the god will manifest himself by taking possession,
of one of the throng. Suddenly some man is seized
by the religious frenzy and rushing forward drinks
the blood of the goat, and in this ecstatic state dance i
round the poles, and finally climbing the pole which
holds the idol he imprints a bloody kiss on the mouth
of the deity. A temple with rooms has now been
built in honour of Dhurma: this is a new departure,
for hitherto he owned no habitation built by men’s
hands.
Similarly at Burphu and Tola the Tibetan god
Lhamsal is worshipped. The people fell a large tree,
and carrying it to an open space fix it in the ground
and make it firm with three ropes. Strips of cloth of
every description are then fastened to every portion
of it, and yaks’ tails are tied in different parts of the
tree. After these preparations the people sing and dance
round the tree for three days on end. Persons who have
had a son born to them are specially devoted to the
worship of this god, and once a year offer a goat and
liquor.
One of the most remarkable deities worshipped in
Garhwal is the god Ghantakaran, or the Bell-god. It is
common to find a large bell, sometimes one and a
half feet long, suspended to a cross-bar supported by
two uprights on the top of some lofty mountain. The
lonely goatherd, or the zealous devotee, rings the bell
when passing the spot. The Bell-god is very specially
worshipped for nine days in the month of Magh, and in
this special and remarkable service there are associated
with him three other gods, viz., Kailas, the Tibetan
deity Kumer and the deity Nanda Devi. The last-
named is the loftiest mountain in the British Empire,
and is situated in Bhot, and the first is the sacred
mountain near Mansarowar Lake. The annual adoration
takes place at Pandukeshar in Garhwal Bhot, and
the ceremonies are specially interesting as they afford
—>-Our camp
RILKOT ON THE WAY TO ALMORA FROM MILAM
an instance of the religious fervour, or ecstasy, which
seizes the devotee and makes him act as though goaded
by a mania. An iron tripod is made red hot in a
furious fire, which is zealously fed by the crowd. The
men who are particularly favoured by the manifestation
of the gods are Duryals of one family, living in