San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1892-05-13
RITES OF THE HINDOOs.
THE PROCESSION AND OAR
OF JUGoERNATH.
Some of the DoInss that Give ForcS to
Our Figure of speeeh-A sight Of
this Idol Is Sufficient for
Salvation.


Orissa says the Rev. ". Miller in the
Baptist Missionary Herald, with its
surroundings was completed as it now
stands in 1913 A. d. Its erection
occupied fourteen years, and cost a
sum equal to hall q million sterling.
1t stands in an inclosure nearly in the
form OF a square. marked OF by u mas
sive stone wall 20 feet high and 652
feet long and $50 broad. Within the
enclosure are found some one hundred
and twenty smaller temples. dedicated
to the principal objects Of modern
Hindoo worship so that each pilgrim,
of whatever sect. finds his own favor
lite god or goddess represented. The
high conical tower rising above the
others like an deliberately carved SUI
gar loaf one hundred and ninety-two
feet high and surmounted BY the mys-
tic wheel Of Yishuu is the shrine OF
Juggernath- where ne sits in jeweled
state with his brother BBlabhadra.
and sister Subhadra The images are
rude logs clumsily fashioned into the
form of the human bust from the
I
and bathing festivals golden hands
are fastened to the short stumps which
project from the shoulders OF the idols
The next tower is the Hall Of Audi
ience in which the pilgrims assemble
to gaze upon the images. The next
structure il the Pillard hall appropri-
ated to the musicians and dancing
girla Adjoining the above is the
Hall Of Offerings, where fruits. fow-
ers and various articles of food arc
deposited. preparatory 20 being offer
ed to the idols and appropriated by
two priests. The outer structure is
the eastern and principal entrance to
the enclosure called Singa-dwara or
Lions Gate. In front OF this is 8
beautiful morolythic pillar which stood
for centuries before the Temple of the
Sum at Kanarak, twenty miles north Of
Puri The structure, with a double
roof resting on pillars north Of the
Lions Gate. is the Srian Mandugs. or
Placs OF Bathing. where the idols re-
reive their public additions before be-
ing reprinted or decorated for the car
festival II is only at the bsthing and
car festivals that Juggernath appears
IN public The Brahmins say that the
reason for this is that the people OF
the low castles, who are prohibited
from entering the temple, may have
sight OF Juggeruath and be saved.
The open space in front Of the Tenn
pie is a great place Of concourse fer
the pilgrims. 1t has stalls and shops
on each side and down the center for
some distance 1t is the commence
ment OF the broad sandy road mile
in length. along which the cars are
dragged to the GoOndicha Temple or
Garden House its terminus.
The day before the festival the cars,
which are forty-fve feet high ana
thirty feet square supported o.
sixteen wheels seven feet in diameter
are arranged in front Of the Lions
Gate. The idols are brought out of
the temple in a most ignominious way.
Even Juggernath is pushed and rocked
along to the car {. rope being fastened
around his neck. What with pushing
from below and hauling from above
he Is hoisted up and fastened to his
seat on the car. The first sight OF
Juggernath. and especially the first
movement of the car 10 the occasion
OF the widest excitement on tbs part
of the assembled thousands whu
with uplifted hanGs fix their eyes aud
gaze upon the hideous object with in
tense wonder and delight and "a
With one voice utter a shout which
rends the 'Juggernath Swami
ke .oy" (Yictory the Lord Juggernath).
In the meantime music strikes up
before and behind. Drums beat GYM
balls clash. and fans are waved, whiie
the priests il front OF the car harangus
the pullers of the ropes and those neat
IN language unutterably vile In this
insane and disgusting revelry we have
an exhibition OF satan's greatest
triumph over man and the greatest
insult that can be offered to the Most
High inasmuch as the object OF wor-
ship is the most contemplate that can
be conceived. and much OF the
service rendered it is a shame even to
speak
1t is matter for thankfulness that
there has been a gradual decrease
from POO 900 to q 900 in the mum Der
attending the car festival. Though
the mortality attending the pilgrimage
TO Pooree has proportionately di-
minishedL yet it is sad to think that it
still involves the yearly sacrifice of
10, 900 lives. 10 say nothing OF the
countless other evils which follow in
its train.
1t is impossible to conceive of a
greater calamity coming upon a people
than that represented BY this idola-
troUs system. How true the utterauce
Of the devoted missionary Charles
Lacy of CuttacK: ''Pooree is the
mouth CT hell whence horrid wicked
ness aud blasphemOus misery 60 forth
80 the uttermost parts of the
land" Thank God the destruction OF
the temple would seem to be not far
distant