which each is held4 #ajf ,an annual fair or mela is held near ,calcutta1 at which the best specimens of needle-work executed by ,hindoo females are exposed to public view1 and prizes awarded by ,european and ,native gentlemen4 ,great credit is due to ,baboo ,nobo ,gopal ,mitter1 the editor of the ,national ,paper1 for this annual exhibition4 ,unfortunately the mela is languishing for want of sufficient public support4 #ajg ,i have conversed for hours1 says ,colonel ,tod1 with the ,boondi queen-mother on the affairs of her government and welfare of her infant son1 to whom ,i was left guardian by his dying father4 ,she had adopted me as her brother3 but the conversation was always in the presence of a third person in her confidence1 and a curtain separated us4 ,her sentiments shewed invariably a correct and extensive knowledge1 which was equally apparent in her letters1 of which ,i had many4 ,i could give many similar instances4 ,the history of ,india is filled with anecdotes of able and valiant females4 ,ferishta in his history gives an animated picture of ,durgavati1 queen of ,gurrah1 defending the rights of her infant son against ,akbar's ambition4 ,like another ,boadicea1 she headed her army1 and fought a desperate battle with ,asoph ,khan1 in which she was wounded and defeated2 but scorning flight1 or to survive the loss of independence1 she1 like the ,roman of old in a similar predicament1 slew herself on the field of battle4 ,the accomplished ,maharatta lady--,roma ,bai--who lately visited ,calcutta1 affords a remarkable example of an educated ,hindoo woman4 ,she is an excellent ,sanskrit scholar1 well read in ,sreemut ,bhagabat4 ,several ,pundits were astonished at her wonderful acquirements4 ,,xviii4 ,,polygamy4 ,in this1 as well as in some other eastern countries1 polygamy has from time out of mind been in existence4 ,that it is subversive of moral order and of conjugal felicity1 is admitted by all who have paid the slightest degree of attention to the very many evil consequences of this abnormal institution4 ,it is a violation of a just and divine law1 opposed to the nurture and education of children1 and inconsistent with the due equality of the sexes4 ,in every country where this obnoxious practice prevails1 and is dignified with the hallowed name of a social and religious ordinance1 as is done in ,india1 woman occupies a degraded position1 and society is rude and unexpansive in its character4 ,the most heinous crimes are committed without remorse1 and conscience is seared1 as it were1 with a red-hot iron4 ,nature has designed woman to be the equal of man as a moral and intellectual being2 and confined to the exercise of her own proper duties as a wife and mother1 she is placed in a favourable position as relates to her own happiness and the happiness of her husband4 ,much of the civilization of ,europe is due to the high position of the fair sex in the social scale4 ,their education1 their capacity for rearing their children in orderly and virtuous habits1 their elevated conceptions of a ,supreme ,being1 their social and domestic manners1 the purity of their lives1 their natural tenderness and affection1 their freedom1 and the moral influence of their actions on society1 give them a rank in no way inferior to that of the other sex4 ,but in this country1 it is painful to realise that they are not only denied the inestimable blessings of a good education but that their first lawgiver has condemned them to a state of abject servitude4 ,women have no business says ,manu1 with the text of the ,veda1 this is the law fully settled3 having1 therefore1 no evidence of law1 and no knowledge of expiatory texts1 sinful women must be as foul as falsehood itself2 and this is a fixed rule4 ,through their passion for men1 their mutable temper1 their want of settled affection1 and their perverse nature1 7let them be guarded in this world ever so well17 they soon become alienated from their husbands4 ,manu allotted to such women a love of their bed1 of their seat1 and of ornament1 impure appetites1 wrath1 weak flexibility1 desire of mischief and bad conduct4 ,day and night must women be held by their protectors in a state of dependence4 ,apart from their practically servile condition1 the apparent complacence with which polygamy is tolerated1 and the facility with which a plurality of wives can be obtained1 are circumstances which poison the perennial source of conjugal felicity1 reduce them to a state of moral and intellectual degradation1 and sap the very foundation of virtue4 ,a barren wife1 says ,manu1 may be superseded by another in the eighth year2 she whose children are all dead1 in the tenth2 she who brings forth only daughters1 in the eleventh year2 she who speaks unkindly1 without delay4 ,bullal ,sen1 who1 if ,i mistake not1 had first established the system of ,koolinism in ,bengal1 and prescribed certain rules in favor of polygamy1 was singularly deficient in foresight and wisdom when he entirely overlooked the evil consequences inseparable from this monstrous matrimonial arrangement1 so pregnant with mischief in whatever aspect we view it4 ,any artificial institution which is subversive of divine law will1 in the main1 prove highly unfavourable to the best interests of society4 ,the marriage of a man with but one wife is an arrangement which should never be departed from4 ,to dispose of the ministering angels of our existence1 without the slightest regard to their future happiness1 and yoke them to an unprincipled libertine1 or a ,koolin perhaps on the verge of his grave1 is a system alike destructive of all social1 benevolent and humane feelings4 ,a ,koolin has no regard1 much less sympathy1 for any one of his numerous wives1 on the contrary he looks to them for gain and other worldly advantages4 ,it is a notorious fact that ,koolin wives after their marriage almost invariably live with their parents1 thus virtually closing all avenues to the growth of affection between the husband and wife4 ,the one is as estranged from the other as if there had been no bond of union between them4 ,as the temptations to vicious indulgences are so very powerful and numerous in this wicked world of ours1 the unscrupulous ,koolin females of the sacerdotal class often sacrifice chastity at the altar of sensuality4 ,the perpetration of the most horrible crimes is the necessary effect4 ,the fault does not rest so much with the poor unfortunate females as with the diabolical system which openly tolerates and religiously upholds polygamy4 ,that it is an unnatural state1 even the most thoughtless will readily admit4 ,in every case it is the source of perpetual disputes and misery4 ,domestic happiness can have no place in a family in which more than one wife lives4 ,i have known many a person who under the impulse of passion had entered into this unnatural state deplore it as the greatest of all domestic afflictions4 ,even separate cook rooms1 separate apartments1 and separate mehals1 and dining and sleeping alternately with two wives with the greatest punctuality1 and giving the same set of ornaments to both1 were not enough to ensure harmony1 peace and tranquillity4 ,indeed it has become a proverb among the ,hindoos1 that one wife would rather go with her husband to the gloomy regions of yama 7,pluto7 than see him sit with the other4 ,as has already been described1 a tender girl of five years of age is1 as her first instruction before emerging from her nursery1 initiated into the ,brata or religious vow of ,sayjooty1 the primary object of which is the ruin and destruction of a ,sateen or rival wife4 ,the germs or jealousy against1 and contempt for1 a rival being thus sown so early1 they take deep root and expand in time so as to become absolutely ineradicable4 ,when the presence of two wives in the same house is attended with so much disquietude1 the evil arising from the practices of professional ,koolins is much greater4 ,they are married to a number of females whose prospect of connubial bliss is as remote as the poles are asunder4 ,instead of true love and genuine attachment1 the legitimate conditions of matrimony1 the natural apathy of the husband is often requited by the infidelity of his numerous wives2 nor can it be otherwise1 the visits of the husband being1 like those of a meteor1 few and far between4 ,being destitute of the finer susceptibilities of human nature1 and looking upon matrimony as a matter of traffic1 he regards his wives as so many automata whose happiness is not at all identified with his own4 ,influenced by a sordid love of gain1 bred and brought up in the lap of ignorance and laziness1 and pampered by effeminate habits1 he leads a profligate life typical of utter demoralisation4 ,he cares as little for the chastity of his wives as a child does for the nicety of his playthings4 ,by rank1 profession and habit he is a debauchee4 ,his sense of female honor is totally blunted4 ,the thought of nurturing and educating his numerous children never enters into his mind4 ,he knows not how many sons and daughters he has1 whether legitimate or illegitimate2 he is not capable of recognising them1 simply because he has seldom or never seen their faces4 ,if he keep a register of the number of his wives1 he keeps no record of the number of his children4 ,when he wants money1 he pounces on such a father-in-law as can satisfy him4 ,if he keep one wife at home1 it is not from warmth of affection that he does so1 but merely for his own convenience and comfort2 she is made to discharge all the menial offices of a domestic maid-servant4 ,though never placed in affluent circumstances1 yet he is the lord of thirty1 forty or fifty women4 ,it has been very aptly remarked by an eminent writer who had paid much attention to the manners and customs of the ,hindoos1--that amongst the ,turks1 seraglios are confined to men of wealth1 but here1 a ,hindoo ,brahmin1 possessing only a shred of cloth and a piece of thread1 7poita7 keeps more than a hundred mistresses4 ,indeed such a system of monstrous polygamy is without a parallel in the history of human depravity4 ,prostitution1 adultery1 and the horrible crime of the destruction of the foetus in the womb by means of deleterious drugs administered by old women1 are the inevitable consequences of this unnatural state of things4 ,it is an undeniable fact that the daughters of ,koolin ,brahmins1 abandoned by their unprincipled husbands1 are often led into the forbidden paths of life1 partly through the impulse of passion amidst the seductions of a wicked world1 and partly through their exceedingly miserable circumstances4 ,the houses of ill fame in ,calcutta and other large towns are filled with women of this infamous character1 and the inhuman practice of patefalano prevails to an alarming extent1 notwithstanding the increased vigilance of the police4 ,some fifty years ago a number of respectable ,hindoos felt so disgusted at the mischievous tendency of the ,koolin system of marriage that they were on the eve of memorialising the ,government to put down the practice by a legislative enactment1 such as had been done in the prohibition of sati or female immolation1 but they were assured that the authorities would not interfere in the domestic and social usages of the people4 ,it is gratifying to observe1 however1 that the growth of intelligence and the march of intellect has of late years greatly counteracted the influence of this monstrous evil4 ,if the ,rulers will not attempt to abolish a social system opposed to the feelings of natural affection by the denunciation of the severest temporal penalties1 the good sense of the people who are victimised by it must be appealed to for its total suppression4 ,the following extract from ,mr4 ,ward's excellent work on the ,hindoos will give the reader an idea of the fearful extent to which ,koolinism prevailed in ,bengal some fifty or sixty years back1 when ,english education could scarcely be said to have commenced the work of reformation or rather disintegration4 ,notwithstanding the predilection for koolins they are more corrupt in their manners than any of the ,hindoos4 ,i have heard of a ,koolin ,brahmin1 who1 after marrying sixty-five wives1 carried off another man's wife1 by personating her husband4 ,many of the ,koolins have a numerous posterity4 ,i select five examples1 though they might easily be multiplied3 ,oodhoy ,chunder1 a ,brahmin1 late of ,bagnapara1 had sixty-five wives1 by whom he had forty-one sons1 and twenty-five daughters4 ,ramkinkur1 a ,brahmin1 late of ,kooshda1 had seventy-two wives1 thirty-two sons1 and twenty-seven daughters4 ,vishnooram1 a ,brahmin1 late of ,gundulpara1 had sixty wives1 twenty-five sons and fifteen daughters4 ,gouree ,churn1 a ,brahmin1 late of ,treebanee1 had forty-five wives1 thirty-two sons1 and sixteen daughters4 ,ramakant1 a ,brahmin1 late of ,bhoosdaranee1 had eighty-two wives1 eighteen sons and twenty-six daughters2 this man died about the year #ahaj1 at the age of #he years or more1 and was married1 for the last time1 only three months before his death4 ,most of these marriages are sought after by the relations of the female1 to keep up the honor of their families2 and the children of these marriages invariably remain with their mothers1 and are maintained by the relations of these females4 ,in some cases1 a ,koolin father does not know his own children4 ,not only the rules of caste1 but poverty is also a great barrier to the marriage of ,koolin women1 a fact which has been very feelingly deplored in the following lines4 ,maidenly anxiety finds a natural vent in them3-- ,out spake the bride's sister1 ,as she came frae the byre1 ,o6 gin ,i were but married1 ,it's a' that ,i desire2 ,but we poor folk maun live single1 ,and do the best we can1 ,i dinna care what ,i should want ,if ,i could but get a man4 ,another1 and ,o6 what will come o' me6 ,and ,o6 what will ,i do8 ,that sic a braw lassie as ,i ,should die for a wooer1 ,i trow4 ,when ,bullal ,sen first introduced this obnoxious system1 which went under the euphonious title of the ,order of ,merit1 he little anticipated that the very small seed of mischief he then planted would soon grow into a luxuriant tree1 and produce an abundant crop of evils1 poisoning the very source of domestic felicity4 ,it requires no depth of thought to predict that the evil is destined to die a natural death1 as all such social evils are fated to do1 when ignorance and superstition are driven into their congenial darkness4 ,though many a ,hindoo still lives in the sin of polygamy without any particular repentance1 yet the irresistible progress of virtue1 like that of truth1 will ultimately teach him that it is an unsafe foundation on which to build the sober structure of domestic happiness4 ,the details of the following conversation between a husband1 his old mother1 and his two wives1 placed at the disposal of the writer by a friend1 may1 he trusts1 not be out of place3-- ,what is this noise for1 exclaims ,radhamoney1 a widow1 7the name of the mother7 coming out of the thacoor ghur in which she was worshipping2 this noise1 this tumult1 this quarrel1 this wringing of the hands1 these curses will surely drive away ,luckhee from the house1 it is enough to make the devil fly2 you have lost every sense of shame1 mago ma1 your clamour has deafened my ears1 where shall ,i go8 one is apt to leave her clothes behind4 ,you have been served right2 it was only the other day that ,grish1 7name of the son7 lost #e1jjj ,rupees in a case at the ,burra ,adawlut 7,high ,court47 ,if ,i be a ,sati 7chaste woman71 ,i say1 you two women 7pointing to the two wives7 will be beggared and reduced to the condition of harrees 7those who carry night soil72 in what unlucky hour did these two women enter the house4 ,you are both ,rakhasees 7female cannibals47 ,day by day1 sorrow is eating into the vitals of my son1 his golden body is being darkened every day2 ,oh6 ,bidhata 7,god7 you have ordained this for me8 ,ullungo 7name of the maid-servant7 what is the cause of this uproar8 asks the mother4 ,ma1 what will ,i say1 replies the maid-servant2 the cook first gave the vath1 boiled rice to ,comul1 7name of the daughter of the first wife74 ,is this all8 nothing more8 continues the mother2 my ,bacha 7child7 has had no food for seven days1 being ill with fever4 ,you all know this2 the kobeeraj 7physician7 this morning has ordered some rice for her1 whereupon the second wife1 all this while roaring and bawling1 cursing and swearing1 stepped forward and said1 it is past nine and my ,hurree 7her son's name1 #ab years old7 has not yet got a morsel1 his belly has shrunk1 and the school time is come2 if late1 his master will make him stand4 ,radhamoney1 the old mother1 or ghini1 sent for the cook1 and enquired if the rice were ready4 ,yes1 ma1 ,hurree ,baboo came into the cook room half an hour ago1 and ,i asked him to take his meal2 chotta ma 7second wife7 prevented him1 because ,i first gave the rice to ,comul who was so long ill4 ,where is ,hurree now8 enquired the old lady4 ,the maid-servant replied ,chotta ma gave him a few pice and told him to go to his school1 though he could have eaten rice if he liked4 ,let ,grish return home1 added the old lady1 and ,i will tell him to send me to ,benares without delay2 ,i am sick of your incessant broils2 for giving ,comul rice first you two bous fell into a quarrel1 and cursed each other so fearfully that you1 burra bou 7first wife71 ate the head of ,hurree1 and you1 chotta bou 7second wife71 ate the head of ,comul's husband4#ajh ,it was evening1 and ,grish1 the son1 returned home from office4 ,before he had time to take off his office dress1 the old mother1 impatient to tell him what had occurred during the day1 and with tears in her eyes1 thus addressed him3 ,you1 my son1 have brought the greatest curse on yourself by marrying two wives2 to-day the whole family has been starving1 and why8 because ,comul1 suffering from fever for the last eight days1 had got a little rice this morning1 and she ate first2 chotta bou1 therefore1 prevented her son from eating anything1 and sent the little bacha to the school without rice4 ,from what pajee 7mean7 families have you brought these two females8 ,i can no longer remain in the house4 ,under the slightest pretext1 like infamous wenches1 they not only brawl but curse each other and the son and son-in-law into the bargain4 ,can ,luckhee dwell in such a house8 send me to ,benares instantly1 ,i can no longer live in such a hell of a place4 ,your wives have made it a regular hell4 ,the son consoles the old mother1 promising that everything would be done according to her wish1 begging her at the same time to eat something1 and adding that he does not mind whether his two wives eat or not4 ,after going through the evening service1 he slept outside that night1 pondering what should be done for the future quiet of the family4 ,next day he removed the first wife to her father's house1 because the second wife is always the ,zuburdust1 imagining that one hand can never make a clap4 ,but he was sadly mistaken1 the deserted wife1 continually brooding over her misfortune1 at length resolved to put an end to her existence1 and accordingly one night took an overdose of opium1 and bade a final adieu to the world4 ,the above story is founded on real life and should serve as a warning to those who under the impulse of passion blindly run into a state of polygamy1 which is undoubtedly one of the greatest domestic evils among the natives4 ,,footnotes3 #ajh ,eating the head means wishing death4 ,when two rival wives fall out they literally become frantic through anger and jealousy4 ,with shaking hands and dishevelled locks they abuse and curse each other most violently4 ,,xix4 ,,hindoo ,,widows4 ,the system of early marriage1 and the barbarous institution of condemning a ,hindoo female to a life of perpetual widowhood after the death of her husband1 are evils which cannot be too strongly deprecated4 ,in this country1 owing to the prevalence of early marriage and the manner in which it is consummated1 a ,hindoo does not become a housekeeper immediately after his marriage4 ,the wife generally remains one or two years with her parents1 occasionally going to her father-in-law's house for a few days only2 her husband pays her a visit now and then1 but not without the special invitation of his mother-in-law4 ,the object of such an invitation is evidently to make the son-in-law behave well towards her daughter4 ,for the attainment of this object1 as ,i have described before1 no means is left untried4 ,indeed it has become