The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1886-05-15
Native Sacrifices in India.

The following extract is from Jey-
pore 1udiaD letter to the London Tele-
arogh. Yet the palace IS not quite empty
even TO-DAY. At the side of the main
entrance beneath the ramp exists tenn
pie dedicated to Devi, and here It is the
custom every morning in the year to-
sacrifice a goat. At the Durga festival
a whole herd of buffaloes and flock of
sheep are offered to the dread goddess,
but the daily tribute is goat, which re-
places. it is said, the human victim whose
life was taken every morning in this
gloomy fame before the time of the Brit
ish raj. 1t CHANGED that we entered the
temple Just at the hour of sacrifice, and,
although the ladies would not view the
ceremony. a brief conversation with the
attendants induced them to admit one of
the party to the presence of the goddess.
She sat-the awful blood-loving Kali
all black and red, upon plat
form, inside the darkest part of the
temple, with eyes of glittering mother
o'-pearl and necklace of skulls. At the
foot of the platform was heap of sand
and near it some wide-mouthed brass
vessels and broad heavy -bladed sword.
A raiput was worshiping in the corner,
and the priest with two assistents moved
about arranging for the ceremony. The
victim, black goat, stood placidly
enough upon the heap of sand, shifting
curiously at the edge Of the stone plat
form where so many of his predecessors
had perished. Suddenly a bell was
touched, and the priest took the heavy
sword and laid it in front OF the image,
while he made the ''ashtanya" or eight
fold prostration, and repeated the man
ira of expiation. Then the two attend
ants laid hold of the goat quite gently,
one steadying it at the tail, and one keep
ing its head straight with cord lightly
fastened round the neck and ears. The
poor animal, alarmed and concerned,
stood perfectly still while the priest barred
his right shoulder and squared him
self athward wise, the sword, grasped
by both hands, balanced upon the
goats neck. Abruptly he raised it,
swung it back far behind him, and then
brought it whistling round with blow
which combined the cut and draw.
There was a slight sound, as when q soft
stick is chopped, and the blade had shred
clean through the goats neck, so that the
boy with the cord caught up the severed
head into the air before it could touch
the earth. The body of the victim fell
sideways, guided by the other attendant,
who directed the bleeding neck to one Of
the brass vessels. Taking the goats head,
the priest then laid it on the platform,
before the glaring eyes of the goddess,
and placing his brow on the earth, re-
peated the prayer prescribed. Thus the
horrid ceremony ended, but we learned
that the priests st-aa e stthe temple, being of a
SPECIAL caste, themselves ate daily five
seers of the goats flesh, and had the
right to sell the remainder in the bazaar.
The palace pays seventeen rupees
monthly to the contractor who supplies
the innocent victims. The priest said
that the goddess would be very angry if
the goat were not decapitated at one
blow, and that he would cut off the head
of a buffalo with equal certainty in one
attempt.