Smyrna times., 1877-12-05

and rain. He never moves except once
day, when his attendants lead him to In,
GangeS. lie is an object of worship O
thousands, and even high caste Brahmin
pay him homage.
l saw two Urdhva-bahus, one at Gava ant
the other ut Benares-that is, devotees who
WhoIe thelr arms with clebchel fists above
thelr heads Tor years, until they become
shrivelled and the finger nails penetrate
through the back of the hands. Another
man Was prostrating himself and measur
ing every inch Of the ground with his
body round the hill Of Govardhan when
passed.
Two attempts at samadh occurred in Mr..
Sheppard's district. A dpvotee announced
his intention of adopting this extraordinary
method OF securing perfect abstraction and
! ueaututie, and was actually buried alive
In the neighborhood of village. HIS
friends were detected by the villagers in
pouring milk down Il hollow bamboo which
had been arranged to supply The buried
man with air and food. The bamboo WAS
removed, and the inferred man was found
dead when his friends opened the grave
shortly aiterward. The other ATTEMPT is
still more recent, and will conclude this
communication by giving Mr.. Sheppard's
own account ot 1t almost in his own words
As was shooting near my camp one
morning, mounted orderly came up with
news that Bhat had performed samadth
That afternoon in nrig ighboring village, and
that there was much consequent excite.
ment there. Not having a horse with me.
| directed the orderly to ride off to the
village and to dig up the buried man,
taking into custody any person who might
PnflRnVnP IN
orders. On returning to my camp ordered
the apprehension of all those who had
assisted IN the samadh, and soon aftrrward
received report that the man had been
actually buried in vault in his own house.
hut had been taken out alive. He was.
however, very weak, and died the follow.
ing morning. 1t was then reported to me
that the limbs, though cold, had not
Stiirned, and the people, ready as of old
TO be deceived, and always inclined to
attribute the smallest departure from the
ordinary course OF events to supernatural
agency, declared that the Bhat was not
lead, tut lying III the samadh trance. |
lhere was, however, no pulse, and as il was |
Gear that' even II the supposition Of the |
villagers was correct, medical treatment |
would be desirable, | sent the body in A
cart to the nearest diSpensary, distant some |
six or seven miles, and in due time received
a certificate Of death from the hospital .
assistant in charge of that institution.
together with the report of a post mortpm
examination Of the body. which showed
that his death had resulted from heart
disease. Meanwhile | visited the village
ana ascertained the following facts
he deceased was II man in fairly com.
portable circumstances, and with some
religious pretensions. 1t was we'll known
that he aspred to a still higher reputation
or sancuty and that with this view he had
of several months hecn contemplating
The proper date for this rite had
Oeeh Hn"lly settled alter many solemn
ceremonies and the due Observance of fast.
ng, prayer and charity. On the afternoon
lXed Tor the samadh he assembled the
villagers, and told them that it had been
mparted to him in vision that the Deity
'equired him to pass six weeks in areliuIous
distraction, and that he ielt compplle,i 10
'Oey the Divine command, and to remain
II the vault prepared for him during the
period. lie then produced and worshipped
! small earthen vessel containing the sacred
uisl plant, and afterwnrd, carefalv pIantcd
herein twenty grains of barley, telling the
'illagers to watch for their growth, ms il
lad been revealed TO him that the grain,
epresented his life. If at the end of the
TX weeks, the grains had sproutpd, the vii
ayers were to understand that the Bhat
vas sun alive. He was then TO hp re- !
moved from the vault, and wOrshipped as y I
amt. II, on the other hand, termination !
AL not taken place, they were to under. i
land that the Bhat was dead also. and y
hat the vault was in that case to he per. {
lanentIy bricked up, and the Tulsi planted
yer the grave I
After giving these directions, the dpyo. =
re recIted some Mantras and entered the i
ault, bidding farewell to the world. and Il
eclarlng his belief that his life would be t
lirdcuIously preserved. The vault was t
len rooted over with boards, and plastered V
llckly with mud. About two hours after I
us event he was removed from the vault t
the police under my order, and pla, ed Il
! the verandah, the house being locked t
p. G
After ascertaining the above particu.
RS caused the house to be opened. and Il
len discovered that gross attempt at i'm y
osture had been practised. The grave wa> "
bout three feet deep being hole dug in {
ne inner room OF the house. The wall OF )
ne room formed one side of the vauit
ne fool over the latter was a clumsy struc.
Ire, anu had been partly demolished to "
low of the removal of the devotee. A. II
sual in India, the only light admitted To n
ie room was through the door, and the tl
nsuhstantial nature of the roof was MOI d
Kelly to attract the attention of the villa. u
Prs. But | satisfied myself that the occu. o
ant OF the vault might, with great ease. n
ave demolished the covering which was D
opposed to shut him off from the world. i
he vault itself was somewhat dark. u
ltered it in order to ascertain how much W
'ace had been allotted to the occupant. u
found therein the rosary Of the deceased. 81
I'd the chaplet Of flowers which he had n
Orn before his selfimmolation. Their. hi
rs sufficient room for me to sit in tolera. W
@ comfort. On one side Of the vault oI
1t small wooden plank apparently let ci
to the wall, and on obtaining a light ol
und that trap door about foot square, W
I'd been ingeniously contrived to commu. in
cate with the other room of the house. o,
he trap door was so hung as to open in. 81
ard toward the vault. at the pleasure OF Il
e inmate. On going into the outer room. OF
to which communication had thus been OF
,ened, found that row of the large re
Fthen jars which Horace would have Ia
He'd amphore, and which are used in W
dia to store grain, had been arranged Sc
ainet fbt wall The fpae, Ioo, e.