a proverb among the ,hindoos that when a man fares sumptuously1 it is said1 he has been fed with all the fondness shown to a son-in-law4 ,it has always struck me that if a ,hindoo female were permitted to re-marry after the death of her first husband1 the affection of a mother-in-law for a son-in-law would not have been so warm as it now is under the existing state of things1 which admits of no alternative4 ,living under the paternal roof for one or two years after her marriage1 a ,hindoo girl sometimes becomes a widow1#aji--;a state of life which is unspeakably miserable4 ,when a young female of ten or eleven years of age loses her husband1 with whom perhaps she had scarcely ever exchanged a single word1 she is quite unconscious of the unmitigated misery she is fated to endure for the remainder of her long existence4#aaj ,deplorable as such a condition undoubtedly is1 it becomes doubly miserable from the cold1 uncongenial and unsympathetic atmosphere by which she is surrounded1 and the uncared-for neglect with which she is treated ever afterwards4 ,except a mother1 who can adequately conceive the thousand and one miseries which are in store for the daughter8 ,it is a gloomy picture from the beginning to the end1 and the gloom deepens as time rolls over her devoted head4 ,cursed be the name of the lawgiver who has made such a cruel ordinance1 and cursed the society that has become a thrall to it6 ,opposed to the feelings of humanity and natural affection1 the divine lawgiver of the ,hindoos1 ,manu1 expressly enjoins that although the state of widowhood might be deemed onerous by the fair sex of the west1 it would be considered little hardship in the east4 ,let her emaciate her body1 by living voluntarily on pure flowers1 roots and fruits1 but let her not1 when her lord is deceased1 even pronounce the name of another man4 ,a virtuous wife ascends to heaven1 if1 after the decease of her lord1 she devote herself to pious austerity2 but a widow1 who slights her deceased husband by marrying again1 brings disgrace on herself here below and shall be excluded from the seat of her lord4 ,abstinence from the common pursuits of life1 and entire self-denial1 are rewarded by high renown in this world1 and in the next the abode of her lord1 and procure for her the title of sadhvi or the virtuous4 ,from the above it is evident that widowhood has prevailed in this country from time out of mind4 ,its mischievous tendency is apparent in the degraded and corrupt state of female society4 ,we can never thoroughly conquer nature2 we can never restrain our passions so effectually as to render ourselves proof against temptation4 ,the frailty of women is admittedly great1 and the ease with which they may be seduced into the forbidden paths of life is too well-known to need being enlarged on4 ,however sedulously a ,hindoo mother may guard the virtue of her widowed daughter1 and however forcibly she may inculcate the doctrine of purity of life and manners1 it proves but a feeble barrier against the irresistible impulse of passion4 ,numerous instances are on record1 proving the utter futility of human efforts to contend successfully against nature in this respect4 ,a young widow may be sent to the holy cities of ,benares and ,brindabun1 where she is not unfrequently removed with her mother or grandmother to spend the remainder of her days in a state of isolated seclusion and religious service1 but this is a poor safeguard for the preservation of constancy and virtue4 ,volumes after volumes have been written on the subject1 denouncing in an unmistakable manner the monstrous perversity of the existing system1 but the evil has taken such a deep root in the social economy of the people that the utmost exertions must be put forth before it can be wholly eradicated4 ,the evils of widowhood are not only confined to the endurance of accumulated hardships1 and self-denials enough to rend asunder the tenderest chord of humanity1 but they likewise extend to unlawful connections1 and the perpetration of another crime1 that of abortion1 which is no less revolting in enormity than infanticide itself4 ,many respectable families1 which are otherwise esteemed for their meritorious actions1 have more or less sunk in honor from this indelible stigma2 a few have even lost their caste and status in society from the above cause4 ,in the primitive state of ,hindoo society1 when every female other than a wife was regarded either as a mother or sister according to age1 irregular intercourse was almost unknown1 but in these days of libertinism perfect purity of life is rarely known4 ,our divine lawgiver1 in view to the interests of humanity and female honor1 ought to have made proper provision by lending his authority and sanction to a system of widow remarriage within a reasonable period of life4 ,some such edict would have been alike honorable to our venerable sage1 and beneficial to those who are morally and socially most deeply interested in it2 but unfortunately his cruel dicta1 running counter to the fundamental principles of virtue and morality1 have necessarily engendered a rank crop of evils1 undermining the very foundation of human happiness4 ,the benevolent exertions of that high priest of ,nature1 ,pundit ,isswara ,chunder ,vidyasagar1 ,baboo ,keshub ,chunder ,sen1 the ,brahmo apostle1 and other ,hindoo reformers1 to promote the cause of widow marriage in particular1 and female emancipation in general1 have not1 it is sad to contemplate1 been attended with the measure of success they deserve1 simply because the state of ,hindoo society is not yet ripe for the innovation4 ,i am1 however1 sanguine in my expectation that at no very distant future the progress of enlightenment will ultimately bring about the consummation so devoutly to be wished for4 ,it is for the advanced pioneers to endeavour to remove the incrustation which age and learning have formed and tradition and custom enshrined with jealous and sedulous care4 ,until this is done1 a ,hindoo widow must continue to mourn her lot amidst the denunciations of a heartless world4 ,sighs will never cease flowing from her heart so long as she finds herself deprived of the master charm of life4 ,she is now cast amongst the dregs and tatters of humanity4 ,bereft of the substance of what endears life to a female1 she is constrained to cleave to the shadow1 which is destined to leave her when she leaves the light of life4 ,losing all hope of worldly enjoyments1 she deposits the treasures of her heart in the sanctuary of religion1 convinced that to sell the world for the life to come is profitable4 ,it is terrible to contemplate the awful amount of physical and mental suffering with all its varied complications1 to which she is doomed2 her life is a steadfast battle against misery1 her soul soars in a vacuum where all is unreal1 empty and hollow1 and all the sweet enjoyments of life fall flat on her taste4 ,her mental strife is never over4 ,she is like a weary swimmer who throws himself back and floats1 because he is too much exhausted to swim longer1 yet will not sink and let the cold and merciless water close over his head4 ,her spirit has broken wildly loose from its normal attitude1 and her mind is overwhelmed in a surging tide of misery4 ,from the day she loses her husband1 she has a new lease of life1 and a miserable lease it must be4 ,she will not cease to lament until her soul itself shall die4 ,if she could say1 joy was once her portion1 it lighted on her as the bird rests on the tree in passing and takes wing1 yet she would now say1 her existence is so unlife-like that to her death is sweet4 ,she is a poor fallen outcast of humanity4 ,no one can enter into her feelings and views of things4 ,she has no influence1 no control over herself1 she cannot turn over a new leaf within her own mind4 ,though society is almost a necessity of our existence1 yet she lives wholly alone2 a cheerless train of thoughts always haunts her mind1 she feels a dismal void in her heart1 she finds herself cut off at once and for ever from one most dear to her1 no conversation1 however pleasant1 can bring her consolation or cheat her grief4 ,the tide of settled melancholy threatens her reason4 ,as an outcast1 she is religiously forbidden to take a part in any of the social and domestic concerns of life1 tending to relieve the ennui of a wearisome existence1 and to enliven the mind for a while4 ,she is a living example of an angel sent by heaven to minister to the comforts of man1 turned by a cruel institution into a curse4 ,estranged from the affection of those who are1 by the ties of consanguinity1 nearest and dearest to her1 she passes her days like a recluse1 quite apart from the communion of society4 ,she stares and gazes wildly at every festive celebration1 while1 as the poet sings1 ,the glad circle round them yield their souls ,to festive mirth and wit that knows no gall4 ,if she have longings irrepressible and cravings insatiable to lend her hand to any shoova karma 7meritorious work71 her widowed condition interposes an insurmountable barrier to her participation therein1 as if everything would be desecrated when touched by her polluted hand4 ,as a sentient being1 endowed with all the finer susceptibilities of human nature1 is it possible that she should so far forget herself as not to feel the bitterest pangs of despondency at her hopelessly forlorn condition8 ,driven from the genial atmosphere of a social circle1 she drags a loathsome existence in this selfish and unsympathetic world4 ,except she that gave her birth1 who would deign to look upon her with love and affection8 ,instead of being regarded1 as she assuredly should be1 as the soul of simplicity1 a living picture of sweet innocence1 she is shunned as one whose very presence portends evil4 ,if she possess unaffected modesty and a keen sense of honor and virtue1 who is to recognise and appreciate those amiable qualities in a society which is preposterously estranged from all natural susceptibilities8 ,if she have riches what would that avail her1 a poor misguided victim of superstition6#aaa ,her charity1 instead of being founded on the catholic principles of genuine liberality shewing a discriminate breadth of view1 too often exhibits an unhappy tenacity of adhesion to exclusiveness in the performance of idolatrous ceremonies4 ,if she is placed above the atmosphere of artificialness1 it is her misfortune to be surrounded by a concatenation of conventional restrictions which render her life a visible embodiment of helpless misery and anguish1 and if she ever appeals1 she appeals to the ,being who is the only friend of the hopeless and the poor4 ,to attempt to reconcile a widow to her forlorn lot is to tell a patient burning with fever not to be thirsty4 ,her days are dismal1 her nights are dreary4 ,it was the dread of widowhood1 and the unmitigated life-long miseries inseparable from it1 that led fifty wives at a time to ascend the funeral pyre of a ,rajpoot husband1 with all the composure of a philosophic mind4 ,it redounds greatly to the credit of the ,british ,government that its generous exertions have not only struck the death-knell of this inhuman practice1 even in the remotest corner of the ,empire1 but1 what is more commendable1 endeavoured to heal the wounds of a country bleeding at every pore from the fangs of superstition4 ,not content with depriving her of the best enjoyments of life which society affords1 and the laws of ,god sanction1 by condemning her to a state of perpetual widowhood1 the great lawgiver--the unflinching foe of freedom in females--has further enjoined the strict observance of certain practices that add gall to her already overflowing cup of misery4 ,as has been observed before1 she is restricted to one scanty meal a day1 always of the coarsest description1 devoid of fish#aab which is generally more esteemed by an ayistree lady than any other article of food in her bill of fare4 ,she must religiously fast on every ekadossee1 twice a month1 and on all other popular religious celebrations4 ,she must bare her body of all sorts of ornaments1 even the iron and the gold bangles1 which once constituted the summum bonum of her life4 ,as an appropriate substitute for the gold and pearl necklaces1 she is enjoined to wear a toolsee mala 7a basilwood chaplet71 and count a toolsee wood bead roll for the final rest of her soul4 ,she is prohibited from wearing any bordered clothes1 a thayti being her proper garment2 she is not permitted to daub her forehead with sidoor1 7vermillion71 once the pride of her life when her lord was alive2 she is forbidden to use any bazar-made article of food1 and to complete the catalogue of restrictions she sometimes shaves her head purposely that she may have an ugly appearance and thereby more effectually repel the inroads of a wicked1 seductive world4 ,if she have any children to nurture1 the happy circumstance affords a great relief to her wearisomely monotonous life4 ,day and night she watches them with great care1 and looks forward to their progressive development with intense anxiety1 forgetting in the plenitude of her solicitude her own forlorn condition4 ,should there be any mishap in their case1 it causes an irreparable break-down in her spirit1 which is for ever sicklied over with the pale cast of thought4 ,it is a painful fact that riches when not properly used have a tendency to corrupt the minds of human beings1 and lead them from the path of virtue to that of vice4 ,a wealthy widow who has the command of a long purse more readily falls a prey to the temptations of the world than one who1 moving in an humbler sphere of life1 has her mind almost wholly engrossed with domestic cares1 and the thoughts of a future state of beatitude4 ,verily1 as ,lord ,lytton says1 in the domain of poverty there is ,god's word4 ,considering the endless round of hardship and self abnegations to which she is inevitably doomed by a terrible stroke of fortune1 which scathes and scorches her soul1 it is cheering to reflect that she so often shines brightest in adversity4 ,indeed she may be occasionally said to die ten times a day1 but her incredible powers of patient endurance1 coupled with her high sense of female honor1 are deserving of the highest admiration4 ,,footnotes3 #aji ,such a widow is called a ,korayraur1 or one who has never enjoyed the company of her husband4 ,a stronger term of female reproach can scarcely be found in the ,hindoo vocabulary4 ,from the day this terrible bereavement occurs she is constrained by conventional rules1 in such cases1 to put off from her hand the iron bangle1 but owing to her tender age she is tacitly permitted to continue to wear the gold bangle and a bordered ,saree cloth4 ,she is forbidden to use fish--her most favorite dish1--and she must partially fast on every ekadossee1 or eleventh day of the increase or decrease of the moon4 ,when she arrives at the age of twenty her life presents an unvaried picture of despair and wretchedness4 ,she becomes a regular widow4 #aaj ,it has been justly remarked1 and ,i believe is in most cases borne out by facts1 that a ,hindoo widow generally lives to a very long age4 ,her simple and abstemious habits1 her devotional spirit1 her scanty meal once a day1 her total abstinence from food of any kind on the eleventh day of the increase and decrease of the moon1 besides other days of close fast1 neutralising in a great measure the effects of every kind of irregularity from whatever cause arising1 and the fearful amount of hardships she is accustomed to endure1 all contribute to prolong her existence4 ,surely her life may be said to extend in the inverse ratio of her misery4 ,it is a common expression used by a ,hindoo widow1 shewing her contempt of life1 will she ever die8 ,yama1 ,pluto1 seems to have forgotten her8 ,if the statistics of the land are consulted1 it will assuredly be found that ,hindoo widows comparatively speaking enjoy a longer life than the adult male population1 because the latter is subject to irregularities and other adverse contingencies of life which the former is almost entirely free from4 ,it is not uncommon to see a ,hindoo widow of eighty1 ninety or a hundred years of age4 ,in short1 nature evidently seems to have exemplified in her the symbol of misery associated with longevity4 ,it is also a remarkable fact that idolatry and superstition chiefly owe their continued influence to the wide-spread ignorance of these female devotees4 ,at a religious festival1 nearly three-fourths of the assembly are composed of widows4 #aaa ,the worship of ,juggodhatri 7mother of the world71 is performed by a widow for four years successively to forfend the calamity in the next birth4 #aab ,it should be mentioned here that1 except the widows of ,brahmins and ,kayestus of ,bengal1 those of lower orders continue to use fish without any scruple4 ,it is a remarkable fact that ,hindoo women are more fond of fish than men4 ,there are some men1 especially among the ,boystubs1 followers of ,krishna1 who feel an abhorrence to eat fish at all by reason of its offensive smell1 but there is not a single woman whose husband is alive that can live without it4 ,when a girl becomes a widow1 she can hardly take half the quantity of boiled rice she was accustomed to take before for want of this1 to her1 necessary article of food4 ,,xx4 ,,sickness1 ,,death1 ,,and ,,shrad1 ,,or ,,funeral ,,ceremony4 ,as ,i have said in the beginning that a ,hindoo lives religiously and dies religiously1 so his last days are attended with a degree of melancholy interest which is characteristic of the religion which he professes1 as well as of the race to which he belongs4 ,when a ,hindoo becomes seriously ill1 the first thing he does is to consult the ,almanac as to the stellar mansion of the period1 and engage the officiating priest to perform a series of religious atonements1 called sastyana1 for the removal of the evil spirit1 and the restoration of health4 ,mornings and evenings are dedicated to the service1 and the mother or the wife of the patient1 as the case may be1 makes a vow to the gods1 promising to present suitable offerings on his recovery1 for which purpose a small sum of money is laid aside as a tangible proof of sincerity4 ,if the patient should be a useful member of the family1 enjoying a good income1 greater solicitude is1 as must naturally be expected1 manifested for his sake than for that of an unproductive member2 it being not uncommon that a whole family1 consisting of eight or ten persons1 male and female1 depend for their sustenance on the earnings of a single individual1--the inevitable result of a joint ,hindoo family4 ,it is customary among the ,hindoos1 as it is among other civilized nations1 that when a person is ill1 his friends and relatives come to see and console him4 ,the sick man generally remains in the inner apartment of the house1 where the females--the ministering angels of life--watch him and administer to his comfort4 ,when visitors enter the room1 they go away for a time1 but it must be mentioned that they are not wanting in attention1 kind-heartedness and careful nursing4 ,days and nights of watching pass over their heads without a murmur1 prayers are continually offered to the guardian deity for a favorable turn in the fortune of the family1 and available supernatural agency is secretly employed for the attainment of the end4 ,the following conversation will give some idea of the melancholy scene3-- ,ramkanto 7a neighbour71 enters the room1 and gently accosts ,mohun 7the son of the patient47 ,ramkanto1 sitting1 asks ,how is your father8 ,i see he is very much pulled down2 the times are very bad1 ,i hear of sickness on all sides1 when did he get ill8 ,have you seen the almanac8 ,have you arranged for sastyana 7religious atonement78 ,don't you despair4 ,he will get well through the blessing of ,god2 who attends him8 ,brojobundhoo 7doctor7 replies ,mohun4 ,ramkanto4 ,yes1 he is a good doctor1 but you must have a good ,khobiraj also 7native physician7 who understands the naree 7pulse7 well2 these ,english doctors do not much care about the pulse4 ,mohun--,well1 sir1 ,i have engaged ,gopeebullub 7native physician7 to feel the pulse and watch the progress of the disease4 ,ramkanto--,that is good1 ,gopeebullub is a very clever physician1 though not old1 he understands pulsation and other symptoms thoroughly4 ,when does the fever come on8 ,see1 how he remains to-day2 should the pulse sink after fever1 send for an ,english doctor to-morrow1 either ,dr4 ,charles or ,dr4 ,coates1 both are very good doctors4 ,mohun--,my