, 1873-08-03
experimenting tho Jt.ggorna,at.

A recent account in the London Times of tho
sacrifice OF six women to Juggornaut. at tho re-
cont festival in tho Ioaguly District, Hindoostan,
calls out d lettor from Dr.. pringlo, lately civil
surgeon OF pooro or Juggornaut, in which he
denies TINT the practice of solf-immolation is
still vital In tho juggornaut worship. no says:
"During residouco Of nearly four .yoars ut
Pooroe, or Juggernaus, cannot rccolloct any
caso OF Holf-i1n1no1ation, and tho casoa Of tho
four nun alluded to hereafter wore certainly
not such. Although the desire Of Bolf-immola-
ton could be gratiied ut any period Of tho festi-
yall, as generally conducted, when the cars aro
wore anxious to sacrifice himsolfJ yot, as re-
marked before, no instances OF tlls occurred
whilo wau at Juggernaut.
"Tho late Mr. E. 4. samuells, Of tho Bengal
Civil Service, while Commissioner Of the Cuttaok
Division, iii which tho town OF Juggornaut is
situated, with the view, as far a possible, Of pro-
venting these accidents, had nets fastened OIL
fixed frames, reaching from the platform Of tho
placed in front Of tho cars, and in tho accident
shall allude to they were no doubt tho mems Of
preventing q great loss OF lifo. Tho Rajah Of
Khoordah {the hereditary superintendent OF tho
nets, Us likely TO dotraot from the sanctity of tho
idol. but whon b1r. samuols told him he would
hold him responsible it any accidonts occurred
from no measures being taken to prevent them,
the Rajah at once agreed to tho so-called inno-
yation.
"As 1t is probable that tho accident at Goopto
happened under circumstances very similar to
that at Jnggernaut, will briefly describe tho
latter, which occurred in 1868. ! may mention
that waB not present when the Incident &C.
cured, but, being on my way to tho iisponsary,
was on tho spot soon aftor 1t happened and tito
following details, which I gathered ut tho time,
woro fully aubstantiated by what / had Wit
nessod III the celebration Of this festival in 1866
aud 1857.
"The car which was tho cause OF the accident
was at the tmo dragged by crowd Of from
thirteen hundred to fifteen hundred doyotoos,
holding on by four OF avo long ropes and somo
confusion occurring in those long strinagsa, Of
people, numbers OF them foil /; but, as Milton
truly describes it, from the sound of drums
md cy1nhals loud thoir orieB for help were
unheard, as also my orders, II such we're
issued, to stop the car by cutting tho
ropes, tho only possible way Of doing it; and
had it not been for theae nols it is nWfu1 to con-
template the loaB OF lifo which would have oc-
cured under these si1teen hugo spiked wheels.
When arrived, four mongled bodies were lying
in the road; three OF tue poor sufferers dieu
yghilo Was present, md the fourth died few
daya after ut my hospital, aftor having UNDER
gone amputstion OF both legs. It was an awful
tight, and one shall novor forget; and poor
mother Weeping over tho mnnglod corpao Of her
son, and tho looks of tho others for help from
tho Doctor Sahb, told but too plainly there was
10 solf-immoation here.
"To those who havo mover aoon q crowd Of
Hiudoo dovoteea, composed chiefly Of poor Don-
gall widows, tho only wondor Is that sixty in
stoad of dix were not killed during the fohtiyal
at GpOptp."