The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-08-05
The Car Of Juggernath.

The annual festival of Juggernath took
place in Orissa last month, and telegram
announces that eight women were crushed
under the wheels of his gigantic car. The
London Globe says
This province is the holy land of India.
and ''thther the tribes go up'' to take part
in the revolving ceremonies of the most de-
basing idolatry. 1t has ever been celebrated
for its scenery and its temples. The Hindus
declare that, ''of all the religions of the
earth Orissa boasts the highest renown.
Those who ever visit it and bathe in its sa-
cred rivers obtain remission of their sins,
though they may weigh like mountains.
y The tanks contain the water of
Immortality. The people are all
holy," and "all the celestial delt:es would de-
light to become incarnate there" This far
famed country, on the western shore of the
Bay of Bengal, is every year the scene of
atrocities the most heart sickening. and of
rites the most impure.
At Pocree, the Mecca of Hindustan, the
chief seat, in eastern India, CT Brahminal
power, and principal stronghold of Hindu su-
position, containing population OF some
$4,000 souls, is the great temple, nearly 100
feet high, standing within high stone wall,
which incloses an area OF $50 fset BY $50, and
eDcircles group OF more than 100 smaller
temples. Between 1900 and 5000 priests,
dancing girls, Cooks and other officials, belong
to these temples, aud derive their support
from the contributions OF the pilgrims who
flock by tens of thousands to the twelve fes-
tivas held during the year In honor Of the
various gods. The principal one. and the
most trequented, is the Car Festival, in June
and July. The ''three cars, for Juggernath
and his brother and sister, aie erected outside
of the temple. The car of Juggernath is 45
feet high, resting on sixteen wheels, each
seven feet in diameter. The idols are hideous
| wooden blocks, having rude resemblance To
! human heads ser on pedestals. They are
placed OH their cars, and at give9 signal
| the vehicles advance few yards at q time
| the priests. at each pause, coming forward ti
recite addresses and songs. They are thus
| drawn to the temple of Gimdicha, about q
mile distant. Many perish under the wheel:
of the car, self-devoted to destruction, and
meet 'lea in the hope OF instant entrance
into Paradise.
| Eut other causes of mortality are ct work
! among the pilgrims. ''It is computed that
! several thousands perish annually in conse.
qnence of the hardships Of the pilgrimage -
and this is not ALL for disease follows in the
train of the car. ''The old, the middle-aged
and the young, the delicate female aud the
robust-bodied man, both sexes, all ages and
of all circumstances in life, appeared equally
liable to the attacks of the death-entailing
cholera" From exhaustion or from weak
ness, the pilgrims fall on the roadside; their
friends and relations never slacken their pace
to attend tO them jackals, dogs and vultures
wait by hun dreds for the fearful feast which
is too surely preparing for them. Yet it was
Orissa cf which the silva Jay Sing. in 1880, ex-
claimed, s'This country is not fit for conquest
and schemes of Truman ambition, it belongs
wholly to the gods" These denominations are
transacted about three hundred miles from
Calcutta, the seat OF English Government,
the headquarters of English edceation and
civilization.