uncle gave the same advice4 ,ramkanto1 7taking ,mohun aside7 ,baba1 what will ,i say8 ,to tell you the truth1 ,i have no very great hopes of his recovery1 the case is serious1 if through the blessing of ,god he gets well1 it would be a second birth2 your father has been a great friend of mine1 you all know very well1 he is a staunch ,hindoo2 in these days of depravity1 when the customs of the ,mlechas 7,christians7 threaten to obliterate all traces of distinction1 and merge everything in one homogeneous element after the ,english fashion1 very few men are to be found like your father1 ready to sacrifice his life for the purity of his religion2 if his end do not accord with his faith1 his future state 7parakall7 is jeopardised2 you1 young men may laugh at us1 old fools1 thinking we have no sense2 a few pages of ,english do not make a man learned2 ,english shastra does not make us wise unto salvation2 one's own religion is the best panacea for the good of his parakall or future state4 ,if you lose your father1 you will never get a father again1 he has nourished you with care and affection up to this day2 as a dutiful son you are bound to serve him in this his last stage2 you must be prepared to take him to the river side when need be1 and that is not far distant2 if you neglect1 you commit a very great sin1 quite unpardonable4 ,what do fathers and mothers wish children for8 ,it is only for the good of the parakall1 and to take them to ,gunga 7,ganges7 in proper time4 ,let your father pass three nights on the river side4 ,i return this afternoon2 take care1 watch him closely and let ,gopeebullub see him constantly4 ,giving these instructions1 ,ramkanto goes away4 ,after three or four hours1 the fever returns1 the patient becomes delirious and talks nonsense1 and the wife becoming very uneasy calls the son in a very depressed tone1 and tells him to send for the ,english doctor4 ,the son obeying the order sends for the ,english doctor at once4 ,after an hour or so1 in comes ,dr4 ,charles accompanied by ,baboo ,brojobundhoo4 ,entering the sick man's room1 ,dr4 ,charles examines the patient carefully1 asks ,brojobundhoo what medicines he has been giving him1 7the women all the while peeping through the window1 unable to understand what the doctors are talking about71 and being satisfied on this point1 comes out and tells the son that his father is dangerously ill1 and that his friend's prescriptions are all right2 he1 ,dr4 ,charles1 could not do better4 ,here enters ,ramkanto with two other friends4 ,before going inside he thus speaks to the son3 ,i hear ,dr4 ,charles was here1 what did he say8 ,how was the fever to-day4 ,mohun answers1 ,dr4 ,charles said father is very ill1 the paroxysm to-day was somewhat more violent than that of other days4 ,ramkanto--,that's bad2 day by day the fever eats into the vitals of his system4 7,here the native physician comes74 ,well1 ,khobiraj ,mohashoy1 please go and see how the patient is doing8 ,gopeebullub 7native physician7 goes inside1 examines the sick man with great care1 satisfies the eager enquiries of the women by assuring them that there is no fear1 and returns outside4 ,ramkanto to ,gopeebullub--,how did you find him8 ,is the pulse in its right place8 ,do you apprehend any immediate danger8 ,dr4 ,charles was here1 you have heard what he has said1 whatever the youngsters may say1 ,i have greater confidence in you than in the ,english doctors2 take good care and tell us the exact time when to remove the patient to the river side1 that is our last sacred office2 should anything happen at home1 which ,god forbid1 we shall never be able to show our faces through shame4 ,what with such a big son1 and so many friends and relations1 it would be a crying shame if the patient die at home8 ,destiny will have its course but your hathjuss 7skill7 will go a great way4 ,gopeebullub--,everything depends on the will of ,god1 what can we mortals do8 ,whatever fate has ordained must come to pass1 we are mere instruments in the hands of ,god2 the patient is gradually sinking1 the pulse neither steady nor in its right place1 we must be prepared for the worst1 a strong pulse in a weak body is an ominous sign1 there is no fear tonight1 ,i can guarantee that4 ,ramkanto--,well1 it appears his end is nigh1 he is no more destined to have rice and water4#aac ,then1 pointing to ,mohun1 ,ramkanto says1 to-morrow morning his ,boyetarni rite#aad must be performed2 make the necessary preparations at once1 and send a man to procure a cot 7charpoy71 also see that nothing may be wanting to hurry him to the riverside4 ,mohun--,i must do what you bid me do1 hitherto ,i remained behind a mountain1 now ,i shall be without protection4 ,next morning1 the rite of ,boyetarni being performed1 preparations are made to carry the sick man to the river side3 all the nearest relations and friends assemble1 and the patient1 then in the full possession of his senses1 is brought outside and laid on the charpoy2 his forehead is daubed with the mud of the ,ganges1 and a toolsee plant is placed about his head4 ,he is told to repeat the name of his guardian deity1 and one man going up to him says1 let's go to visit the mother ,gunga1 at which he nods2 this serves as a signal for lifting the charpoy1 and putting it on the shoulders of four strong persons of equal size4 ,the heart-rending scene that ensues hereupon among the females cannot be adequately described4 ,their falling on the ground1 their loud and affecting cries1 the tearing of their dishevelled locks1 the wringing of their breast1 the contortions of their bodies1 all produce a mournful scene of anguish and despair which my feeble pen can hardly pourtray4 ,the sick man is thus carried1 perhaps a distance of two or three miles1 in a state of consciousness#aae exposed to all the dangers of inclement weather1 fully aware of his approaching end1 the carriers exchanging their shoulders every now and then1 and shouting out every five minutes1 ,hurry1 ,hurrybole1 ,gunga ,narain1 ,brahma1 ,shiva ,rama1 until they reach their destination1 which1 in ,calcutta1 is ,nimtollah ,ghaut1 on the banks of the ,hooghly4#aaf ,when the charpoy on which the sick man is borne is placed on the ground1 some one calls out to the patient to see the sacred stream1 which he does in a state of mind that can be better imagined than described4 ,on opening his eyes he beholds a dark1 gloomy scene1 the ghastliness of which is enough to strike horror into the heart of the most callous and indifferent4 ,here a dying man suffering from the convulsive agony of acute pain1 is1 perhaps1 gasping for breath1 there a fellow mortal is taken in a hurry to the very edge of the holy water to breathe out the last flicker of life2 to deepen the gloom perhaps a corpse borne on a ,hindoo hearse is just brought to the ,ghaut amidst the vociferous cries of ,hurry1 ,hurrybole1 which is a significant death-warrant4 ',tis too horrible2 ,the weariest and most loathed earthly life ,which age1 ache1 penury1 and imprisonment ,can lay on nature1 is a paradise ,to what we fear of death8 ,can imagination conceive a more dismal1 ghastly scene8 ,but religion has crowned the practice with the weight of national sanction1 and thus deadened the finer sensibilities of our nature4 ,sad as this picture is1 the most staunch advocate of liberalism can hardly expect to escape such a fate4 ,to a person accustomed to such scenes1 death1 and its concomitant agony1 loses half its terrors4 ,how many ,hindoos are annually hurried to their eternal home by reason of this superstitious1 inhuman practice8 ,instances are not wanting to corroborate the truth of this painful fact4 ,persons entrusted with the care and nursing of a dying man at the burning ,ghaut soon get tired of their charge1 and rather than administer to his comfort1 are known to resort to artificial means1 whereby death is actually accelerated4 ,they unscrupulously pour the unwholesome1 muddy water of the river down his already choked throat1 and in some cases suffocate him to death4 ,these are not the ebullient flashes from the glowing caldron of a kindled imagination1 but undeniable facts founded on the realities of life4 ,the process of ,hindoo antarjal or immersion is another name for suffocation4 ,life is so tenacious1 especially in what the ,hindoos call old bones1 or aged persons1 that ,i have seen some persons brought back home after having undergone this murderous process nine or ten times in as many days4 ,the patient1 perhaps an uncared-for widow cast adrift in the world1 retaining the faculty of consciousness unimpaired1 is willing to die rather than continue to drag on a loathsome existence1 but nature would not readily yield the vital spark4 ,in spite of repeated murderous processes1 the apparently dying flicker of life would not become extinct4 ,in the case of an aged man1 the return home after immersion is infamously scandalous1 but in that of an aged widow the disgrace is more poignant than death itself4 ,i have known of an instance in which an old widow was brought back after fifteen immersions1 but being overpowered by a sense of shame she drowned herself in the river after having lived a disgraceful life for more than a year4 ,as ,i have observed elsewhere1 no expression is more frequent in the mouth of an aged widow than the following3 ,shall ,i ever die8 ,scarcely any effort has ever been made to suppress or even to ameliorate such a barbarous practice1 simply because religion has consecrated it with its holy sanction4 ,but to return to the thread of my narrative1 the sick man dies after a stay of four days at the ,ghaut1 suffering perhaps the most excruciating pangs and agony generally attendant on a deat-bed4 ,the names of his gods are repeatedly whispered in his ears1 and the consolations of religion are offered him with an unsparing hand1 in order to mitigate his sufferings1 and if possible to brighten his last hours4 ,the corpse is removed from the resting place to the burning ,ghaut1 a distance of a few hundred yards1 and preparations for a funeral pile are speedily made4 ,the body is then covered with a piece of new cloth and laid upon the pyre1 the upper and lower part of which is composed of firewood1 faggots1 and a little sandalwood and ghee to neutralize the effects of effluvia4 ,the ,marooyapora ,brahmin1#aag 7an outcast7 reads the formula1 and the son or the nearest of kin sets fire to the pile2 the body is consumed to ashes1 but the navel remaining unburnt is taken out and thrown into the river4 ,thus ends the ceremony of cremation2 the son putting a few jars of holy water on the pile1 bathes in the stream1 and returns home with his friends1 changing his old garment for new white clothes1 called uttary1 on one end of which is fastened an iron key to keep off evil spirits4 ,it is worthy of remark here1 that providence is so propitious to us in every respect that in a few hours the son becomes reconciled to his unhappily altered circumstances caused by the loss of his father2 instead of bemoaning his loss in a despondent frame of mind1 he is soon awakened to a sense of his new responsibility4 ,on reaching the gate of the house1 all persons touch fire1 and putting neem leaves and a few grains of kalie 7a kind of pulse7 into the mouth1 cry out as before ,hurrybole1 ,hurrybole and enter the house4 ,the lamentation of the females inside the house1 which was suppressed for a while through sheer exhaustion1 is instantly renewed at the sound of ,hurrybole1 as if fresh fuel were added to the flame1 and every voice is drowned in the overwhelming surge of grief4 ,their melancholy strain1 their pointed1 pathetic allusion to the bereavement1 the cadence of their plaintive voices1 the utter dejection of their spirit1 their loud1 doleful cries reverberating from one side of the house to the other1 the beating of their breasts1 and the tearing of their hair1 are too affecting not to make the most obdurate shed tears of sorrow4 ,the son1 from the hour of his father's death to the conclusion of the funeral ceremony1 is religiously forbidden to shave1 wear shoes1 shirts1 or any garment other than the piece of white cloth1 his food being confined to a single meal consisting only of atab rice1 khasury dhall 7a sort of inferior pulse7 milk1 ghee1 sugar and a few fruits1 which must be cooked either by his mother or his wife2 at night he takes a little milk1 sugar and fruits4 ,this course of regime lasts ten days in the case of a ,brahmin1 and thirty-one days in that of a ,soodra4#aah ,here the advantages of the privileged class are twofold2 7#a71 he has to observe the rigid discipline for ten days only2 7#b71 he has ample excuse for small expenditure at the funeral ceremony on the score of the shortness of time4 ,this austere mode of living for a month in the case of a ,kayast1 by far the most aristocratic and influential portion of the ,hindoo population1 serves as a tribute of respect and gratitude to the memory of a departed father4 ,as the country is now in a transition state1 a young educated ,hindoo does not strictly abide by the above rule1 but breaks it privately in his mode of living1 of which the inmates of the family only are cognisant4 ,he repudiates publicly what he does privately4 ,thus the outer man and the inner man are not exactly one and the same being1 he dares not avow without what he does within1 in short1 he plays the hypocrite4 ,but an orthodox ,hindoo observes the rule in all its integrity1 he is more consistent if not more rational1 he does not play a double game1 but conforms to the rules of his creed with scrupulous exactness4 ,fifteen or sixteen days after the demise of his father1 the son1 if young1 is assisted by his friends in drawing an estimate of the probable cost of the approaching ,shrad or funeral ceremony4 ,in the generality of cases1 an estimate is made out according to the length of the purse of the party2 a few exceed it under a wrong impression that a debt is warranted by the special gravity of the occasion1 which is one of great merit in popular estimation4#aai ,the ,sobha ,bazar ,rajah family1 the ,dey family of ,simla1 the ,mullick and ,tagore families of ,patooriaghatta1 all of ,calcutta1 were said to have spent upwards of ,l#bj1jjj or two lacks of ,rupees each on a funeral ceremony4 ,they not only gave rich presents to almost all the learned ,brahmins of ,bengal1 in money and kind1 fed vast crowds of men of all classes1 but likewise distributed immense sums among beggars and poor people1#abj who for the sake of one ,rupee1 walked a distance of perhaps thirty miles1 bringing with them their little children in order to increase their numerical strength4 ,some really destitute women1 far advanced in a state of pregnancy1 were known to have been delivered in the midst of this densely crowded multitude4 ,although1 now-a-days1 the authorities do not sanction such a tumultuous gathering1 or tolerate such a nuisance oftentimes attended with fatal accidents1 no ,shrad of any note at all takes place without the assemblage of a certain number of beggars and paupers1 who receive from two to four annas each4 ,after the twentieth day1 the son1 accompanied by a ,brahmin and a servant who carries a small carpet for the ,baboo to sit on1 walks barefooted to the house of each and every one of his relations1 friends and neighbours1 to announce that the ,shrad is to take place on such a day1 i4 e41 on the thirty-first day after death1 and to request that they should honour him with their presence and see that the ceremony is properly performed1 adding such other complimentary epithets as the occasion suggests4 ,this ceremonious visit is called lowkata1 and those who are visited return the compliment in time4 ,the practice is deserving of commendation1 inasmuch as it manifests a grateful remembrance for the memory of one to whom he is indebted for his being4 ,precisely on the thirtieth day1 the son and other near relatives shave1 cut their nails1 and put on new clothes again1 giving the old clothes to the barber4 ,meantime invitations are sent round to the ,brahmins as well as to the ,soodras1 requesting the favor of their presence at the ,sabha or assembly on the morning of the ,shrad1 and at the feast on the following day or days4 ,on the thirty-first day1 early in the morning1 the son1 accompanied by the officiating priest1 goes to the river side1 bathes and performs certain preliminary rites4 ,here the rayowbhats and tastirams 7religious mendicants71 who watch these things just as closely as a vulture watches a carcase1 give him a gentle hint about their rights1 and follow him to the house1 waiting outside for their share of the articles offered to the manes of the deceased4 ,these men were so troublesome or boisterous in former days1 when the ,police were not half so vigilant as they now are1 that for two days successively they would continue to shout and roar and proclaim to the passers by that the deceased would never be able to go into ,boykanta or paradise1 and that his soul would burn in hell fire until their demands were satisfied4 ,partly from shame1 but more from a desire to avoid such a boisterous1 unseemly scene1 the son is forced to succumb and satisfy them in the best way he can4 ,as the style of living among the ,hindoos has of late become rather expensive1 and the potent influence of vanity--purely the result of an artificial state of society--exerts its pressure even on this mournful occasion1 the son1 if he be well to do in the world1 spends from five to six thousand ,rupees on a ,shrad2 the richer1 more4 ,he has to provide for the apparently solemn purpose the following silver utensils1 viz43--,ghara1 ,gharoo1 ,thalla1 ,batta1 ,battee1 ,raykab1 glass1 besides couch1 bedding1 shawls1 broadcloth1 a large lot of brass utensils and hard silver in cash1 all which go to pay the ,brahmins and ,pundits1 who had been invited4 ,the waning ascendency of this privileged class is strikingly manifest on an occasion of this nature4 ,for one or two rupees they will clamour and scramble1 and unblushingly indulge in all manner of fulsome adulation of the party that invited them4#aba ,the ,pundits of the country1 however learned they may be in classical lore and logical acumen1 are very much wanting in the rules of polished life4 ,the manner in which they display their profound learning is alike puerile and ludicrous4 ,history does not furnish us with sufficient data regarding their conduct in ancient days4 ,as far as research or investigation has elucidated the point1 it is reasonable to conclude that the ascendency of the ,brahmins was built on the ignorance of the people1 and there is a very strong probability that there was a secret coalition between the priests and the rulers for the purpose of keeping the great mass of the nation in a state of perpetual darkness and subjection1 the latter being oftentimes content with the barter of solid pudding against empty praise4 ,but the progress of enlightenment is so irresistible that the strongest bulwark of secret compact for the conservation of unnatural ,brahminical authority is liable1 as it should be1 to crumble into dust4 ,it would be a great injustice to deny that among these ,brahmins there were some justly distinguished for their profound erudition and saintly lives2 they displayed a piety1 a zeal1 a constant and passionate devotion to their faith1 which contrast strangely enough with the profligacy and worldliness of the present ecclesiastics4 ,the ,pundits of the present day1 when they assemble at a ,shrad--and that is considered a fit arena for discussion--are generally seen to engage in a controversy1 the bone of contention being a debatable point in grammar1 logic1 metaphysics or theology4 ,they love to indulge in sentimental transcendentalism1 as if utterly unconscious of the matter-of-fact tendency of the age we live in4 ,a strong desire of displaying their deep learning and high classical acquirements in ,sanskrit1 not sometimes unmixed with a contemptible degree of affectation1 insensibly leads them to violate the fundamental laws of decorum4 ,when two or more ,pundits wrangle1 the warmth of debate gradually draws them nearer and closer to each other1 until from sober1 solid argumentation1 they descend to the argumentum ad ignorantiam1 if not1 to the argumentum adbaculum4 ,their taking a pinch of snuff1 the quick moving of their hands1 the almost involuntary unrobing of their garment1 which consists of a single dhooty and dubja often put round the neck1 the vehement tone in which they conduct a discussion1 the utter want of attention to each other's arguments1 