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RELIGIOUS SECTS
to worldly vicissitudes. They are purely religious characters devoting themselves to prayer and meditation, and usually collected in Sangats, colleges or convents; they also travel about to places of pilgrimage, generally in parties of soine strength. Individuals of them are to be met with in most of the chief cities of Hindustan, living under the patronage of some man of rank or property; but in all situations they profess poverty, although they never solicit alins; and although ascetics, they place no merit in wearing mean garments or dispensing altogether with clothes. On the contrary, they are, in general, well dressed, and, allowing the whiskers and beard to grow, are not unfrequently of a venerable and imposing appearance. Though usually practicing celibacy, it does not appear to be a necessary condition amongst the Sikhs to be found in the Gangetic provinces : they are usually the ministrant priests; but their office consists chiefly in reading and expounding the writings of Nának and GOVIND SINH, as collected in the Ádi Granth and Daś Pádshah ká granth. The perusal is enlivened by the chanting, occasionally, of Hindi Padas and Rekhtas, the compositions of Kabir, Mirá Bái, Súr Daś, and others. With that fondness for sensible objects of reverence which characterises the natives of India, the Book is also worshipped, and Rupees, flowers, and fruits are presented by the votaries, which become, of course, the property of the officiating Udási. In return, the Udásí not uncommonly adopts the presentation of the Prásáda, and at the close of the cere
