Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-01-31
JUGGERNAUTS CHARIOT.
A Sacred Vehicle Known as the Largest OF
Its Kind in the World.

Juggernaut is variously pronounced as
Jaggernath, Jumerguth and Jagannatha,
the last being the Sanscrit and probable
root Of the many words of the same gen.
eral construction, all of which signify
Lord of the World" really one of the
names of Vishnu, the second god of
the Hindoo triad. Juggernaut, besides
being the name of the idol representing
Vishnu, is also the name of town or
city in the Province Orissa in Bengal,
British India, the city having taken its
name from Juggernauts car and idol
enshrined within its walls. The ground
upon which the town is built is consid-
cred holy, and is held by the commune
ty as common property, no tribute be-
ing exacted from any resident, other
than that he perform certain rites in
and about the temple, thus proving
himself Hindoo and believer in Wish
nu in his manifold forms. The city
OF Juggernaut has about $4,000 in
habitants, but as there is a religious
festival held there once every month,
the population constantly, within it's
borders falls but little short of 100000.
The principal streets of the city runs
north and south for two and three
fourths miles-both sides being formed
by an almost unbroken line 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 300 feet and
is surmounted by bronze-covered dome,
the point Of which reaches 100 feet
higher. The wall which surrounds this
gigantic pagoda is a square with sides
$50 feet in length; it is IS feet thick at
the bottom and nearly 40 feet high. Be-
sides the great pagoda in honor Of Jug
gernaut, the enclosure contains temples
and idols dedicated to dozens of the
other Hindoo deities. All of the idols
are monstrous in design and frightful-
looking in appearance That to Krishna
(another name for Juggernaut) is paint
ed blue and has face hideous in the
extreme.
Besides Krishna or Juggernaut two
Others of the idols are provided with i'm
mense cars or chariota The car OF Jug
gernaut is thought to be the largest
wheeled vehicle that has yet been made
in the world. 1t is 341& feet square at
the base and 4S16 feet in height, mount
ed on 16 Wheels each 616 feet in dame
ter Once each year, at the great an
nual March festival, Juggernaut mount
cd on the apex of his stately car, is TAX
en- to house about ~ miles in the
country where female image is sup
posed to be waiting to become his bride.
The removal of the chariot from the
shrine to the country house being pro-
ceeding holy in the extreme, no ami
mails are used for drawing the chariot,
men, women and children only being
permitted to perform such righteous
services. On this occasion either five or
seven long ropes are attached to the
| front of the car, the middle one having
been twisted from hair cut from the
heads of female devotees. 1t was long
a cherished belief in Christian coun-
tries that many pilgrims sacrificed them
selves 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-sacrifces have been too
highly colored, and that the great loss
Of life upon such occasions, when thou
sands of frantic devotees are congre-
gated together, comes more from acct
dent than from desire to start for
Heaven from directly underneath the
wheels of the holy car.-St. Louis Re-
! public.
Many Persons
are krOgen down from oyerwork or household