Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-12-19
TnE CRY or JUooERxAUr.
Something About Its Great Temple, the
Chariot, and the Idols.

a
Chariot, aud the Idols.
Juggernsut, l~sides being the name
OF the idol rel resenting Vishnu. is also
the name Of town or city in the Prov
ince 0rissa in Bengal, British India, the
city having taken its name from Jugger-
nant's car and idol enshrined within its
walls The ground upon which the
town is built is considered holy, and is
held by the community as common
property, no tribute being exacted from
any resident, other than that he perform
certain rights in aud about the temple,
thus proving himself Hindooan firm
believer in Vishnu in his manifold forms.
The city of Juggeraaut has about 30. 900
inhabitants, but as there is religious
festival held there once every month
tile population constantly Nithin its
borders falls but little short of 100. 0G0
The principal street of the city runs
north and south for two and three-four
mles-both sides being formed by an
almost unbroken liza, of Hindoo temples,
all of which are overshadowed by the
great Temple of Juggernaut, which
stands at the southern extremity of the
main street The great temple rises
to height OF nearly 800 feet and is sur
mounted by bronze covered dome. the
point Of which reaches 100 feet higher.
The wall Which surrounds this gigantic
pagoda is square, with sides $50 feet in
length; is IS feet thick at the bottom,
and nearly 40 feet high.
Besides the great pagoda in honor of
Juggernaut, the inclosure contains tenn
pies and idols dedicated to dozens of
other Hindoo deities All of the idols
are monstrous in design and frightful
looking in appearance That to Krishna
(another name for JuggernauD is painted
blue, and has face hideous in the ex-
treme. According to Hindoo legend
Krishna was killed by hunter His
bones We're found under tree and
brought before King Indradyumna, who
was directed by one of the gods to form
an image OF Jaganath. and place
Krishna's bones inside. Visvakarma,
divine architect and sculptor, undertook
to make tile image, but. being hurried
by the king, left off in anger. So Jaga-
nath was left without hands or feet In
compensation, Brahma gave the image
eyes and SOUL Ii may be seen by the
legend that it was originally on account
of the sanity bones within it that the
image was venerated.
Besides Krishna or Juggernaut, two
others Of the idols are provided with inn
mense cars or chariots. The car Of Jug
gernaut is thought to be the largest
wheeled vehicle that has yet been made
in the world 1t is 34i feet square at
the base and 43i feet in height, mounted
on sixteen wheels, each 81 feet in di-
ameter. Once each year, at the great
annual March festival, Juggernaut,
mounted on the apex of his stately car,
is taken to house about one mile and
half in the counirf, where a female
image is supposed to be waiting to be-
come his bride. The removal of the
chariot from the shrine to the country
house being pr, ceeding holy in the
extreme, no animals are used for draw.
ing the chariot. men. women, and chill
dren only being permitted to perform
such religious services. On this occasion
either five or seven long ropes are at
tached to the front end of the car. the
middle one having been twisted from
hair cut from the heads of female devo-
tees. 1t was long cherished belief in
Christian countries that many pilgrims
sacrificed themselves upon these gala
days by falling prone before the car and
allowing the ponderous wheels to pass
over their bodies 1t is probable that
the accounts of these self sacrifices have
been too highly colored, and that the
great loss of life upon such occasions,
when thousands of frantic devotees are
congregated together, comes more from
accident than from desire to start for
heaven from directly underneath the
wheels of the molly csr.-[St Louis Re-
public.