Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-03-29
JUGGERNAUT.
The Great IIindoo FeativaI.

Inc OEcUl AAlnuOO HehbNoas
For weeks before the Car Festival, pill
grims came trooping into Puri by thou
sands every day. The whole district is
in ferment By the time the great car
has risen to the orthodox hight OF
forty-fve feet, the temple cooks make
their calculations for feeding ninety
thousands mouths. The vast edifce is
supported on sixteen wheels of seven
feet diameter, and is thirty-five feet
square. The brother and sister OF Jag
annath have separate cars, few feet
smaller. When the sacred images are
at length brought forth and placed upon
their chariots, thousands fall on their
knees, and bow their foreheads in the
dust. The vast multitude shouts with
one throat, and, surging backward and
forward, drags the wheeled edifices down
the broad street towards the country
house Of Lord Jagannath. Music strikes
up on all sides. drums beat, eymbals
clash, the priests harangue from the cars
or shout a sort of medley, enlivened with
broad illusions and coarse gestures,
which are received with roars of laugh
fer by the crowd. And 80 the dense
mass struggles forward by convulsive
Jerks, tugging, sweating, shouting, jump
ing, singing praying and swearing. The
distance from the temple to the country
house is less than mile, but the wheels
sinks deep into the sand, and the journey
takes several days. After hours of Sc
we're toll and wild excitement in the
July tropical sun, n reaction necessarily
follows. The zeal of the pilgrims flags
before the garden-house is reached; and
the cars, deserted by the devotees, are
dragged along by the professional pull
Iers, with deep drawn grunts and groans.
These men, 4200 in number, or peasants
from the neighboring fiscal divisions,
who generally mango to live at Tree
quarters in Puri duriHg the festival.
Once arrived at the country-house, the
enthus;asm subsidies. The pilgrims
drou exhausted upon the burning
sand of the sacred street, or block up the
lanes with their PROSTATE bodies. When
they have slept of their excitement they
rise rafreshed, and ready for another Of
tbe strong religious stimulants Of the sea-
son. Lord Jagennath is leftto get back
to his temple as best he can; and, Pnt
for the professional caFpHllers, would
intallibly stick at his countFy-hGnse. In
n closely-packed throng Of hundred
men and women, many of them unaccus-
totaad 10 exposure or hard labor, and all
of then tagging and Straining to the ut
termost, under Slaging tropical sun,
deaths must occasionally occur There
have doubtless been instances Of pill
grims throwing themselves under the
gheels in frenzy of religious excite
ment. But such instances were always
rare and are now unknown. AT one
time several unhappy people were killed
or injured every year, bpt they were al,
most Invariably cases Of accidental
trampling. Me cases Of suicide that did
occur we're for the mGst part eases .ot
diseased, miserable objects, who took
this means to put themselves out of pain.
Tho official returns now place this be-
yond aoabt. Indeed, nothing could be
more opposed " tbe spirit OF Vlshnu-
Worship than seltAmmolation. Acci-
dental death within the temple Fonders
the whole place unclean. The ritual
suddenly stops, and the polluted offer.
Tags ere hurried away from the sight OF
the offended god. Chaitanga, the apos-
tie of Jaganhath. preached that the de-
struction of the least of Gods creatures
was a sin against the Creator. Self
inmolation he would have regarded with
horror. The copious religious literature
of his sect frequently described the Car
Festival, but makes no Iseption oil SELF
sacrifice, nor does It contain any pes-I
sage thSt could be twisted into shnc'
tion of it.