disagreeable; on the contrary most have a calm and .
pleasing expression, suggestive of contemplation.
The great or south temple contained a side altar of
very elegant shape, placed before an image encircled
by a glory. Flowers, juniper, peacock’s feathers, pas-
tiles, and brass cups of water were the chief ornaments
of the altars, besides the instruments I have elsewhere
enumerated. In this temple was the library, containing
several hundred books, in pigeon-holes, placed
in recesses.
The effect on entering these cold and gloomy temples
is very impressive; the Dugang in particular was exquisitely
ornamented with painting, and the vista from the
vestibule to the principal idol, of carved and coloured
pillars and beams, was very picturesque. Within, the
general arrangement of the colours and gilding is felt
to be harmonious and pleasing, especially horn the
introduction of slender white streaks between the contrasting
masses of colour, in the same manner as was
adopted in the Great Exhibition building of 1851. I t
is also worthy of remark that the brightest colours are
often used in broad masses, and when so, are always
arranged in the sequence of the rainbow’s hues, and
are hence never displeasing to the eye. The hues,
though bright, are subdued by the imperfect light:
the countenances of the images are all calm, and their
expression solemn. Whichever way you turn, the eye
is met by some beautiful specimen of colouring or
carving, or some object of veneration. The effect is
much heightened by the incense of juniper and sweetsmelling
herbs which the priests burn on entering, by
their grave and decorous conduct, and by the feeling
of respect demanded by a religion which inculcates
and adores virtue in the abstract, and those only
amongst men who practise virtue. To the idol itself
the Boodhist attaches no importance; it is an object
of reverence, not of worship, and no virtue or attribute
belongs to it per se; it is a symbol of the creed, and the
adoration is paid to the abstraction which it represents.
Beyond the temples are the chaits and mendongs,
scattered without much order; and I counted nearly
twenty-five chaits of the same form, between eight and
thirty feet high. The largest is consecrated to the
memory of the Rajah’s eldest son, who, however, is
not buried here. A group of these structures is
extremely picturesque, and those at Tassiding, from
their number, variety, and size, their commanding and
romantic position, and their being interspersed with
weeping cypresses, are particularly so.
The Tassiding temples and convents were founded
upwards of 300 years ago, by the Lamas who accompanied
the first Rajah to Sikkim; and they have been
continuously served by Lamas of great sanctity, many
of whom have been educated at Lhassa. They were
formerly very wealthy, but during the Nepal war they
were plundered of all their treasures, their silver gongs
and bells, their best idols, doijes, and manis, and
stripped of their ornaments ; since which time Pemi-
ongchi has been more popular. In proof of their
antiquity, it was pointed out that most of the symbols
and decorations were those of pure Lama Boodhism,
as practised in Tibet.