The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1841-11-25
IpoLATRY IN BRITIsH ASIA.
Fsan he MsalTral coalisr.

Ala recent meeting 81 he Directors Il
che East India Company n London. a.
fenli0n was drawn 10 the present Stale a
id0lalry IN The BRUSH Asiallc possessions.
and An attempt made by Mr.. Powder,
one Of The Directors, 10 10 away with the
grant Of G6.000, whica. il appears, was
awarded BY lhe Bengal Government for
fhe support Of the Temple Of Juggemsai
upon de Institution Of the pilgrim tax IN
Ie05, and which money payment has re-
Gently been confirmed BY Lord Auckland
on he abolition Of the pilgrim tax. In
ahe course o. Ihe remarks which the sub
iecl called forth. Mr.. Poynder read the
following extract Of a letter from The high
eat ecclesiastical authority in India, which
he had received, and which exhibits a
melancholy picture Of The effects Of fana-
licism Of The deladed mnllilndes Of India.
81 have visited tie valley Of death. |
have seen the den Of darkness. Jugger-
naut has been trOdden By these feet, and
seen with these eyes, afler 30 or 40 years
hearing about IL OH buchanan, how
well do | remember your pious indigna.
zion when you visited this foul and hori-
bic scene! My soul IS moved within me
even 10 trembling. The dread pagoda j.
situated in the vicinity OF this village, call.
cd Pooree, Of which the narrow streets
and wreiched abodes are only emblems
of the moral ruin and misery il ditfnses.
A town of SO. 900 souls Is held together
by the direst superslilion-no trade but
sin-no art but delusion and lies-no
bond Of union but communion in idolairy.
Nothing has vet been done 10 abolish
these idolatries. The three cars Of Jug
gernant are built anew every year. The
clothes and maniels are still furnished for
the idol pageantry by British servants.
The horrors are unutlerable. 10000
pilgrims attend yearly, Of whom about
$4,000 perish By hunger, fatigue, or cho-
lera yearly. They come from all paris
of India. The larger number arc women,
who concert their plans for the journey
unknown to their husbands and families,
and start off at 4 moment. The abomi-
nations consequent may be judged Of by
this trait. tits scene Of plumber, cru
city, and lust. When the caravans arrive,
perpetual sight takes place among the
Pooree inhabitants who shall receive tho
helpless wretches, who are plundered not
only Of all they possess or can procure,
but Of all they can borrow at an immense
interest. About five days finish the pro-
cess; the stripped multitude then proceed
on their return. The sick are uniformly
left behind to whilen with their bones the
accused plains. Those plains are bar
rem sands thrown up from the beach by
che southeast monsoon. The seasons Of
pesdlence ere chosen, as ilwere, 10 height
en- the misery; for instance. June, when
the extreme heat is suddenly succeeded
by the rains and the cholera among the
undefendei crowds. The sick still some
times throw themselves under the wheels
oflhe ear; bands Of music, troops Of dane
ers, or prostitutes Of the yilest order, moi
sy, intemrerate debauchery, with the
most filthy and unutterable pollutions in
figures, exhibitions, and songs, make up
she religious rites Of Juggernaut. The
pagoda, or circuit Of the enclosed temple,
is a mass Of heavy buildings, Of which no
one is allowed 70 penetrate the interior,
because the cooking is perpetually going
on in the inner circuits, and the passing Of
q Christian would dcfile the whole cult
nary establishment. II we had chosen 10
pay 1000 rupees for recleansing the sane
tuary afterwards, we might have been adj
mitted. Such is Juggernaut! DIR. Bu-
chanan's description is most true. CRU
city, lust. oppression, disease, famine,
death follow in the train; as in the wor-
ship Of the true God and Saviour there
follow light, mercy. purity, justice, peace,
domestic happiness, truth, pardon, holt
ness, and eternal lile."
The motion to withdraw the grant was
not carried, it being the opinion that we
were bound by the terms by which we
took possession of that part of the coun-
try TO the accustomed maintenance of the
temples. TWAS, however, acknowledged
shat an immense advance had been made
towards better state of things, and that
an order, which has recently been issued,
forbidding the attendance of troops and
military bands at the native religious fes-
rivals, was calculated still further to effect
a total separation between our Govern
ment and the idolatrous worship Of the
IIindoo.
4 man may learn that 10 two ninutes,