Sanatan Jain

Author(s): Unknown
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 25

24
SANATAN JAIS,
them which were declined.
cense was offered to the idols, and Prior to this in 1867 I had taken & lights burnt, and the beating of a lease of some building sites from the large tom tom and the loud clasbing then onder of the Hill the Raja of of cymbals mingled with the discorPaulgunge, sufficient to accommodate dant chanting of the priests. We half a dozen commodious bungalows stood for a few seconds to watch, but and had commenced building, the re. the whole thing was unspeka bly op. mains of one I have no doubt still pressive and 'Devilish' (I know no exists on the Hill. Tho military other word that fifty characterizes it) buildings having become racant I saw and we soon turned away. there was no use erecting more bun.
The semi-darkness the idols, the galow until it was seen what the Go
black worshippers, the incense and the vernment would do with them.
unearthly dinmade one glad to escape About this time a clergyman visited to the fresh air and the glorious beauty the Hill and he tbus describes the of the scene without. It seems stresidential temple on the Hill. rauge that Brahmins, while wearing "On one occasion we walked to the
their own distinctive mark should
lend themselves to the service of an Jain Temple near the further extre
heretical and rival sect, and still stmity of the Hill, and found a Brah
ranger that the Jains should hire win .priest and two or three inferiors
Brahunins to officiate for them, but preparing for their worship.
the senior 'sacerdos' or 'aiereus' appear. "A board outside requested us not ed very little troubled with nisgivings to enter the temple but we were to
as to his own position. His reply to stand in the verandah and look
our queries as to the orthodoxy of bis through the open doors. There were
proceedings was an eminently simple tive images within, sitting with jegs
and practical verson of the aphorisin CrOBS and arms folded, the central ons, representing Parisnath, of black
that a man must live.” marble and the others four of his
About this time Sir W. W, Hunter féllow sages, of the same material
was sent up to report and he gleaned
certain information which induced but white and with glass eyes.
him to recommend to Government They were all nearly life-size, and
that the buildings be handed back the loss of one visual organ which
with the land on which they stood to most of them had execienced gave
the Rajah of Paulgange and the Go. rather & comical expression to their vernment acted on his recommendaotherwise placid countenances.
tion. The month and nostrils of the
As I had a contract for the main
tenance of the Grand Trunk Road priest's attendant. were closely 8w8
from barrakar to Burkicand the connthed with folded cloth to prevent
ecting road from there todlazaringh. I his breath from defiling the deities, took a lease of theliovernment buildings upd presently the worsbip began. In that had been vacated whieb I pro.