and their constant divergence from the main point whence they started1 throw a serio-comic air over the scene which a ,dave ,carson only could imitate4 ,they do not know what candour is1 they are immovable in their own opinion1 and scarcely anything could conquer their dogged persistence in their own argument1 however fallacious it may be4 ,they are as prodigal in the quotation of specious texts in support of their own particular thesis as they are obstinately deaf to the sound logical view of an opponent4 ,brahminical learning is certainly uttered in great swarths which1 like polished pebbles1 are sometimes mistaken for diamonds4 ,the way in which the disputants give flavour to their arguments is quite a study in the art of dropping meanings4 ,the destruction of the old husks1 and the transparent sophistries1 of the disputatious ,brahmins1 is one of the great marvels achieved by the rapid diffusion of ,western knowledge4 ,when engaged in an animated discussion1 these ,pundits will not desist or halt until they are separated by their other learned friends of the faculty4 ,some of them are very learned in the ,shastra1 especially in ,smrittee1 on which a dispute often hangs1 but they have very little pretension to the calm and dispassionate discussion of a subject4 ,cogency of argument is almost invariably lost in the vehemence of declamation and in the utterance of unmeaning patter4 ,their arguments are not like ,lord ,beaconsfield's speeches1--a little labored and labyrinthine at first1 but soon working themselves clear and becoming amusing and sagacious4 ,let it not be understood from this that the language 7,sanskrit7 in which they speak is destitute of sound logic1 as ,mr4 ,james ,mill would have his readers believe2 it is certainly deficient in science and the correct principles of natural philosophy as developed by modern discoveries1 but the elegance of its diction1 the beautiful poetical imagery in which it abounds1 the sound moral doctrines which it inculcates1 the force of argument by which it is distinguished1 and the elevated ideas which its original system of theology unfolds1 afford no good reason why it should not be stamped with the dignity and importance of a classical language1 and why the deep students of it should not enjoy some of the honors and estimation conferred by the world on those who have established a name for an erudite acquaintance with ,latin and ,greek4 ,if the respective merits of all the classical languages are properly estimated1 it is not too much to say that the ,sanskrit language will in no way suffer by the comparison1 though as history abundantly testifies it labored under all the adverse circumstances of mighty political changes and convulsions1 no less than the intolerant bigotry of many of the ,moslem conquerors1 whose unsparing devastations have destroyed some of the best specimens of ,sanskrit composition4 ,when our princes were in exile1 says a celebrated ,hindoo writer1 driven from hold to hold and compelled to dwell in the clefts of the mountains1 often doubtful whether they would not be forced to abandon the very meal preparing for them1 was that a time to think of historical records1 and we should say1 of literary excellence8 ,the deep and laborious researches of ,sir ,william ,jones1 ,colebrooke1 ,macnaghten1 ,wilson1 ,wilkins1 and a host of other distinguished ,german and ,french savants1 have1 in a great measure1 brought to light the hidden treasures of the ,sanskrit language4 ,from eight o'clock in the morning to #b o'clock in the evening1 the house of a ,shrad is crammed to suffocation4 ,a spacious awning covers the open space of the court-yard1 preventing the free access of air2 carpets and satterangees are spread on the ground for the ,kayastas and other castes to sit on1 while the ,brahmins and ,pundits by way of precedence take their seats on the raised ,thacoordallan1 or place of worship4 ,the couch-cot with bedding1 and the dan consisting of silver and brass utensils enumerated before1 with a silver salver filled with ,rupees1 are arranged in a straight line opposite the audience1 leaving a little open space for kittanees1 or bands of songsters or songstresses and musicians1 which form the necessary accompaniment of a ,shrad for the purpose of imparting solemnity to the scene4 ,three or four door-keepers guard the entrance1 so that no intruders may enter and create a disturbance4 ,the guests begin to come in at eight1 and are courteously asked to take their appropriate seats 7,brahmins among ,brahmins1 and ,kayastas among ,kayastas17 the servants in waiting serve them with hookah and tobacco1#abb those given to the ,brahmins having a thread or string fastened at the top for the sake of distinction4 ,the ,kayastas and other guests are seen constantly going in and coming out1 but the generality of the ,brahmins stick to their places until the funeral ceremony is completed4 ,the current topics of the day form the subject of conversation while the hookah goes round the assembly with great precision and punctuality4 ,the female relatives are brought in covered palkees1 as has been described before1 by a separate entrance1 shut out from the gaze of the males4 ,but as this is a mourning scene their naturally convivial spirit gives way to condolence and sympathy4 ,excessive grief does not allow the mother or the wife of the deceased to take an active part in the melancholy proceedings of the day2 they generally stay aloof in a separate room1 and are perhaps heard to mourn or cry4 ,the very sight of the mourning offerings1 instead of affording any consolation1 almost involuntarily enkindles the flame of sorrow1 and produces a train of thoughts in keeping with the commemoration of the sad event4 ,sisters of a congenial spirit try to soothe them by precepts and examples1 but their admonition and condolence prove in the main unavailing4 ,the appearance of a new face revives the sad emotions of the heart4 ,nothing can dispel from the minds of a disconsolate mother or wife the gloomy thoughts of her bereavement1 and the still more gloomy idea of a perpetual widowhood4 ,the clang of khole and kharatal 7musical instruments71 which is fitted1 as it were1 from its very dissonance1 to drive away the ghost and kill the living1 falls doubly grating on her ears1 while the fond endearments of ,jasoda1 the mother of ,krishna1 rehearsed by the songsters in the outer court-yard1 but aggravate her grief the more4 ,weak and tenderhearted by nature1 she gradually sinks under the overwhelming load of despondency1 and raising her hand to her forehead mournfully exclaims1 has ,fate reserved all this for me8 ,in such cases1 there is appropriateness in silence4 ,about ten o'clock the son begins to perform the rite of the funeral obsequies1 taking previously the permission of the ,brahmins and the assembled guests to do so4 ,the officiating priest reads the formulas1 he repeating them4 ,it must be noticed here that tenacious as the ,hindoos are in respect of the distinction of caste1 they do not scruple to invite lower orders on such an occasion1 but they would not mix with them at the time of eating4 ,the ,dulloputty or head of the party1 makes his appearance about this time2 when he enters the house1 all other guests then present1 except the ,brahmins1 as a token of respect for his position1 rise on their legs1 and do not resume their seats until he sits down4 ,for this distinction or honour a ,dullopatty has to spend an immense sum of money1 to which allusion has already been made4 ,his appearance serves as a signal for the performance of the rite1 called mala chandan1 or the distribution of garlands and sandal paste among the assembled multitude4 ,as a matter of course1 the ,brahmins by way of pre-eminence receive the first garland1 and after them the ,dullopatty obtains the same honour1 and then the ,koolins#abc and other guests according to rank4 ,where there is no ,dullopatty1 the garland is put round the neck of a boy1 at which no one can take any offence1 and afterwards they are distributed indiscriminately4 ,meantime the son is engaged in the performance of the ceremony1 while the bands of songsters quarrel with one another for the privilege of entertaining the audience with their songs1 which renders confusion worse confounded4 ,female songsters of questionable virtue are now more in favor than their male rivals1 which is an unerring proof of the degeneracy of the age4 ,only one band is formally engaged1 but thirty bands may come of their own accord1 quite uninvited4 ,the disappointed ones generally get from two to four ,rupees each1 but the party retained gets much more1 the rich guests coming in making them presents1 besides what they obtain from the family retaining them4 ,about one in the afternoon1 the ceremony is brought to a close1 and the assembled multitudes begin to disperse4 ,those who have to attend their offices return earlier1 but not without offering the compliments suited to the gravity of the occasion4 ,some of the ,brahmins remain behind to receive their customary bidhay or gift4 ,according to their reputation for learning they obtain their rewards4 ,the first in the list gets1 in ordinary cases1 about five ,rupees in cash1 and one brass pot valued1 at four or five ,rupees1 the second and third in proportion1 and the rest1 say1 from one to two ,rupees each1 in addition to a brass utensil4 ,the silver utensils of which the soroshes are made are afterwards cut and allotted to the ,brahmins according to their worth or status in the republic of letters4 ,the ,gooroo or spiritual guide1 and the ,purrohit or officiating priest1 being the most interested parties1 generally carry off the lion's share4 ,so great is their cupidity that the one disputes the right of the other as to the amount of reward they are respectively entitled to4 ,as a matter of course1 the ,gooroo1 from his spiritual ascendency1 manages to carry off the highest prize4 ,the distribution of rewards among the ,brahmins and ,pundits of different degrees of scholarly attainments1 is a rather thankless task4 ,in common with other human beings1 they are seldom satisfied1 especially when the question is one of ,rupees4 ,each sets a higher value on his own descent and learning1 undervaluing the worth of his compeers4 ,the voice of the ,president1 who has many a knotty question to solve1 decides their fate1 but it is seldom that a classification of this nature results in producing general satisfaction4 ,as these ,pundits1 or rather professors1 called ,adhaypucks1 do not eat in the house of ,soodras1 in addition to their reward in money and kind1 they1 each of them1 receive a small quantity of sweetmeats and sugar1 say about two pounds in all in lieu of achmany jalpan or fried and prepared food4 ,on a ,shrad day in the afternoon one can see numbers of such ,brahmins walk through the native part of the city1 with an earthen plate of sweetmeats in one hand and a brass pot in the other1 the fruits of their day's labor4 ,such gains being quite precarious1 and the prospect looming before them quite discouraging1 the annual sum total they derive from this source is quite inadequate to their support1 and that of the chottoos-pattee or school they keep4 ,hence many such institutions for the cultivation of ,sanskrit have been abandoned for want of sufficient encouragement1 and as a necessary consequence the sons and grandsons of these ,brahmins have taken to secular occupations1 quite incompatible with the spirit of the ,shastra4 ,in the halcyon days of ,hindoo sovereignty1 when ,brahminical learning was in the ascendant and rich religious endowments were freely made for the support of the hierarchy1#abd as well from the influence of vanity as from the compunctions of a death-bed repentance1 such chottoos-pattees annually sent forth many a brilliant scholar1--the pride of his professor and the ornament of his country4 ,but the advancement of ,english education--the only passport to honor and emoluments--has necessarily laid1 as it were1 an embargo on the extensive culture of ,brahminical erudition4 ,the ,university curriculum1 however1 under the present ,government1 embraces a system well calculated to remove the reproach4 ,the day following the funeral ceremony is spent in giving an entertainment to the ,brahmins1 without which a ,hindoo cannot regain his former purity4 ,about twelve1 they begin to assemble1 and when the number reaches two or three hundred1 ,koosasan or grass seats in long straight rows are arranged for them in the spacious court-yard1 and as ,hindoos use nothing but green plantain leaves for plates on such grand occasions1 each guest is provided with a cut piece on which are placed the fruits of the season1 ghee-fried loochees and kachoories1 and several sorts of sweetmeats in earthen plates for which there are no ,english names4 ,in spite of the utmost vigilance of door-keepers and others1 intruders in rather decent dress enter the premises and sit down to eat with the respectable ,brahmins1 but should such a character be found out1 steps are instantly taken to oust him4 ,on a grand occasion1 some such unpleasant cases are sure to occur4 ,there are loafers among ,hindoos as there are among ,europeans4 ,these men1 whom misfortune or crime has reduced to the last state of poverty1 are prepared to put up with any amount of insult so long as they have their fill4 ,when a ,hindoo makes a calculation about the expenses of an entertainment at a ,shrad or marriage 7both grand occasions71 he is constrained to double or treble his quantum of supply that he may be enabled to meet such a contingency without any inconvenience4 ,the practice referred to is a most disreputable one1 and beseems a people not far above the level of a ,nomad tribe4 ,even some of the ,brahmins#abe who are invited do not scruple to take a portion home1 regardless of the contaminated touch of a person of the lowest order1 simply because the temptation is too strong to be resisted4 ,before departure1 each and every one of the ,brahmins obtains one or two annas as dakhinah1 a concession which is not accorded to any other caste4 ,the next day1 a similar entertainment is given to the ,kayastas and other classes1 which is accompanied by the same noise1 confusion and tumult that characterised the entertainment given on the previous day4 ,the sober and quiet enjoyments of life which have a tendency to enliven the mind can seldom be expected in a ,hindoo house of ,shrad1 where all is golemal1 confusion and disorder4 ,when a dinner is announced1 a regular scramble takes place1 the rude and the uninvited occupy the first seats to the exclusion of the genteel and respectable1 and when the eatables are beginning to be served1 the indecent cries of bring loochee1 bring kachoorie1 bring tarkari1 and so on1 are heard every now and again1 much to the disturbance of the polite and the discreet4 ,the day following is called the neeumbhanga1 or the day on which the son is allowed to break the rules of mourning after one month4 ,in the morning the band of songsters previously retained come and treat the family to songs of ,krishna1 taking care to select pieces which are most pathetic and heart-rending1 befitting the mournful occasion of a very heavy domestic bereavement4 ,the singing continues till twelve or one o'clock1 and some people seem to be so deeply affected that they actually shed tears1 and forget for a while their worldly cares and anxieties4 ,when the songs are finished1 the son and his nearest relatives1 rubbing their bodies with oil and turmeric1 remove the brisakat on their shoulders from the house to a place near it4 ,a hole is made1 and the brisakat 7a painted log of wood about six feet high7 with an ox on the top1 c41 is put into it2 after this they all bathe and return home4 ,the songsters are dismissed with presents of money1 clothes and food4 ,the son then sits down to a dinner with his nearest blood relation1 and this is the first day that he leaves his habishee diet after a month's mourning1 and takes to the use of fish and other ,hindoo dishes4 ,he is also allowed to change his mourning dress and put on shoes1 after having made a present of a pair to a ,brahmin2 he1 moreover1 sleeps with his wife from this day as before1 in fact he reverts to his former mode of living in every respect4 ,as the entertainment this time consists of vojan1 made up of rice and curries1 and not jalpan1 made up of loochees and sweetmeats1 comparatively a smaller number of guests assemble on the occasion#abf and that of loafers and intruders exhibits a very diminished proportion4 ,even on such occasions1 one can always tell from a distance that there is a feast at such a house from the noise it is invariably attended with4 ,having described above the details connected with the funeral ceremony1 ,i will now endeavour to give an account of one or two of the most celebrated ,shrads that took place in ,bengal after the battle of ,plassey1 premising that every thing which shall be said on the subject is derived chiefly from hearsay1 as no authentic historical records have come down to us4 ,the first and most celebrated ,shrad was that performed by ,dewan ,gunga ,gobind ,set1 on the occasion of his mother's death4 ,it was performed on so large a scale that he caused reservoirs to be made which were filled with ghee and oil1 immense heaps of rice1 flour and dhall were piled on the ground4 ,several large rooms were quite filled with sweetmeats of all sorts4 ,mountains of earthen pots and firewood were stacked on the ,maidan4 ,hundreds of ,brahmin cooks and confectioners were constantly at work to provide victuals for the enormous concourse of people4 ,silver and brass utensils of all kinds were arranged in pyramids4 ,hundreds of couches with bedding were placed before the ,sabha1 7assembly74 ,elephants richly caparisoned with silver trappings formed presents to ,brahmins4 ,tens of thousands of silver coins bearing the stamp of ,shah ,allum were placed on massive silver plates4 ,and to crown the whole1 thousands of learned ,pundits from all parts of the country congregated together to impart a religious solemnity to the spectacle4 ,all these preparations lent a grandeur to the scene1 which was in the highest degree imposing4 ,countless myriads of beggars from the most distant parts of the ,province assembled together1 and they were not only fed for weeks at the expense of the ,dewan1 but were dismissed with presents of money1 clothes and food1 with the most enthusiastic hosannas on their lips4 ,for more than two months the distribution of alms and presents lasted1 and what was the most praiseworthy feature in the affair was the ,job-like patience of the ,dewan1 whose charity flowed like the rushing flood-tide of the holy ,ganges on the banks of which he presented offerings to the manes of his ancestors4 ,some of the ,adhapucks or ,professors obtained as much as one thousand ,rupees each in cash and gold and silver articles1 or rather fragments of the same1 to a considerable value4 ,besides these magnificent honorariums the whole of their travelling and lodging expenses were defrayed by the ,dewan1 who was reputed to be so rich that like ,croesus of old he did not know how much he was worth2 hence there is still a current saying amongst the ,bengalees1 which runs thus3 ,if ever money were wanted1 ,gouri ,set will pay4 ,gouri ,set was the son of ,gunga ,gobind ,set4 ,the expenses of the ,shrad have been variously estimated at between ten and twelve lacks of ,rupees4 ,the result of this truly extravagant expenditure was wide-spread fame1 and the name of the donor is still cherished with grateful remembrance4 ,but as all human greatness is evanescent1 the fame of the family for charity once unparalleled in the annals of ,bengal has long since dwindled into insignificance4 ,the next ,shrad of importance was that of ,maharajah ,nabkissen ,bahadoor of ,shobhabazar1 ,calcutta4 ,his son ,raja ,rajkissen performed the ,shrad1 which1 to this day1 stands unrivalled in this city4 ,four sets of gold and sixty-four sets of silver utensils described before1 amounting in value to near a lakh of ,rupees1 were given on the occasion4 ,such paraphernalia go by the name of dansagor or gift like the sea4 ,besides these presents in money to ,brahmins upwards of two lakhs of ,rupees were given to the poor4 ,if these immense sums of money had been invested for the permanent support of a ,charitable ,institution1 it would have done incalculable good to society4 ,but then there was no regularly organised system of ,public ,charity1 nor had the people any