The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-11-27
From the Montreal Courier.
IDOLATRY IN BRITISH INDIA.

AT a recent meeting of the directors of the
East India Company in London attention was
drawn to the present state of idoatry in the Bri-
fish Asiatic possessions, and an attempt made
by Mr. Powder, one ofihe directors, TO do away
with III grant of $4,000, which, it appears,
was awarded by the Bengal Government for
the support of the Temple of Juggernant upon
the institution of the Pilgrim tax in 1905, and
which money payment has recently been con-
6rmed by Lord Auckland on the abolition Of the
pilgrim tax In the course of the remarks which
the subject called FORTH Mr.. Poynder read the
following extract of letter from the highest
ecclesiastical authority in India, which he had
received, and which exhibits a melancholy pic
ture of the effects OF fanatlcism OF the deiuded
mulritudes Of India;
81 have visited the valley of death. | have
seen the den of darkness. Juggernaut has been
trodden by these feet, and seen with these eyes,
after thirty or forty years hearing about it. Oh!
Buchanan, how well do remember your pous
indignation when you visited this foul and hor-
rble scene! My soul is moved within me even
TO trembling The dread pagoda is situated in
the vicinity of this village called Pooree, OF
which the narrow streets and wretched abodes
are only emblems of the moral ruin and misery
il diffuses town of $4,000 souls is held to-
qether by the direst superstltlon--no trade but
sin-no art but deluson and les--no bond OF
union but communion in ldolatry Nothing has
vet been done to abolish these idolatrles. The
three ears of Juggernaut are built anew every
wear. The clothes and nantes are still furnish
ed for the idol pageantry by British servants
The horrors are unutterable. lo0,0O0 pilgrims
attend yearly. of whom about $4,000 perish by
hunger fatigue, or cholera, yearly. They come
from all PARTS of India The larger number are
wo men. who concert their plans for the Journey
unknown to their husbands and families, and
start off at moment. The denominations con
sequent may be judged of by this trait II IS
scene of plumber cruelty, and lust. When the
caravans arrive, perpetual hight takes place
among the Pooree inhabitants who shall receive
the helpless wretchcs, who are pundered not
only of all they possess or can procure, but OF all
they can borrow at an immense interest. About
5 DAYS finish the process the stripped multitude
then proceed on their return. The sick are uni
formly left behind to whiten with their bones
the accused plains. Those plains are barren
sands thrown up from the beach by the south
asst monsoon. The seasons Of pestllence are
chosen as il were, to heighten the misery for
instance, June, when the extreme heat IS sud
denly succeeded by the rains and the cholera
among the undefended crowds. The sick sui
sometimes throw themselves under the wheels
of The car; bands of music, troops Of dancers, or
prostitutes of the vilest order noisy Incorporate
debauchery, with the most filthy and unutter-
able pollutions in figures, exhibitions, and songs,
make up the religious rites Of Juggernaut. The
papoda, or circuit Of the enclosed temple, Is
mass Of heavy buildings, Of which no one IS al
lowed TO penetrate the interior, because the cook
ing is perpetually going on in the inner circuits
and the passing Of Christian would detile the
whole culinary establishment II we had cho-
sen TO pay 1000 rupees for re-clcansing the
sanctuary afterwards, we might have been ad-
mitted Such is Juggernau DIR. Buchanan's
description is most true. Cruelty, lust, oppres-
sion, disease, famine, death, follow IN the train
as in the worship Of the true God and Savior
there follow light, mercy, purity, justice, peace,
domestic happiness, truth, pardon, holiness, and
eternal life"