The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-16
THE GREAT JUG FERN AUT sATUR
MALTA.


The Calcutta correspondent Of the London
Times, on the 81 Of July, gives long and gra-
phic description OF scenes at the Suan Jatra and
the Ruth Jatra--the two great festivals Of Jugger-
naut which are so widely celebrated in Hudos-
tan Commencing on Sunday, the 18th June, by
the priests bringing forth the god to be bathed, it
terminated on the 9th ult.., when the cars were
drawn back by thousands of people and the
god was replaced in his home. The writer
attended both these ceremonies, and the details
into which he enters will speedily dspel any idea
that the Hindoos have abandoned the horrible
practice ofthrowing themselves under the wheels
M of the JuRgerDaut car. Passing over the bathing
portion ofthe business, which seems 10 have par
taken of the character of a farce, we will come mt
once 10 the closing part of the festival, which is
said to have been most sckening and revolving
tragedy and one which it was impossible to wit.
ness without horror and disgust
The crowd seemed infinitely moro dense than
Il had ever been on the former occasions, aud all
along the road were booths filed with sweet.
meats, hdeous masks, trumpery, Birmingh I'm
ware and images OF Jugg. rnaut, Krishua, and
Other deites of The HLdJO mythology. Ii was a
laTbaTous copy Of q country fair. There were
whistles and iom-toms, shell-tish, smelling hOrri-
bly, in the run, huge Jack" fruit, some dImlgcd
pineapples snd here and there rudey con
tTiyed "meTry go. round" with stout babOos en-
joying the sport which that machine is capable of
furnishing. There nautch girls, hideously
ugly, chanting their drawling, mOntonOus strains
10 the music Of an old fiddle and tom-tom. ! ne
confusion was indescrihable, and when a shower
of rain came on, as happily It did once or twice.
the ibrong seemed TO get ued up in knot and 10
be Incapable Of disentanglng itself, OF doing
anything but roll heplessy IRON one side Of the
road TO the other.
The centres Of attraction were the two Jugger-
.as cars. These are immense lum bering masses
Of wood, about exty feet in height, carved into
all sorts Of angles and decorated every square
inch with figures of the deiiies. They are con-
suueted IN tour stores and upon each OF these a
crowd OF Brahmins and their fiends we're col
lected. Large idols were placed at each corner,
and two ropes of great length were attached TO
the 'front.' of the Car. They moved upon six
heavy wheels, and the entire weight OF the pOu-
d(TOus fabric must have been enormous. Hour
after hour the multitude streamed past the cars,
which were at some distance from each other, or
they TUNED aside 10 a shed beneath which were
placed a number of ndecentlY painted idols,
afterwards decorated with little drapery and
hoisu ON to the car. 1t until iuur in the
aiterp Don that big goug was beaten on the top
most division of the first car and with great
shout JuPeernaut himself swathed in red cloth
was brought TO the spot.
rope was fastened TO him, and with much
r exerlion he was hOisted from stage TO stage b7
the BrahUnins Tor by himself the god seemed
rather helpless. They dragged him up aud IN
covered him, and the crowd salaamed 10 him D.
their usual fashion. A huge, ugly thing be was
will enormous eyes, painted black with Orot,
white rim around them. Then another god wa
brought and hOisied upin the same way, hut g,
a lower division. and 50 on I'LL all were tall. Tn
crowd meanwhile kept throwing garlInds aud do
nations 60 the .llrahmins, dirty, cOmmOu-Oolni
meu, with noILipg Whatever 70 distinguish then
from the common mass except the white Brth
minical thread over their shoulders. When th
gods were all Ia their places, two large wooden
horses were brought our, one blue and the othe
White, each with a thick tail sticking up 40 al
angle Of ninety degrees. These gay steed, wer
fastened 10 the car, aud a Bruhmiu Stood upO
the back Of each, holding by q rope.
Az this time the scene was extraordinary
Close by the eide Ct The car large Eatiy
house, broken and Ctumbiing lie most uativ
houses. Through iron bars IN front OF this hDls
q. %
were more women Of the Ienaua, with OF,
crone keep ing watch an guard over them. Ol
the other side Oi the road Was JuggCrEOu
temple crowded with women. The 20 d itsGl
was quite impossible for tho crowds Of people
whose oily bodies and dirty ways did not nprIv
The favor OF the heated atmosphere. Far rs th
eye could reach this thr0ng extended, and wLCy
athousand gongs were set beating and the BraL
minis called upon the people 8 thrill Of wild eE
citeTnent ran through this enormous living mass
The ropes were fixed, end muttudes rushed e
them, eager for the honor OF pulling their delty
along. On the car itEalf there could scarcely have
been less than 200 men. Perhaps there were one
thousand pulling at the ropes, but they pulled
for long time in vaE. The car had been in one
place for whole year, ana had made deep hole
for itselfby its great weight.
Again and again the Brahnins shouted and
gesticulateds laughing among themselves. Az
last the mob happened 10 pull together Instead OF
one after the other, and the huge mass moved
forward few yards, groaEing as If II had been a
living creature. 1t stopped, and for few min
nies the crowd stood in aluOst perfect silence.
Then the BrahIlns gave tie gigual, and this
time II crushed out a life with every revelation
q. us hideous wheels, covered as they we're with
hulnan hesh and gore. The vast multitude seemed
SSaue,enly possessed with fit OF deliriam. They
sI sns nv an9 struggled with each other tc get ne ar
stopped down and peeied beneetb its y,fBeeIs and
rose "i'h scared faces 30 tell their friends OF che
made my way 60 the hack os tho car and
there saw upon the ground very old Uomnn mi
wrinkled and puekered up, with SCARCELY a liga
ment OF her face recognizable for blood aud dtsst
Her right foot was hanging by a thread tbc
wheels had passed over the centre Of her nearly
naked body, and a faint quiver OF anguish ran
through her Fame as she seemed TO struggle Ia
rise. Not one ia the crowd offered to move her,
or raise her miserable grey head from the
ground, but they stood locking on with vacant
stares, while the Brahmins from the car gazed