idea of it4 ,such immense sums were spent mostly for religious purposes according to the prevailing notions of the age4 ,tanks1 reservoirs1 flights of steps on the banks of the river1#abg fine rows of trees1 every three miles stone buildings or choultries for travellers1 affording a grateful shelter throughout the country1 were among the works of public utility constructed by the charitably disposed4 ,,footnotes3 #aac ,this means that he must soon die4 #aad ,boyetarni is a river which must be crossed before one gets to heaven2 the rite consists in distributing a certain amount of cowries among the ,brahmins for guiding the soul through the ,death ,valley to the other side4 #aae ,a ,hindoo1 especially a grown up man1 if he die at home is branded as an unrighteous person2 many a one otherwise esteemed righteous in his life-time is denounced as a sinful being should he not expire on the banks of the holy stream4 ,in the rari1 or inland provinces1 through which the ,ganges does not flow1 people are constrained to breathe their last on the banks of a neighbouring tank and are consequently precluded1 from their geographical position1 from securing the benefit of this cheap mode of salvation4 ,as a partial atonement for this natural disadvantage1 they bring the navel of the dead and throw it into the holy stream1 which1 in their supposition1 is tantamount to the purification of the soul4 #aaf ,a few years back the ,calcutta ,municipality proposed to have the burning ,ghaut removed to ,dhappa1 a notoriously unhealthy marshy swamp1 some six miles east of ,calcutta1 bordering on the ,soonderbunds1 because the present site was considered a nuisance to the city4 ,as must naturally be expected1 great sensation was produced among the ,hindoo population1 and memorials were submitted to the ,government of ,bengal1 signed by the most influential portion of the ,hindoo community4 ,in spite of solicitation and remonstrance1 the ,municipality were determined to carry out their plan1 but the mighty ,ramgopal ,ghose1 as the late ,mr4 ,james ,hume1 the ,editor of the ,eastern ,star1 styled him1 interposed and exerted his best1 at great personal sacrifice1 to nullify the proposal4 ,the ,hindoos called a meeting1 and ,ramgopal1 moved by the entreaties of his countrymen1 made an admirable speech at the ,town ,hall1 on which occasion no less than fifty thousand people assembled on the maidan facing the ,town ,hall4 ,in the speech he set forth1 in a graphic manner1 the suitableness of the present site1 and the distress and hardship of the people1 as well as the shock to religious feeling which the removal would involve4 ,he eventually succeeded in prevailing on the authorities to withdraw the proposal4 ,when he came out of the ,town ,hall1 he was most enthusiastically cheered by thousands of people1 ,brahmins and ,soodras1 and loud cries of may he live long were heard on all sides4 #aag ,some forty years back these ,brahmins and their whole crew of murdur-farashassys were a regular set of ragamuffins whose sole occupation was to fleece their victims in the most extortionate manner imaginable2 the ,brahmin would not read the formula1 nor his myrmidons put up the funeral pile1 without having received nearly four times the amount of the present cost4 ,great credit is due to ,baboo ,chunder ,mohun ,chatterjee1 the late ,registrar1 for his strenuous exertions in making the ,police frame a set of rules for regulating the funeral expenses at the burning ,ghaut4 ,it is a public boon which cannot be too highly appreciated4 #aah ,in the case of a daughter 7married7 the mourning lasts for three days4 ,on the morning of the fourth day she is enjoined to cut her nails1 and perform the funeral ceremony of a departed father or mother4 ,an entertainment is to be given to the ,brahmins and friends4 ,this is always done on a comparatively small scale1 and in most cases the husband is made to bear all the expenses of the ceremony and the entertainment4 #aai ,apart from erroneous popular notions1 which in this age of depravity are corrupted by vanity1 the ,hindoo ,shastra1 be it mentioned to its credit1 abounds in explicit injunctions on the subject of a funeral ceremony in various ways according to the peculiar circumstances of parties4 ,from an expenditure of lacks and lacks of ,rupees to a mere trifle1 it can be performed with the ultimate prospect of equal merit4 ,it is stated in the holy ,shastra that the god ,ramchundra considered himself purified 7for a ,hindoo under mourning is held unclean until the funeral ceremony is performed7 by offering to the manes of his ancestors simple balls of sand1 called pindas1 on the bank of the holy stream4 ,in these days a poor man would be held sanctified or absolved from this religious responsibility by making a tilakanchan ,shrad1 or offering a small quantity of rice1 teelseed and a few fruits1 and feeding only one ,brahmin1 all which would not cost more than four ,rupees4 #abj ,at the ,shrad of ,raja ,nubkissen1 ,nemy ,churn ,mullick and ,ramdoolal ,dey1 very near #ajj1jjj beggars were said to have assembled together2 this mode of charity is much discountenanced now and better systems are adopted for the ostensible gratification of generous propensities4 ,the ,district ,charitable ,society should have a preference in every case4 ,instead of making a great noise by sound of trumpet and raising an ephemeral name from vainglorious motives1 it is far wiser that a permanent provision should be made for the relief of suffering humanity4 #aba ,the appearance of ,brahmins on such occasions has the ludicrous admixture of the learned and the ragged1 exhibiting the insolence of high caste and the low cringe of poverty4 #abb ,the ,hindoos are so much accustomed to smoking that it has almost become a necessary of life4 ,at a reception it is the first thing required4 ,the practice is regulated by rules of etiquette1 so that a younger brother is not permitted to smoke in the presence of his elder brother or his uncle4 ,even among the reformed ,hindoos1 ,i have seen two brothers eat and drink together at the same table in ,european style1 but when the dinner is over the younger brother would on no account smoke in the presence of his elder brother1 if he do1 he would be instantly voted a bayadub1 or one wanting in the rules of good breeding4 ,the observance of this etiquette1 however1 is confined only to the high caste people2 among the lower orders1 a son smokes before a father with the same freedom as if he were taking his ordinary meal4 #abc ,the following anecdote illustrating the very great honor shewn to first-class ,koolins1 will1 ,i trust1 not be considered out of place4 ,when the late ,rajah ,rajkissen ,bahadoor of ,calcutta had to perform the ,shrad or funeral ceremony of his illustrious father1 the late ,moha ,rajah ,nubkissen 7the ceremony was said to have cost about five lacks of ,rupees or ,l#ej1jjj17 he had to invite almost all the celebrated ,koolins of ,bengal at considerable expense4 ,on the day of the ,shrad those who were invited assembled at his mansion in ,sobha ,bazar1 when all eyes were dazzled at the unparalleled magnificence of the scene1 displaying a gorgeous array of gold1 silver and brass utensils for presents to ,brahmins1 exclusive of large sums of money1 ,cashmere shawls1 broadcloth1 c4 ,after the performance of the ceremony1 as is usual on such occasions1 the distribution of garlands and sandal paste had to be gone through2 the whole of the splendid assemblage had been watching with intense anxiety as to who should get the first garland--the highest respect shewn1 according to precedence of rank1 to the first ,koolin present4 ,this is a very knotty point in a large assemblage to which all orders of ,koolins had been brought together4 ,the honor was eagerly contested and coveted by many1 but at length a voice from a corner loudly proclaimed to the following effect3 ,put the garland on my gode1 7elephantiasis7 laying bare and stretching his right leg at the same time and thus suiting the action to his words4 ,the attention of the assembled multitude was immediately directed in that direction1 and to the amazement of all1 the garland had to be put round the neck of the very man who shouted from a corner1 because by a general consensus he was pronounced to be the first ,koolin then present4 ,but such artificial and demoralising distinctions1 built on the baseless fabric of quicksand1 having no foundation in solid1 sterling merit1 are fast falling1 as they should1 into disrepute4 #abd ,manu commands1 ,should the king be near his end1 through some incurable disease1 he must bestow on the priests all his riches accumulated from legal fines4 #abe ,to preserve order and avoid such unseemly practices1 a wealthy ,baboo--the late ,doorgaram ,cor--when he invited a number of ,brahmins allotted to each two separate rations1 one on the plantain leaf for eating on the spot1 and another in an earthen handy or pot for carrying home for the absent members of the family4 ,even this excellent arrangement failed to satisfy the greedy cravings of the voracious ,brahmins4 ,as a dernier ressort1 he at last substituted cash for eatables1 which was certainly a queer mode of satisfying the inner man4 #abf ,there is a vast difference between a vojun and a jalpan dinner4 ,if there be a thousand guests at the latter1 at the most there would be only three hundred at the former1 as none but the nearest relatives and friends will condescend to take rice 7vath71 which is almost akin to one and the same clanship1 whereas in a jalpan1 not only the members of the same caste but even those of the inferior order are tacitly permitted to partake of the same entertainment without tarnishing the honor of the aristocratic classes4 ,the following anecdote will1 ,i hope1 prove interesting3-- ,at the marriage procession of a washerman1 confessedly very low in the category of caste1 two ,kayastas 7writer caste7 joined it on the road in the hope of getting a hearty ,jalpan dinner2 but lo6 when1 after the nuptial rites were over1 rice and curries were brought out for the guests1 the two ,kayastas1 who sat down with the rest of the company1 tried to escape unnoticed1 because if they ate rice at a washerman's they were sure to lose their caste1 but the host would not let them go away without dinner4 ,they at last spoke the truth1 asked forgiveness and were then allowed to leave the house4 ,to such disappointments unfortunate intruders are sometimes subjected4 #abg ,in the sacred city of ,benares vast sums of money have been sunk in building ,ghauts with magnificent flights of steps stretching from the bank to the very edge of the water at ebb-tide1 affording great convenience to the people both for religious and domestic purposes1 but the strong current of the stream in the months of ,august1 ,september and ,october1 has played a sad havoc with the masonry works4 ,scarcely a single ,ghaut exists in a complete state of preservation4 ,,xxi4 ,,suttee1 ,,or ,,the ,,immolation ,,of ,,hindoo ,,widows4 ,fifty years ago1 when the ,british ,government was endeavouring to consolidate its power in the ,east1 and when the religious prejudices of the ,natives were alike tolerated and respected1 there arose a great man in ,bengal who was destined by ,providence to work a mighty revolution in their social1 moral and intellectual condition4 ,that great man was ,rammohun ,roy1 the pioneer of ,hindoo enlightenment4 ,having early enriched his mind with ,european and ,eastern erudition1 he soon rose1 by his energy1 to a degree of eminence and usefulness which afterwards marked his career as a distinguished reformer and a benevolent philanthropist4 ,he was emphatically an oasis in this sterile land--a solitary example of a highly cultivated mind among many millions of men grovelling in ignorance4 ,to his indefatigable exertions we are indebted for the abolition of the inhuman practice of ,suttee1 the very name of which evokes a natural shrinking from the diabolical deed1 which appallingly and suddenly expunged a tender life from the earth1 and severed the dearest tie of humanity4 ,it was the severest reflection on the satanic character of a religion that ignores the first principle of divine law4 ,women are of an impressionable nature1 their enthusiasm is easily fanned into intensity1 and superstition and priestcraft took advantage of it4 ,not content with sending a sick man to the riverside to be suffocated and burnt to ashes1 a narrow-minded hierarchy lent its sanction to the destruction of a living creature1 by burning the ,hindoo widow with the dead body of her husband1 the fire being kindled perhaps by the hand of one whom she had nurtured and suckled in infancy4 ,it is awful to contemplate how the finest sensibilities of our nature are sometimes blunted by a false faith4 ,my apology for dwelling on this painful subject now that the primary cause of complaint has long since been removed by a wise ,legislature1 is no other than that ,i had been an eye-witness of a melancholy scene of this nature1 the dreadful atrocity of which it is impossible even at this distance of time to call to mind without horror and dismay4 ,as the tale ,i am going to relate is founded in real life its truthfulness can be thoroughly relied upon4 ,when ,i was a little boy reading in a ,patsala at home1 my attention was one morning roused by hearing from my mother that my aunt was going a ,suttee4 ,the word was then scarcely intelligible to me4 ,i pondered and thought over and over again in my mind what could the word ',suttee' mean4 ,being unable to solve the problem1 ,i asked my mother for an explanation2 she1 with tears in her eyes1 told me that my aunt 7living in the next house7 was going to eat fire4 ,instantly ,i felt a strong curiosity to see the thing with my own eyes1 still laboring under a misconception as to what the reality could be4 ,i had then no distinct notion that life would be at once annihilated4 ,i never thought for a moment that ,i was going to lose my dear aunt for ever4 ,my mind was quite unsettled1 and ,i felt an irresistible desire to look into the thing more minutely4 ,i ran down to my aunt's room and what should ,i see there1 but a group of sombre complexioned women with my aunt in the middle4 ,i have yet after fifty years1 a vivid recollection of what ,i then saw in the room4 ,my aunt was dressed in a red silk sari with all the ornaments on her person1 her forehead daubed with a very thick coat of sidoor or vermillion1 her feet painted red with alta1 she was chewing a mouthful of betel1 and a bright lamp was burning before her4 ,she was evidently wrapt in an ecstacy of devotion1 earnest in all she did1 quite calm and composed as if nothing important was to happen4 ,in short1 she was then at her matins1 anxiously watching the hour when this mortal coil should be put off4 ,my uncle was lying a corpse in the adjoining room4 ,it appeared to me that all the women assembled were admiring the virtues and fortitude of my aunt4 ,some licking the betel out of her mouth1 some touching her forehead in order to have a little of the sidoor or vermillion1 while not a few falling before her feet1 expressed a fond hope that they might possess a small particle of her virtue4 ,amidst all these surroundings1 what surprised me most was my aunt's stretching out one of her hands at the bidding of an old ,brahmin woman and holding a finger right over the wick of the burning lamp for a few seconds until it was scorched and forcibly withdrawn by the old lady who bade her do so1 in order to have a foretaste of the unshaken firmness of her mind4 ,the perfect composure with which she underwent this fiery ordeal fully convinced all that she was a real ,suttee1 fit to abide with her husband in ,boykonto1 paradise4 ,nobody could notice any change in her countenance or resolution after she had gone through this painful trial4 ,it was about eleven o'clock when preparations were made for the removal of the corpse of my uncle to the ,ghaut4 ,it was a small mourning procession1 nearly thirty persons1 all of respectable families1 volunteered to carry the dead body alternately on their shoulders4 ,the body was laid on a charpoy1 my aunt followed it1 not in a closed but an open ,palkee4 ,she was unveiled and regardless of the consequences of a public exposure2 she was1 in a manner1 dead to the external world4 ,the delicate sense of shame so characteristic of ,hindoo females was entirely suppressed in her bosom4 ,in truth1 she was evidently longing for the hour when her spirit and that of her husband should meet together and dwell in heaven4 ,she had a toolsee mala 7string of basil beads7 in her right hand which she was telling1 and she seemed to enjoy the shouts of ,hurree1 ,hurree bole with perfect serenity of mind4 ,how can we account for the strange phenomenon wherein a sentient being in a state of full consciousness was ready to surrender at the feet of ,hurree the last vital spark of life for ever1 without a murmur1 a sigh1 or a tear8 ,a deep1 sincere religious faith1 which serves as a sheet-anchor to the soul amidst the storms of life1 can only unriddle the enigma and disarm death of its terrors4 ,we reached ,nimtollah ,ghaut about twelve1 and after staying ten or fifteen minutes1 sprinkling the holy water on the dead body1 and all proceeded slowly to ,kooltollah ,ghaut1 about three miles north of ,nimtollah4 ,on arriving at the destination which was the dreary abode of ,hindoo undertakers1 solitary and lonesome1 the ,police ,darogah1 7who was also a ,hindoo7 came to the spot and closely examined my aunt1 in various ways attempting if possible1 to induce her to change her mind1 but she1 like ,joan of ,arc1 was resolute and determined1 she gave an unequivocal reply1 to the purport that such was her predestination1 and that ,hurree had summoned her and her husband into the ,boykonto4 ,the ,darogah1 amazed at the firmness of her mind1 staid at the ,ghaut to watch the proceedings1 while preparations were being made for a funeral pile1 which consisted of dry firewood1 faggots1 pitch with a lot of sandal wood1 ghee1 c4 in it to impart a fragrant odour to the air4 ,half a dozen ,bamboos or sticks were procured also1 the use of which we afterwards understood and saw4 ,we little boys were ordered to stand aloof4 ,the ,brahmin undertaker came and read a few mantras or incantations4 ,the dead body wrapped in new clothes being placed on the pyre1 my aunt was desired to turn seven times round it1 which she did while strewing a lot of flowers1 cowries 7shells7 and parched rice on the ground4 ,it struck me at the time that at every successive circumambulation1 her strength and presence of mind failed1 whereupon the ,darogah stepped forward once more and endeavoured even at the last moment to deter her from her fatal determination1 but she1 at the very threshold of ghastly death1 in the last hour of expiring life1 the fatal torch of ,yama 7,pluto7 before her1 calmly ascended the funeral pile and lying by the side of her husband with one hand under his head and another on his breast1 was heard to call1 in voice half suppressed1 on ,hurree1 ,hurree1--a sign of firm belief in the reality of eternal beatitude4 ,when she had thus laid herself on the funeral pyre1 she was instantly covered or rather choked with dry wood1 while some stout men held and pressed down the pyre which was by this time burning fiercely on all sides1 with the ,bamboos4 ,a great shout of exultation then arose from the surrounding spectators1 till both the dead and living bodies were converted into a handful of dust and ashes4 ,when the tragic scene was brought to a close and the excitement of the moment subsided1 men and women wept and sobbed1 while cries and groans of sympathy filled the air4 ,if all religions be not regarded as splendid failures1 that outlook into the future1 which sustains us amid the manifold griefs and agonies of a troublous life1 holds out the sure hope of a blessed existence hereafter4 ,my aunt1 ,bhuggobutty ,dassee1 though a victim of superstition1 had nevertheless a firm1 unalterable faith in the merciful dispensations of ,hurree which prompted her to renounce her life for the salvation of her own and her husband's souls1 giving no heed whatever to the importunity of her friends or the admonition of the world4 ,the sincerity of her religious conviction immeasurably outweighed every other worldly consideration1 and no fear or temptation could deter her from her resolute purpose1 despite its singularly shocking character4 ,it was the depth of a similar religious conviction and earnestness of