________________
164
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JUNE, 1873.
inaccessible to ordinary mortals, but on the her head & vessel of water to the goddess. night of the full-moon of Chaitra the Påțil of An allowance of Rupees 150 a month is also Burigår (a neighbouring village) ascends, paid by the same benefactor for the goddess's and at sunrise next morning is seen to plant a service. The other nagarkhana, called Chandorflag. How he ascends, or how he descends, iskar, was built by a former Divan of Sindhia & & mystery, the attempt to unravel which would savákr of Chandor, who also added a nem nuk be immediately punished by loss of sight. A pair of Rupees 95 a month ; & nemnuk of Rupees of binoculars, however, enabled the writer to 35 a month was added by one Daji Saheb track the footsteps of the flag-bearers, who Kibe, a savkár of Indor. were two in number, during their descent, which Further, the revenues of a village called in places is certainly most perilous, and practi- Chand kapur were alienated for the seryice of cable only to feet devoid of shoes, and capable the Devi by the Peshwå in the time of Gaud of grasping monkey-fashion. This perilous Svami above mentioned. These funds are office has been filled by the same family from administered by different agents, and there is father to son for generations, and though a son is also a Panchâyat who exercise some sort of is never wanting, other children if born die superintendence over the "personal property" young : such is the story told.
of the goddess, her ornaments and so forth. The Opposite Sapta Sring to the east, but divided
money offerings of pilgrims become the pro(as before described) by a deep ravine, lies the perty of certain families, in certain fixed shares, hill called Mark und Dê va, with a rocky while one of their number, the Bhopa, receives top not unlike the Matterhorn in shape, as seen as his perquisite all eatable offerings. The from the west. This is said to have been the story is told that a former turbulent jâghirdâr abode of a Kishi in ancient days, whose spirit of the neighbouring town of Abhona, facetiously after his demise, took up its dwelling in the rock: called “Tokerâo " or "the Hammerer" (prehis present occupation is to recite the Paråņas cisely as King Edward I. was termed Malleus for the edification of Devi, who is said to be Scotorum)," used always to be harassing and an attentive listener; this idea may have origin. plundering the pilgrims, until he was bought off ated in the echoes, which are very remarkable. by a fixed payment of half the offerings made to
The image of Devi resides in a natural the goddess on 72 fixed days of the year. cavern or hollow in the rock. The figure is This arrangement is still in force, the allowance about eight feet in height, carved in relievo out being enjoyed by the two widows of " Tokerâo." of the naturel rock, and is that of an ordinary This is not the only occasion on which the woman, save that she has 18 arms, 9 on each goddess has had to yield to vulgar mortals ; side, ench hand grasping a different weapon. could a pen blush, it would do so in relating She wears a high crown not unlike the Pope's how the sanctity of Devi has recently been tiara, and is clothed with a "choli" and a "sári" invaded by the myrmidons of so very human round her waist and limbs. She has a different an institution as the Civil Court. Sad though enit for each day of the week; she is bathed it be, it is still a fact that at this very moment every day, using warm water two days in the a mere ordinary mortal, "juptee Karkun," is week. In front of her is planted her ensign, in possession of all the property of the goddess, vis. a Tribula or trident painted red: there are owing to a demand made by "a claimant" also the usual accompaniments of bells, lamps, against the present Bhopa. At this very moand so forth. A silver noge-ring and necklace ment a handsome set of ornaments, the gift of are the only ornaments in daily use. The the Gaikwar, and valued at not less than whole figure is painted bright red, save the eyes, Rupees 30,000, are lying in the hands of the which are of white porcelain. Near the base "Panchảyat" at " Wani," who are afraid to of the steps leading to the temple are two trust the goddess with her own, lest it should nagarkhanas; one, called Barodekar, was be swept into the devouring meshes of the law. built by Gopalrão Mairal of Baroda to comme- After this great fall from the sublime to the morate the alleged miraculous cure of his wife, mundane we make our best bow to "Devi," who having been a helpless cripple was sud- and wish her safe delivery from the hands of denly enabled to walk up the steps carrying on her friends and their legal squabbles.