purpose that led ,joan of ,arc to suffer martyrdom on a funeral pile4 ,when asked by the executioner if she believed in the reality of her mission1 ,yes1 she firmly replied1 while the flames were ascending around her4 ,my voices were of ,god4 ,all that ,i have done was by the command of ,god4 ,no1 my voices did not deceive me4 ,my revelations were of ,god4 ,nothing more was heard from her but invocations to ,god1 interrupted by her long drawn agony4 ,so dense were the clouds of smoke that at one time1 she could not be seen4 ,a sudden gust of wind turned the current of the whirlwind and ,jeanne was seen for a few moments4 ,she gave one terrific cry1 pronounced the name of ,jesus1 bowed her head1 and the spirit returned to ,god who gave it4 ,thus perished ,jeanne1 the maid of ,orleans1 and thus perished ,bhuggobutty ,dassee1 my aunt4 ,about the year #ahac1 ,rammohun ,roy published a pamphlet in which he very clearly exposed the barbarous character of the rite of burning widows alive4 ,he was unfortunately backed by few friends4 ,the orthodox party was then very strong1 and included the most influential and wealthy portion of the ,hindoo community4 ,maharajah ,tejchunder ,bahadoor of ,burdwan1 ,rajahs ,gopeemohun and ,radhakanto ,bahadoors1 ,promothnath ,dey1 ,boystubchunder ,mullick1 ,rammohun ,mullick and1 in fact1 the entire aristocracy of ,calcutta were enlisted on the side of opposition4 ,the ,sumachar ,chandrika1 the recognised organ of the ,dhurmo ,shabha1 edited by ,bhowbany ,churn ,bonerjea1 vilified ,rammohun ,roy1 as an outcast and infidel and persecuted those who were bold enough to avow their sentiments in favour of the abolition of this inhuman practice4 ,rammohun ,roy almost single-handed encountered this formidable opposition1 he fought for a just and righteous but not a popular cause1 regardless alike of the consequences of social persecution and the threats and scoffs of his orthodox countrymen4 ,patiently but steadily and consistently he worked his way1 until at last his appeal finding a responsive echo in a ,christian heart1 that noble minded ,governor ,general--,lord ,william ,bentinck--gradually put a stop to the practice4 ,that eminent statesman had many a conference with ,rammohun ,roy on the propriety or otherwise of abolishing this shocking practice4 ,the anti-abolitionists presented a memorial to ,government1 urging therein its unjustifiable interference with the religious usages of the country4 ,that wise ,governor ,general1 who was very anxious to preserve in full integrity the solemn pledge of government about a neutral policy in matters of religion1 consulted the distinguished ,orientalist1 ,mr4 ,h4 ,h4 ,wilson1 on the subject1 and finally came to the resolution of abolishing this inhuman institution throughout the ,british dominion in the ,east4 ,but before giving effect to the resolution1 he recorded in a ,minute that the authoritative abolition of the practice would be an outrageous violation of the engagement of the ,supreme ,government4 ,accordingly his ,lordship observed3 ,i must acknowledge that a similar opinion1 as to the probable excitation of a deep distrust of our future intentions1 was mentioned to me in conversation by that enlightened ,native1 ,rammohun ,roy1 a warm advocate for the abolition of ,suttees1 and of all other superstitions and corruptions engrafted on the ,hindu religion1 which he considers originally to have been a pure deism4 ,it was his opinion that the practice might be suppressed quietly and unobservedly by increasing the difficulties1 and by the indirect agency of the ,police4 ,he apprehended that any public enactment would give rise to general apprehension1 that the reasoning would be1 while the ,english were contending for power1 they deemed it politic to allow universal toleration and to respect our religion2 but having obtained the supremacy1 their first act is a violation of their professions and the next will probably be1 like ,mahomedan conquerors to force upon us their own religion4 ,the argument urged by ,government was as reasonable as its conduct was compatible with its known policy4 ,but it must be mentioned to the credit of an enlightened ,government that its generous exertions have effectually healed one of the most shocking wounds inflicted by inhuman superstition upon our unhappy country4 ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,admired ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,sabitri ,,brata1 ,,or ,,the ,,wonderful ,,triumph ,,of ,,exalted ,,chastity4 ,in the halcyon days of the ,hindoo ,raj1 when religion was regarded as the mortar of society1 and righteousness the cement of domestic happiness1 when ,judhistra the ,just inculcated1 by precept and example1 the inflexible rules of moral rectitude1 there reigned in the country of ,madra a very pious1 truthful1 wise and benevolent king named ,aswapati4 ,for a long time he had no child1 which made him extremely unhappy4 ,seeing that the evening of his life was drawing nearer every day and there was no sign of the approach of the wished-for consummation1 he undertook to perform a grand religious ceremony with the object of obtaining a son and heir1 and daily made ten thousand offerings to please the goddess1 ,sabitri1 from whom the boon was expected4 ,thus passed away several long and painful years1 at the end of which it came to pass that the goddess1 ,sabitri1 one day suddenly appeared before him in the shape of a beautiful woman1 and told him that she was ready to grant him any boon he might ask for1 because she was well pleased with him for his austere asceticism1 for the purity and sincerity of his heart1 for the strict observance of his vow1 and for his firm1 unshaken faith in her4 ,as was to be expected1 he prayed for a good number of sons1 affirming that without offspring the life of man upon earth is but a wilderness1 obscuring the transitory sunshine of bliss into a chaotic mass of settled gloom4 ,the goddess said that foreknowing this to be his cherished desire1 she had gone to the ,creator 7,brahma7 to consult him as to the best means for its realization1 and through his mercy he would soon be blessed with a female child1 in every way worthy of such a pious and virtuous father4 ,her beauty would shed a lustre around her name and the fame of her rare gifts of nature spread far and wide4 ,she would be the cynosure of all princely eyes1 and her charms radiate in all directions4 ,so saying1 the goddess disappeared and the king returned to his own capital4 ,in a short time1 the eldest queen became pregnant and in due course of time1 gave birth to a daughter of matchless beauty4 ,the king and his ,brahmin friends called her ,sabitri1 after the name of the goddess who granted the boon4 ,day by day1 the princess grew fairer and fairer1 and soon passed from the incipient stage of smiling childhood to that of blooming youth4 ,every one that saw her chiselled features and prepossessing appearance believed that some angelic beauty1--the embodiment of loveliness itself--had descended upon earth in the shape of a lovely damsel4 ,indeed she was so surpassingly beautiful that no prince1 how great or eminent he might be1 dared seek her hand in marriage lest his suit should be spurned4 ,the king1 ,aswapati1 thought of marrying his only daughter1 then in the fullness and freshness of youth1 to some one worthy of the honor4 ,for some time no royal suitors ventured to solicit her hand for the reasons stated above4 ,at length1 ,sabitri sought and obtained her father's permission to secure for herself a suitable match4 ,in complying with her request1 the father moreover allowed her to take in her travels some of the wisest ministers of the state1 whose experience and counsel would be available to her in so momentous an affair4 ,mounted on a golden chariot and accompanied by a number of gray headed ministers1 she left the capital with the benedictions of the hereditary priests1 and journeyed far and wide through many a strange country1 visiting on her way some of the most delightful hermitages of the venerable old ,rishis1 who were absorbed in meditation4 ,sometime after1 while the king was attending to the duties of the ,state and conversing with that renowned sage1 ,narada1 ,sabitri with the ministers returned home from her peregrination4 ,the princess1 seeing her father talking with the great ,rishi1 ,narada1 bowed her head down in token of due homage to the venerable ,rishi and her respected father4 ,the bustle consequent on the first interview after a long absence being over1 ,narada asked the king3 ,o monarch1 where did your daughter go8 ,whence is she now coming8 ,it is high time that you should give her in marriage to some noble prince worthy of her hand4 ,the king replied1 ,o revered ,rishi1 ,i sent her abroad with some of my wisest ministers in quest of some noble prince1 who1 to a beautiful person should add all the rarest gifts of wisdom1 courage1 piety and virtue2 now hear from her own mouth1 how far she has succeeded in her sacred mission4 ,so saying1 the king desired ,sabitri to tell them whom she had chosen for her husband4 ,sabitri1 in obedience to her esteemed father's behest1 thus spoke in a tone becoming her age and sex4 ,father1 a pious king named ,dyumutsen once ruled the kingdom of ,sala4 ,a few days after his accession he lost both his eyes and became totally blind4 ,at that time1 his only child was in his infancy1 quite incapable of conducting the affairs of the kingdom4 ,his treacherous enemies1 taking advantage of his blindness and the infancy of his child1 invaded his kingdom and wrested it from his hands4 ,the dethroned king and his beloved queen with their infant child betook themselves to a quiet life of contemplation in an adjacent wood1 renouncing all the pleasures of a wicked1 ungrateful world4 ,for some years they passed their days in the sequestered wood amidst the abodes of many revered sages1 who took a special delight in imbuing the nascent mind of the boy with the germs of moral and religious instruction1 promising a full development in maturer years4 ,he was in every way my equal1 and him have ,i chosen as my worthy husband4 ,his name is ,satyavana4 ,hearing this1 the hoary headed ,rishi1 ,narada1 thus addressed the monarch4 ,o monarch1 ,i am grieved to say that your daughter has been unfortunate in her choice1 in having thoughtlessly selected the virtuous ,satyavana as her husband4 ,the king feelingly enquired3 ,o great ,rishi1 are the noble qualities of valour1 prudence1 forgiveness1 piety1 devotion1 generosity1 filial love and affection to be found in ,satyavana8 ,narada answered1 ,satyavana is ,surya's 7sun's7 equal in matchless glory1 is wise as ,vrihashpati himself1 brave and warlike as ,indra1 mild and forgiving as ,earth4 ,the king asked3 ,is the prince a sincere worshipper of ,god1 walking in the path of righteousness8 ,is he beautiful1 amiable and high-minded8 ,narada replied1 ,o king1 like ,ratideva1 the son of ,sankriti1 the beautiful ,satyavana1 is generous2 like ,sibi1 the son of ,usinara1 he is a lover of ,god and ,truth2 and is as high-minded as ,yayati2 all the pious old ,rishis and other good men believe that ,satyavana is brave1 mild1 meek1 truthful1 faithful to his friends1 magnanimous1 pious1 and sincere in devotion and earnestness4 ,the king again asked3 ,o venerable sage1 you have named all the good qualities that can ennoble humanity2 be kind enough to inform me in what he is wanting4 ,he has one great disqualification1 said ,narada1 which is enough to outweigh all his virtues1 his life upon earth is very short1 he is fated to live exactly one year from this day4 ,hearing the fearful prophecy of ,narada1 the king tried his best to dissuade his daughter from the fatal alliance1 but all his efforts proved unavailing4 ,sabitri1 firm and constant in her plighted faith1 fearlessly replied that1 despite the ominous prediction which is suggestive of the appalling horrors of premature widowhood to the mind of a ,hindoo female1 she could not retract her pledge and surrender her heart to any other being upon earth4 ,narada then exclaimed2 ,o king1 ,i see your daughter is true to her promise1 firm in her faith and constant in her love and attachment to ,satyavana4 ,no one will be able to lead her astray from the path of righteousness4 ,let the unrivalled pair1 therefore1 be united in the sacred bond of wedlock4 ,the king replied1 ,o great ,rishi1 unalterable are your words2 what you have now said is just and right4 ,as you are my ,gooroo 7spiritual guide7 ,i will do what you have ordered me to do4 ,heaven's choicest blessings be upon you all1 said ,narada1 and departed4 ,the king now directed his attention to the solemnisation of the nuptials of his beloved daughter with becoming pomp and eclat4 ,the fair daughter of ,aswapati was thus married in due form to ,satyavana1 the son of the blind old king1 ,dyumutsen4 ,for a while the happy pair continued to enjoy all the blessings of conjugal life in their blissful and retired cottage1 remote from the busy throng of men and quite congenial to religious meditation1 though ,sabitri knew full well1 as predestined by ,bidhata1 that this short and transient happiness would be soon followed by long and painful suffering which would very nigh destroy them both4 ,thus week after week and month after month rolled away1 when at length the prophetic day on which the terrible doom was to be pronounced upon ,satyavana drew nearer and nearer1 and when ,sabitri saw that there remained only four days to complete the terrible year1 perhaps the last year of ,satyavana's life1 at the end of which the fatal torch of ,yama would appear before her beloved husband1 her heart recoiled at the idea4 ,to avert the dreadful doom she undertook the performance of an austere vow1 which strictly enjoined three days of continuous fasting and prayer1 pouring forth at the feet of the ,almighty all the fervours of a devotional heart4 ,her father-in-law1 ,dyumutsen1 though overwhelmed by the surging wave of grief1 endeavoured to dissuade her from undertaking so trying a vow1 but his admonition was quite ineffectual4 ,she persistently adhered to her resolution and calmly resigned herself to the dispensations of a wise1 and merciful ,providence4 ,mental conflict1 internal perturbation1 and continuous fasting made her weak and emaciated1 and the prophetic words of ,narada incessantly haunted her mind like some fatal vision4 ,it is quite impossible to describe the violent struggles that passed within her when that terrible day at last arrived1 and when the inevitable decree of fate by which her dear husband should for ever cease to live would be fulfilled4 ,after bathing in the sacred stream she made burnt offerings to the gods and prostrated herself on the ground1 as a mark of profound homage to the honoured feet of the old ,rishis1 and those of her revered father-in-law and mother-in-law1 who in return heartily pronounced their sincere benedictions upon her4 ,when the hour for dinner came1 she was desired to partake of some refreshment1 especially after three days' continuous fastings1 but animated by a fervent spirit of devotion she declined to take any food before sunset4 ,presently she saw her husband going to the forest with his axe and a bag1 to procure fruits and dry wood4 ,sabitri begged to accompany him1 but from the prescience of imminent danger as well as from the warmth of affection he would fain keep her at home1 being assured that her tender feet were not fitted to wander in the brambly wilderness in her present enfeebled state of body2 but regardless of all admonition she thus exclaimed3 ,o my beloved ,lord1 ,i am not at all weary with fasting1 your very presence is my strongest support4 ,i can never be happy without you1 so do not turn a deaf ear to the earnest entreaty of an already disconsolate wife1 whose fate is bound with yours in a gordian knot which no earthly force can break or cut4 ,satyavana was at last constrained to yield to her solicitations1 and bade her take his father and mother's permission before her departure4 ,it was with the greatest reluctance that their permission was given4 ,obtaining their benedictions and being armed with the panoply of divine grace1 the unhappy pair quitted their sweet home for the dreary forest4 ,on the way1 ,satyavana1 half conscious of what would soon befall him1 addressed his loving wife in the following affectionate words3 ,o dear ,sabitri1 behold how nature smiles in all her beauty1 how the fields are adorned with fragrant flowers1 shady groves1 and a wide expanse of living verdure1 how slowly and smoothly runs the murmuring brook with soothing melody1 how the warblers of the forest pour forth their wild but sweet notes without fear of molestation1 how merrily the peacock is dancing1 how cheerfully the stag is frisking about1 and above all1 how the stillness of the scene invites the mind to contemplation4 ,while ,sabitri was attentively listening to her husband's descriptive illustration of nature1 her heart swelled in her throat1 but her eyes were not sullied with even one tear-drop4 ,she continued to follow her husband as a faithful1 obedient wife4 ,at length they entered the forest1 and ,satyavana after having filled his bag with various kinds of fruits began to cut with his axe the withered branches of the trees4 ,the effort soon overpowered him and he felt some uneasy sensation about his head4 ,he slowly walked down to his dear wife and observed3 ,o much beloved ,sabitri1 suddenly ,i feel an acute headache which1 becoming more and more painful1 makes me quite insensible and almost breaks my heart4 ,i cannot stand here any longer1 but ,i trust by the aid of balmy sleep1 soon to regain my health and strength4 ,on hearing her husband's heart-rending words1 she sat down upon the ground and placed ,satyavana's head upon her lap4 ,but as fate had ordained he soon became perfectly insensible4 ,when ,sabitri saw this1 her wonted presence of mind did not fail her2 trusting1 however1 in the boundless mercy of an overruling ,providence1 she calmly and composedly waited for the ill-fated hour1 when the shadow of death would hide for ever her beloved ,satyavana--a doom she was herself prepared to share4 ,suddenly1 after a short while1 she believed she saw a grim figure1 clothed in red and resplendent with lustre like the sun1 slowly approaching her with a chain in his hand4 ,this was not a figment of her imagination4 ,the veritable ,yama stood beside ,satyavana and looked steadfastly upon him4 ,no sooner did ,sabitri see him than she1 taking her husband's head from her lap and placing it upon the ground1 with trembling heart thus addressed him4 ,god-like person1 your heavenly form and majestic appearance bespeak unmistakably that you are a god among gods4 ,vouchsafe to unfold yourself and break your mind to me4 ,yama replied2 ,o ,sabitri1 thou art chaste and constant in thy devotion and meditation1 ,i1 therefore1 feel no delicacy in satisfying your eager inquiry4 ,i am ,yama 7,pluto71 ,i am come here for the purpose of carrying away thy dead husband1 as his days upon earth are numbered4 ,to this1 ,sabitri said1 ,o king1 ,i have heard that your imps carry away the dead bodies from the earth2 why are you then come yourself8 ,yama replied1 ,o amiable ,sabitri1 while living1 your excellent husband possessed many good qualities and was justly remarkable for his righteousness4 ,it was improper1 therefore1 to have sent my imps to carry him away4 ,with this view ,i am come myself4 ,so saying ,yama forcibly drew out the finger-shaped soul from ,satyavana's body4 ,being deprived of the vital spirit1 the dead body became motionless1 pale and pallid2 and ,yama went towards the ,south4 ,the chaste ,sabitri1 in order to obtain the fruit of her vow1 followed him with sad looks and a heavy heart4 ,seeing this1 ,yama remonstrated with her and ordered her to return home and perform the funeral obsequies of her husband4 ,sabitri said she would go wherever her husband was carried1 and that by her unceasing prayer to the ,almighty1 by her firm faith in her spiritual guide1 by the solemn fulfilment of her sacred vow1 and by his 7,yama's7 grace1 her course would be free and unrestrained4 ,o king of the infernal regions1 said she1 kindly deign to lend a listening ear to a suppliant's prayer4 ,he that has not obtained a complete mastery over his senses should not come to the forest to lead there either a domestic life1 or a student's life1 or the life of a devotee4 ,those who have effectually controlled their passions are fit to fulfil the necessary conditions of the four different modes of life4 ,of these four modes1 the domestic life is decidedly the best1 being most favourable to the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom1 and to the cultivation of piety and virtue4 ,persons like myself do not desire to lead any other than a domestic life4 ,now return home1 ,o fair ,sabitri2 ,i am much pleased with your wise observations2 ,i am willing to grant you any boon save the life of your husband1 exclaimed ,yama4 ,sabitri replied1 ,o king1 be graciously pleased to restore eyesight to my blind father-in-law1 and make him powerful as the ,sun or the ,fire1 that he may be enabled to regain his kingdom and rule it with vigour4 ,yama granted the boon1 and directed her to return home after the fatiguing journey4 ,sabitri answering said1 ,o virtuous king1 ,i feel no trouble or fatigue while ,i am with my husband1 for a husband is the strength and stay of his wife1 and the wife is the sharer of her husband's weal or woe3 ,the wife1 where danger or dishonor lurks1 ,safest and seemliest by her husband stays1 ,who guards her1 or with her the worst endures4 ,wherever1 therefore1 you carry my husband1 my footsteps will dog you thither4 ,our very first intercourse with the good and the righteous leads to the growth of confidence and kindly feeling1 which is always productive of the most beneficial results4 ,whereupon ,yama replied1 ,o thoughtful lady1 thy words are agreeable to my heart2 they are fraught with meaning and good sense4 ,i shall willingly grant you another boon save the life of your husband4 ,allow me1 then1 ,o virtuous king1 to ask for a hundred begotten sons to my father1 who has no son1 said ,sabitri4 ,i grant the boon1 said ,yama1 now that all your wishes have been consummated1 do not continue to follow me any longer4 ,you are far away from your father-in-law's cottage2 return home at once4 ,sabitri replied1 ,o virtuous king1 we are apt to repose more confidence in the righteous than in ourselves2 their kindness amply requites our love and regard4 ,yama said1 ,i am very much satisfied with your edifying speech1 and am disposed to grant you another boon4 ,sabitri feeling grateful for the several boons granted unto her1 presumed this time to ask for the resurrection of her husband as well as for the birth from them of a hundred powerful1 wise and virtuous sons1 to be the glory of the country and the ornament of society4 ,be it so1 said ,yama cheerfully and disappeared4 ,it is obvious that the fertile imagination of the hereditary priests of ,hindoosthan1 who1 from their traditional mental abstraction1 delighted more in the concoction of legendary lore than of the solid1 sober realities of life1 invented the above ,brata or vow1 mainly for the consolation of ignorant females1 to avert the hardships of widowhood1 than which a more unmitigated evil is not to be found in the domestic economy of the ,hindoos4 ,the unhallowed institution of the immolation of widows alive1 was primarily traceable to the dread of this terrible calamity1 which preyed1 as it were1 on the vitals of humanity4 ,hence the performance of this ,brata is the culminating point of meritorious work in popular estimation1 promising to the performer the perpetual enjoyment of connubial happiness1 which is more valued by a ,hindoo female than all the riches of ,golconda4 ,it is annually celebrated in the ,bengalee month of ,joysto both by widows and by women whose husbands are alive1 by the former1 in the hope of averting the evil in another life1 by the latter1 in the expectation of continuing to enjoy conjugal bliss both in this world and the next4 ,on the celebration of this ,brata on the fourteenth night of the decrease of the moon1 the husband1 being dressed in clean new clothes1 is made to sit on a carpet1 the wife1 previously washing and drying his feet1 puts round his neck a garland of flowers and worships him with sandal and flowers1 wrestling hard in prayer for his prolonged life4 ,this being done1 she provides for him a good dinner1 consisting of different kinds of fruits1 sweetmeats1 sweet and sour milk and ghee-fried loochees1 c4 ,it should be mentioned here that a widowed lady offers the same homage to the god1 ,naraian1 in the place of a husband4 ,the usual incantation is read by the priest1 and she repeats it inaudibly1 the substance being in harmony with her cherished desire4 ,he gets his usual fee of two or four rupees and all the offerings in rice1 fruits1 sweetmeats1 clothes1 brass utensils1 c4 ,if not dead1 a woman has to perform this ,brata regularly for fourteen long years1 at the end of which the expense is tenfold more1 in clothes1 beddings1 brass utensils1 and an entertainment to ,brahmins1 friends and neighbours1 than in the ordinary previous years4 ,besides the ,bratas described above1 there are many others of more or less note1 which are annually observed by vast numbers of females1 who1 from their early religious tendencies1 seem to enjoy a monopoly of them4 ,it is1 however1 a singular fact that the primary object of all these religious vows is the possession of all sorts of worldly happiness1 seldom supplemented by a desire of endless blessedness hereafter4 ,this is unquestionably a lamentable desideratum in the original conception and design of the popular ,hindoo ,shastras1 clearly demonstrating its superficiality and poverty4 ,,appendix4 ,,note ,a4 ,,observances ,,and ,,rites ,,during ,,pregnancy4 ,from the period of conception a woman is enjoined by way of precaution1 to live under certain rules and restrictions1 the observance of which is to ensure a safe delivery as well as the safety of the offspring4 ,she is not allowed to put on clothes over which birds of the air have flown1 lest their return might prolong the period of her delivery4 ,she fastens a knot to one end of the ,achal of her ,saree#abh and keeps it tied about her waist1 and spits on her breast once a day before washing her body1 and is not allowed to sit or walk in the open compound in order to avoid evil spirits2 as a safeguard against their inroads1 she constantly wears in the knot of her hair a slender reed five inches long4 ,when in a state of pregnancy1 a ,hindoo female is treated with peculiar care1 tenderness and affection4 ,she is generally brought from her father-in-law's house to that of her father1 where all the members of the family shew her the greatest love lest she should not survive the throes of childbirth4 ,indeed the first childbirth of a young ,hindoo girl is justly considered a struggle between life and death4 ,as a religious safeguard and guarantee for safe delivery1 she is made to wear round her neck a small ,madoolee 7a very small casket made of gold1 silver1 or copper71 containing some flowers previously consecrated to ,baba ,thacoor#abi and to drink daily until her delivery a few drops of holy water after touching it with the ,madoolee4 ,it is perhaps generally known that a ,hindoo girl is married between #i and #ab years of age--an age when her ,european sister would not even dream of being united in the bonds of wedlock2 and the natural consequence is1 she becomes a mother at thirteen or fourteen years4 ,an eminent writer who had studied the subject carefully thus remarks3 ,till their thirteenth year1 they are stout and vigorous2 but after that period1 they alter much faster than the women in any of the nations of ,europe4 ,her tender age1 her sedentary life1 her ignorance of the laws of hygiene1 the common dread of childbirth1 the want of proper midwives as well as of timely medical aid 7should any be necessary71 conspire sometimes to cause an untimely death4 ,she must continue to observe many precautions until her accouchement is completed4 ,in the fifth month of her pregnancy takes place her ,kacha ,shad4#acj ,the day must be an auspicious one according to ,hindoo astrologers1 and she is treated that day with special indulgence1 inasmuch as all the delicacies of the season are given to her without restriction4 ,in the seventh month she is treated with ,bhaja ,shad1 when she eats with a few other females 7whose husbands and children are all alive7 all sorts of parched peas and rice as well as ,methais and other sweetmeats2 in the ninth month1 the ,paunchamrita#aca ceremony is held1 when she is made to wear a red-bordered ,akhanda ,saree 7a piece of cloth ten cubits long with the edges uncut71 which is preserved with the greatest care lest any jealous and mischievous woman who has lost her children1 should clandestinely cut and take away a portion of the same1 which is considered a very portentous omen for the preservation of the new born babe4 ,on the celebration of ,paunchamrita above mentioned the officiating priest1 after repeating the usual incantation1 pours into her mouth a little of the delicacies1 without the same coming in contact with her teeth4 ,she is forbidden to eat anything else that day except fruits and sweetmeats2 and then a good day is appointed for the celebration of the grand final ,shad1 when all the female relatives and connections of the family are invited4 ,in ,calcutta1 ,hindoo females of respectability are not permitted to be seen1 much less to walk in the streets2 they live in a state of perfect seclusion1 entirely apart from the male members of the family1 it being considered a very great disgrace should a respectable female be in any way exposed to public gaze4 ,the very construction of a ,hindoo family dwelling house clearly indicates the prevalence of the close zenana system2 the inmates must have an inner and an outer apartment1 there must be an inclosed court-yard reached by tortuous passages1 closed by low constructed doors1 through which one has to wriggle rather than to walk2 the sun seldom shines into it2 small contracted staircases1 foul confined air1 no circulation or ventilation are the result3 the noxious effluvia evaporating from this or that side of the house1 especially from the lower floor1 is a nuisance which the inmates put up with1 with scarcely any complaint4 ,the drainage and water works have certainly effected considerable improvement towards the promotion of cleanliness1 but still the dirty and filthy state of most of the family dwelling houses is a notorious fact4 ,by a small door only there exists a communication between the inner and outer apartment2 should the house be a small one1 say from three to four cottahs1 which is generally the case in such a crowded city as ,calcutta1 and should the women talk loud enough to be heard by men outside1 they are not only instantly checked but severely reprimanded for the liberty4 ,the great privacy of the close zenana system is1 however1 broken by females being obliged to travel in a ,railway carriage3 though ,hindoos of rank1 whenever they have occasion to go on pilgrimage by ,rail1 generally engage a reserved compartment for the females1 yet they cannot manage to preserve absolute privacy when going into or coming out of the carriage at the ,railway ,stations4 ,to return to the grand final ,shad1 on the day appointed an awning is put up over the court-yard of the house4 ,palkees are sent to each of the families invited2 and the guests 7nearest female relatives7 begin to come in from ten in the morning2 a general spirit of hilarity prevails on all sides1 noise and bustle ensue1 the women are busy in receiving their guests1 preparations are being made for the grand feast1 the men outside direct the ,palkee bearers where next to go1 the little children have their own share of juvenile frolic1 the young damsels and the aged matrons are seen speaking to their respective friends with mutual love1 affection and confidence2 and signs of joviality and conviviality are seen every where4 ,it is on such occasions that women unbosom themselves to each other1 and freely and unreservedly communicate their feelings1 their thoughts1 their wishes1 nay their secrets to friends of congenial spirit and temper2 their conversation knows no end1 their amiable loveliness almost spontaneously developes itself2 they unburden their minds of the heavy load of accumulated thoughts2 their joys and sorrows1 their happiness and misery1 their sympathy and emotion1 pleasurable or painful1 have their full scope4 ,if they are naturally garrulous they become more so at such a jovial assemblage1 so that one can dive deepest down into their hearts on such an occasion4 ,many a matrimonial match is proposed and matured at such meetings1 and to crown the whole1 sisters of kindred spirit embrace each other with all the warmth of genuine love and affection4 ,if their minds are contracted by reason of scanty culture1 their hearts are full of affection1 sympathy and susceptibility1 which cannot fail to exercise a beneficial influence on human nature4 ,on such occasions1 females are allowed to have some amusement or tamasha1 according to their liking1 7but of course not such as betrays a vitiated taste1 overstepping the bounds of decorum1 which was the case some years back74 ,dancing girls and ,panchalleys are entertained1 who contribute not a little to the amusement of the assembled guests4 ,immured within the walls of a close zenana they are seldom suffered to enjoy such unrestrained liberty4 ,otto of roses1 rose water out of gold or silver pots1 nosegays1 and paun or betel are freely distributed among them4 ,they sit on benches or chairs1 or squat down barefooted on forash bichana 7a clean white sheet71 and enjoy the tamasha to their hearts' content4 ,these amusements continue till evening1 entertaining the guests with songs on gods and goddesses 7,doorga1 ,krishna and his mistress1 ,radha73 those relating to ,doorga have a reference to the ill treatment she experienced at the hands of her parents1 but those pertaining to ,krishna and ,radha tell of his juvenile frolics with his mother and the milk-maids1 and amorous songs on disappointed love1 which1 though they may appear harmless to their worshippers1 have nevertheless a partial tendency to debase the minds of females4 ,by way of encouragement1 the singing and dancing girls receive1 besides their hire1 presents of money1 clothes and shawls1 according to the circumstances of the parties retaining them4 ,to do our women justice1 however1 it is pleasing to reflect that the progress of enlightenment has of late years wrought a salutary change in their minds4 ,instead of the former ,kabees 7songs7 which were shamefully characterised by the worst species of obscenity and immorality1 they have imbibed a taste for more sober and refined entertainments4 ,moral and intellectual improvement amongst perfectly secluded females is a sure harbinger of national regeneration4 ,the young and the sprightly1 as is naturally to be expected1 enjoy these amusements most2 but the more elderly and thoughtful females make the best of the opportunity in conversation about domestic affairs with those of their own age and kinship4 ,they have certainly no distaste for these frivolous entertainments1 but the thoughts and cares of home press more heavily on their minds4 ,age and experience have taught them to regard the enjoyment of unalloyed domestic felicity as the chief end of life4 ,a good ,hindoo housewife is a model of moral excellence4 ,about four o'clock in the afternoon1 when almost all the guests are assembled together1 long parallel rows of pirays1 or wooden seats1 the one quite apart from the other--are arranged in straight lines in the court-yard1 in the midst of which is placed the seat of the pregnant girl1 which1 by way of distinction1 is painted white with rice paste 7alpana7 with appropriate devices4 ,adorned with ornaments of glittering gold1 bedecked with precious stones1 and dressed in an embroidered ,benares ,saree1 she walks gracefully towards her particular seat1 which is a signal for others 7widows excepted7 to follow2 they all squat down on the wooden seats1 before which are placed small pieces of green plantain leaves and a few little earthen plates and a cup1 which are intended to serve the purposes of plates and glasses4 ,before her stands a light1 a conch is sounded1 and a rupee with which her forehead is touched is kept for the gods1 for safe delivery4 ,fruits of different kinds1 about fifteen or sixteen sorts of sweetmeats1 loochee1 kachoory1 papur 7flour fried with ghee7 in the shape of chappatees1 vegetable curries of several kinds1 sweet and sour milk1 are provided for the guests1 the female relatives of the girl serving as stewards4 ,no adult male member of the family is allowed to assist in the feast1 because ,hindoo females blush to eat before men4 ,being most pre-eminent in point of caste1 ,brahmin women are served first4 ,here the rules of caste are strictly observed1 and no departure therefrom is tolerated4 ,it is not uncommon that uninvited females1 or more properly speaking1 intruders contrive by some means or other1 to mix with the company2 but they are soon singled out by the more shrewd and experienced1 and to their chagrin and disappointment1 instantly removed from their seats4 ,they do not1 however1 go away with curses on their lips1 but receive a few things and are ordered to leave the house without a ,palkee4#acb ,after the feast is over1 the women1 washing their hands and mouths1 express their good wishes for the safe delivery of the girl1 and make preparations for returning home4 ,here confusion and bustle ensue consequent on the simultaneous desire of all to return home first1 and as the sun begins to set1 their anxiety becomes more intense to see the faces of their absent children2 laying aside their wonted modesty1 some of them almost unblushingly make a rush and enter the first ,palkee that comes in their way1 regardless alike of their sex and the rules of decorum4 ,if #ajj families are invited1 about ten ,palkees are retained4 ,hackney carriages are sometimes substituted in place of ,palkees1 but whatever arrangements are made it is next to impossible to satisfy at least #bjj people at one and the same time4 ,the guests are never expected to find their own conveyances4 ,before coming1 some of them keep the ,palanquin waiting for an hour or so1 while they are engaged at their toilet and adorning their persons with divers ornaments4 ,it is not unfrequently the case on such occasions that females in poor circumstances borrow ornaments from their more prosperous friends1 in order to appear in society to the best advantage4 ,in the absence of mental accomplishments1 ,hindoo ladies necessarily set a high value on the jewels about their persons4 ,some twenty years back1 massive articles of gold were considered the most recherche ornaments1 so much so that some rich ladies were adorned with gold articles alone to the weight of #f or #g lbs42 to an ,english lady1 this might appear incredible1 but it is a fact which does not admit of any contradiction4 ,hindoo females are religiously forbidden to wear gold ornaments about their feet1 it being considered a mark of disrespect to ,lukxmee 7goddess of prosperity17 hence they put on pairs of solid massive silver malls or anklets1 weighing sometimes about #c lbs42 though such massive articles are a great incumbrance to the free motion of the limbs1 they are nevertheless used with great pleasure4 ,indeed it has been sarcastically remarked that were a ,hindoo lady offered a gold grindstone to wear round her neck1 weighing some #bj lbs4 she would gladly accept the offer and go through the ordeal4 ,but as the spread of ,english education has improved the minds of the people1 it has likewise improved their taste2 instead of massive gold ornaments1 ladies of the present day prefer those of delicate diamond cut workmanship1 set with pearls and precious stones such as chick1 sittahaur1 tarahaur1 seetee1 tabij1 bajoo1 jasum1 nabaruttun taga1 bracelets of six or seven patterns1 and ear-rings of three or four kinds1 for which girls in very early youth perforate their ears in #h or #aj places1 as also their noses in two places4 ,by their choice of the modern ornaments they shew their preference for elegance to mere weight4 ,brilliant ,pearl necklaces#acc of from seven to nine rows1 and costly bijouteries of modern style1 have superseded the old-fashioned solid gold ,bhawootees and ,taurs4 ,a rich lady is sometimes seen with jewellery worth #ae1jjj to #bj1jjj ,rupees and upwards2 as a matter of course1 such a lady is the cynosure of all eyes1 and the rest of the company move as satellites round the primary planet4 ,conscious of her superiority in this respect and puffed up with vanity she disdains to hold converse with her less fortunate sisters4 ,she is tramping1 as it were1 to the tinkling sound of the ornaments of gold and gems on her person4 ,as the grand centre of attraction1 her gait1 her gestures1 her movements form the subject of general criticism1 and as an object of envy she continues to be talked of even after the return of the guests to their homes4 ,in the villages1 however1 silver ornaments are more in vogue than gold ones1 simply because the rural population have neither the taste nor the means of the people of the city4 ,as a rule1 the ,hindoos invest their savings in gold and silver which is turned to good account in times of need and distress4 ,throughout ,hindoosthan1 the people have so great a penchant for gold and silver ornaments that not only women but men also adorn their persons with solid articles of sterling gold4 ,i have seen ,setts 7shroffs7 and ,malgoozars go about with ornaments of considerable value2 their dress1 however1 is generally exceedingly tawdry1 and bears no correspondence to the worth of the articles of gold they carry about4 ,i once weighed a solid pure gold chain worn by a ,sett round his waist1 which the natives call ,gote1 weighing over #d lbs41 worth about #c1jjj ,rupees4 ,in ,bengal little children are seen with gold ornaments on their persons#acd till they are #f years of age1 but adults are entirely free from this passion4 ,when a male child is born to a respectable ,hindoo1 the heart of the mother irresistibly yearns to adorn its person with ornaments1 especially at the time of vath 7christening71 i4 e41 at #f months of age for a male and #g months for a female child4 ,when the females return home after the entertainment1 it is truly a scene of sorry to part1 happy to meet again4 ,it is seldom that such opportunities are afforded them to give free vent to their feelings1 thoughts and wishes2--a human being always feels unhappy at living in a perfectly isolated state2 he or she naturally longs for society1 and this longing is alike manifest in both sexes4 ,the greater the restraint1 as in the case of ,hindoo ladies1 the stronger the desire for social intercourse4 ,can a zenana ,hindoo lady with her veiled modesty suppress the impulse to look about through the shutters of a closed ,palkee1 with guards on both sides1 in the light of day8 ,the impulse is by no means a criminal one but is prompted by the irresistible influence of nature4 ,the parting exclamation on such occasions is1 ,sister1 when shall ,i have the good fortune to see you again8 ,why1 not before long1 is the common reply4 ,the consummation of the desire1 if long deferred1 naturally produces feelings of discontent4 ,a few days after the feast the families that were invited1 give a tangible proof of their regard for the pregnant girl by making her presents of clothes and sweetmeats according to their respective circumstances1 as a matter of course the nearest relatives making the richest presents4 ,,footnotes3 #abh ,a ,saree is a piece of cloth1 #e yards long with colored borders4 #abi ,a ,hindoo god generally kept by the lower orders of the people1 such as ,domes1 ,charals and ,bagthees4 #acj ,kacha means raw2 the term ,shad is synonymous with desire4 ,the ceremony is so called from the female being allowed that day to eat all kinds of native pickles1 preserves1 sweetmeats1 confectionery1 several kinds of fruits then in season1 sweet and sour milk1 c41 but not rice or any sort of food grains4 ,her desire is gratified1 lest the girl should not survive the childbirth4 ,it should be mentioned here that from the second month of her pregnancy1 she feels a great longing to eat ,pathkhola 7a sort of half burnt very thin earthen cake7 which pregnant girls relish very much on account of its peculiar sodha flavour4 #aca ,paunchamrita means five kinds of delicacies1 the food of the gods1 consisting of milk ghee 7clarified butter71 dhahie 7curded milk71 cowdung and honey4 #acb ,a rather contemptible practice still lurks in the ,hindoo community at the time of dining on such public occasions4 ,the females for the most part place a portion of the dinner aside for the sake of carrying it home for their absent children2 even a rich woman feels no hesitation or humiliation in following the example of her less fortunate sisters4 ,we can only account for this unseemly practice on the supposition that the ,hindoo ladies do not like to partake of good things without sharing them with their beloved children at home4 ,the wish is not an unnatural one but the practice most unquestionably is4 ,in making provision for a grand feast1 the ,hindoos are obliged to treble the quantity of food for the number of guests invited1 specially when it is a pucca jalpan1 consisting of loochees and sundeshes 7sweetmeats74 ,if they invite #ajj families they must provide for about #cjj persons1 for the reasons specified above4 ,it is a pity that in a matter of public entertainment both males and females cannot resist the temptation of appropriating a portion of the food to other than the legitimate purpose4 ,here feminine modesty is violated by infringing the ordinary rules of etiquette4 #acc ,that the ,hindoos have1 for a long time1 manifested a strong passion for ornaments1 is a historical fact4 ,even so far back as the ,mahratta dynasty1 it was said of ,dowlut ,rao ,sindhia that his necklaces were gorgeous1 consisting of many rows of ,pearls1 as large as small marbles1 strung alternately with emeralds4 ,the ,pearl 7moti7 was his passion and the necklace was constantly undergoing change whenever a finer bead was found2 the title of ,lord of a hundred ,provinces was far less esteemed by him than that of motiwalla the ,man of ,pearls1 by which he was commonly designated in his ,camp4 ,it was perhaps a sight of this description that led ,macaulay to say--,our plain ,english coats command more respect than all the gorgeous orient pearl of the ,east1 indicating thereby the involuntary awe of savage for civilized life4 #acd ,such as ,bore1 ,komurpatta1 ,nimfull1 ,neyboofull1 ,ghoomur round the waist1 ,tabeej1 ,bajoo1 ,balla1 ,jasum1 ,taga1 c4 on the hands1 pearl and gold necklaces of various sorts and gold mohurs or sovereigns strung together in the shape of a necklace4 ,,note ,b4 ,,the ,,goddess ,,soobachinee4 ,the following is the story of this goddess3--,in a certain village there lived a poor ,brahmin boy1 whose poverty was well-known throughout the neighbourhood4 ,one day a fisherman came to sell some fish1 on seeing which the boy began to cry for them4 ,his mother1 a poor aged widow1 though very desirous to satisfy the craving of her son1 had unfortunately no means to buy them1 whereupon the fisherwoman affected by the cries of the boy1 offered to give her credit and said she would come for the price on her way home4 ,meantime the mother cooked the fish2 but before her son had time to eat them1 the fisherwoman1 according to her promise1 returned for the price4 ,the old woman being still unable to pay1 the fish vendor demanded the return of the fish1 which1 though cooked1 she was willing to take back4 ,this being done1 the boy1 however1 had the advantage of tasting the soup made of the fishes and was so much pleased with the taste of animal food that he could not resist the temptation of stealing one day a lame duck belonging to the king1 and eating it privately4 ,investigation being made1 the theft was traced to the poor ,brahmin boy1 who being summoned before the king1 was tried1 convicted and sentenced to be imprisoned1 at which the mother became inconsolable4 ,seeing her distress and despondency1 the goddess ,doorga1 in the form of ,soobachinee1 appeared to her in a dream1 and1 giving her hopes of consolation and better luck for the future1 eventually advised her to perform the worship of the goddess ,soobachinee4 ,in obedience to the above injunction1 she did as she was directed4 ,seventeen ducks made of rice-paste 7sixteen with two perfect legs and one with a lame leg7 formed a part of the ceremony4 ,after the performance of the worship and the expiatory rite of homa 7burnt offering7 which expiates all sin1 the holy water being sprinkled on the feathers of the stolen lame duck1 that were concealed under the ashes1 the devoured duck was at once restored to life and sent back to the king's poultry-yard4 ,the miraculous resuscitation of the duck was brought to the notice of the king1 who immediately sent for the poor old woman and questioned her how the dead lame duck was made alive again2 the old woman1 trembling through fear1 related all the particulars about the appearance of the goddess in a dream4 ,the king1 being satisfied as to the truth of the tale1 ordered the captive boy to be released at once and brought to his presence1 concluding that the goddess must have been very propitious to the old woman and her son4 ,consulting his ministers on the subject1 he said within himself he could not have a better match for his daughter1 who was of marriageable age1 than the late delinquent4 ,so the nuptials were duly solemnized with becoming pomp1 and the poor ,brahman family lived ever after in a state of great affluence and happiness4 ,hindoo ladies of the orthodox school learn this tale almost in their nursery1 and feel a peculiar delight in reciting it on certain occasions4 ,,note ,c4 ,the writings of the ancient ,hindoo sages1 as handed down to us by history and tradition1 incontestably prove that they were chiefly theists2 but as their religious ideas were supremely transcendental1 ill suited to the comprehension of the great mass of the people1 and consequently not adapted to bring joy1 peace and rest to the mind1 their descendants learnt to modify those ideas and practically reduce them to the level of the popular understanding4 ,they gradually created a ,trinity1 i4 e41 the ,creator1 the ,preserver1 and the ,destroyer4 ,but as this triad was not sufficiently attractive or intelligible to the unlettered mass1 who wanted something in the shape of real1 tangible personification of the deity1 in place of indistinct1 invisible supernatural beings1 a designing priesthood subsequently attempted to satisfy their wishes by foisting upon them a whole rabble of gods and goddesses1 which are almost as innumerable as the pebbles on the sea shore4 ,in numerical strength the ,pantheon of the ,hindoos far surpasses that of the ,egyptians1 ,greeks1 and the ,romans4 ,what ancient system of mythology contained so many as #ccj million gods and goddesses8 ,as in mythology1 so in chronology1 the ,hindoos stand unrivalled4 ,their pantheon is as capacious and extensive as their antiquity#ace is unfathomable and prehistoric4 ,the origin of the ,puranic mythology is to be attributed to this national predilection2 and the worship of the female deities with bloody sacrifices is intended to terrify the ignorant populace into superstitious beliefs still grosser than were habitual to them4 ,the antiquity of the ,brahminical creed and of the religious systems incorporated into1 and engrafted on it1 has long been a subject of interesting inquiry4 ,it is not my intention to go into the subject more deeply than merely to affirm that it is still a debatable point among the most distinguished orientalists1 whether or not the ,egyptians and ,greeks borrowed their system of mythology from that of the ,hindoos1 and afterwards improved on it by divesting it of the grosser excrescences4 ,the character of the ,hindoo deities is more or less puerile1 impure and ungodly1 not possessing any of the cardinal virtues1 such as become the living and true ,god4 ,desiring to steer clear of such deformities and impurities1 the ,greeks and ,romans consecrated separate temples to ,virtue1 ,truth1 ,piety1 ,chastity1 ,clemency1 ,mercy1 ,justice1 ,faith1 ,hope and ,liberty4 ,it is a remarkable fact1 says ,ward1 that the sceptical part of mankind have always been partial to heathenism4 ,voltaire1 ,gibbon1 ,hume c4 have been often charged with a strong partiality for the ,grecian and ,roman idolatries2 and many ,europeans in ,india are suspected of having made large strides towards heathenism4 ,even ,sir ,william ,jones1 whose recommendation of the ,holy ,scripture 7found in his ,bible after his death17 has been so often and so deservedly quoted1 it is said1 to please his ,pundit1 was accustomed to study the ,shastras with the image of a ,hindoo god placed on his table2 and his fine metrical translations of idolatrous hymns are known to every lover of verse4 ,in the same spirit1 we observe1 that figures and allusions to the ancient idolatries are retained in almost all modern poetical compositions and even in some ,christian writings4 ,it has been very wisely remarked by a philosophical traveller1 ,dr4 ,clarke1 that by a proper attention to the vestiges of ancient superstition1 we are sometimes enabled to refer a whole people to their original ancestors1 with as much1 if not more certainty1 than by observations made upon their language2 because the superstition is engrafted on the stock1 but the language is liable to change4 ,writing on the same subject1 ,sir ,william ,jones remarks1 if the festivals of the old ,greeks1 ,persians1 ,romans1 ,egyptians and ,goths1 could be arranged with exactness in the same form with the ,indian1 there would be found a striking resemblance among them2 and an attentive comparison of them all1 might throw great light on the religion1 and perhaps on the history1 of the primitive world4 ,the ,egyptians described the source of the ,nile as flowing from ,osiris2 so the ,hindoos represent the holy stream of the ,ganges as flowing from the head of ,iswara1 which ,sir ,william ,jones so beautifully describes in his hymn to ,ganga3 ,above the reach of mortal ken1 ,on blest ,coelasa's top1 where every stem ,flowed with a vegetable gem1 ,mahasa stood1 the dread and joy of men2 ,while ,parvati1 to gain a boon1 ,fixed on his locks a beamy moon1 ,and hid his frontal eye in jocund play1 ,with reluctant sweet delay2 ,all nature straight was locked in dim eclipse1 ,till ,brahmins pure1 with hallowed lips ,and warbled prayers restored the day1 ,when ,ganga from his brow1 with heavenly fingers free1 ,sprang radiant1 and descending1 graced the caverns of the west4 ,for composing such fine metrical translations of idolatrous hymns1 ,mr4 ,foster finds fault with the conduct of ,sir ,william ,jones3 he writes1 ,i could not help feeling a degree of regret1 in reading lately the ,memoirs of the admirable and estimable ,sir ,william ,jones4 ,some of his researches in ,asia have no doubt incidentally served the cause of religion2 but did he think the least possible direct service had been rendered to ,christianity1 that his accomplished mind was left at leisure for hymns to the ,hindoo gods8 ,was not this a violation even of neutrality1 and an offence1 not only against the gospel1 but against theism itself8 ,i know what may be said about personification1 license of poetry1 and so on1 but should not a worshipper of ,god hold himself under a solemn obligation to abjure all tolerance of even poetical figures that can seriously seem1 in any way whatever1 to recognise the pagan divinities or abominations1 as the prophets of ,jehovah would have called them8 ,what would ,elijah have said to such an employment of talents8 ,it would have availed little to have told him1 that these divinities were only personifications 7with their appropriate representative idols7 of objects in nature1 of elements1 or of abstractions4 ,he would have sternly replied--',and was not ,baal1 whose prophets ,i destroyed1 the same8' ,dr4 ,stiles1 ,president of ,yale ,college in ,north ,america1 was so highly impressed with the amazing antiquity of the ,hindoo ,shastras that he wrote to ,sir ,william ,jones1 asking him to make a search among the ,hindoos for the ,adamic books4 ,had he not been a sincere ,christian1 he would have asked ,sir ,william to send him a translation of a book written some two or three millions of years ago4 ,general ,stewart1 who lived in ,wood ,street1 ,calcutta1 was said to have made a large collection of ,hindoo idols1 which he arranged in the portico of his house4 ,he was so fond of them that1 it was said1 a ,brahmin was engaged to perform the daily worship1 while he himself led the life of a ,hindoo rishi or saint1 inasmuch as he totally abstained from the use of either wine or meat4 ,such instances of partiality on the part of enlightened ,christians towards heathenism1 we do not see in the present day4 ,in the early times of the ,british settlement in ,india1 there was a strong mania for exploring the untrodden field of ,braminical learning1 and the unfathomable antiquity in which it was imbedded4 ,the philosophical theories of the ,munees and ,rishis1 their sublime conceptions concerning the origin of the world and the unity of ,god1 their utter indifference to worldly concerns and sensual gratifications1 their living in sequestered ashrums1 the practice of religious austerities1 the subjugation of passions1 and above all1 their pure1 devotional spirit1 lent an enchantment to their teachings1 which was1 in the highest degree1 fascinating4 ,it was not an ordinary phenomenon in the annals of the human intellect that ,europeans1 possessing all the advantages of modern civilization1 should go so far as to entertain a sort of religious veneration for a system of polytheism1 which even the natives of the country now-a-days denounce as puerile and absurd4 ,deeper researches have1 however1 subsequently dissipated the delusion1 and thrown on the subject a great body of light1 which the progress of ,western knowledge is daily increasing4 ,,footnotes3 #ace ,such as ,bore1 ,komurpatta1 ,nimfull1 ,neyboofull1 ,ghoomur round the waist1 ,tabeej1 ,bajoo1 ,balla1 ,jasum1 ,taga1 c4 on the hands1 pearl and gold necklaces of various sorts and gold mohurs or sovereigns strung together in the shape of a necklace4 ,,note ,d4 ,,the ,,bamacharee ,,followers ,,of ,,kali4 ,in some parts of ,bengal and ,assam1 there still exists a sect of ,hindoos1 known by the name of ,bamacharees1 or the followers of the female energy1 who practise a series of ,poornabishaka orgies in the name of this celestial goddess which are nothing less than abominable4 ,the following is a rough programme of the rite4 ,the ,brahmin who is to perform the ceremony sits upon a sham image of the goddess in a private room1 having beside him at the same time a quantity of flowers1 red sandal paste1 holy water1 copper pans1 plantain and other fruits1 green plantain leaves1 parched peas1 cooked fish and flesh1 and a certain quantity of spirituous liquor4 ,when night approaches he takes the disciple who is to be initiated into the room1 with nine females and nine males of different castes1 with one female for himself and another for the disciple1 and makes them all sit down on the floor4 ,taking up a small copper pan and a little of the holy water1 he sprinkles it on all present and then proceeds with closed eyes to repeat a solemn incantation to the following effect3 ,o goddess1 descend and vouchsafe thy blessings to ,horomohun 7the name of the devotee7 who has hitherto groped in the dark1 not knowing what thou art2 these offerings are all at thy service2 saying this1 he whispers in his ear the root of the mantra4 ,from that time the goddess becomes his guardian deity4 ,the ,brahmin ,gooroo then goes through divers other formulas1 pausing for a while to serve and distribute liquor in a human skull or cocoanut shell to all the devotees1 himself setting the example first4 ,he next desires the females to lay aside their clothes1 and bids his new disciple adore them as the living personifications of the goddess4 ,eating and drinking now go on freely1 the males taking what is left by the females4 ,towards the close of the ceremony1 the disciple1 baptised in liquor1 makes presents of clothes and money to the priest and all the men and women present4 ,it is easy to conceive what sort of devotional spirit is evoked by the performance of these abominable orgies4 ,happily for the interests of morality in this country1 the sect is nearly extinct1 except in the most obscure parts of ,assam and ,bengal4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,obvious printer errors have been corrected4 ,many words are not consistently accented1 as in charpoy and charpoy1 ,basarghur and ,basurghur1 ,shrad and ,shrad4 ,they have been left as is4 ,both labour and labor appear4 ,page #cjj right double quote supplied3 ,even so far back as the ,mahratta dynasty1 it was said of ,dowlut ,rao ,sindhia that his necklaces were gorgeous1 consisting of many rows of ,pearls1 as large as small marbles1 strung alternately with emeralds4