though its rise appears to correspond with the wreck
of Boodhism throughout India in the eleventh century.
The Jains form in some sort a transition-sect between
Boodhists and Hindoos, differing from the former in
acknowledging castes, and from both in their worship
of Parasnath s foot, instead of that of Munja-gosha of
the Boodhs, or Vishnoo’s of the Hindoos. As a sect
of Boodhists their religion is considered pure, and free
from the obscenities so conspicuous in Hindoo worship;
whilst, in fact, perhaps the reverse is the case; but
the symbols are fewer, and indeed almost confined to
the feet of Parasnath, and the priests jealously conceal
their esoteric doctrines.
The temples, though small, are well built, and
carefully kept. No persuasion could induce the
Brahmins to allow us to proceed beyond the vestibule
without taking off our shoes, to which we were not
inclined to consent. The bazaar was for so small a
village large, and crowded to excess with natives of all
castes, colours, and provinces of India, very many from
the extreme W. and N. W., Bajpootana, the Madras
Presidency, and Central India. Numbers had come in
good cars, well attended, and appeared men of wealth
and consequence ; while the quantities of conveyances
of all sorts standing about, rather reminded me of an
election, than of anything I had seen in India.
The natives of the place were a more Negro-looking
race than the Bengalees to whom I had previously
been accustomed; and the curiosity and astonishment
they displayed at seeing (probably many of them for
the first time) a party of Englishmen, were sufliciently
amusing. Our coolies not having come up, and it
being two o’clock in the afternoon, I having had no
breakfast, and being ignorant of the exclusively J ain
population of the village, sent my servant to the
bazaar, for some fowls and eggs ; but he was mobbed
for asking for these articles, and parched rice, beaten
flat, with some coarse sugar, was all he could obtain;
together with sweetmeats so odiously flavoured with
various herbs, and sullied with such impurities, that
we quickly made them over to the elephants.
In the evening a very gaudy poojah was performed.
The car, filled with idols, was covered with gilding and
silk, and drawn by noble bulls, festooned and garlanded.
A procession was formed in front; and it opened into
an avenue, up and down which gaily dressed dancing-
boys paced or danced, shaking castanets, the attendant
worshippers singing in discordant voices, beating
tomtoms, cymbals, &c. Images (of Boodh apparently)
abounded on the car, in front of which a child was
placed. The throng of natives was very great and
perfectly orderly, indeed, sufficiently apathetic: they
were remarkably civil and willing to explain what they
understood of their own worship.
Having provided doolies, or little bamboo chairs
slung on four men’s shoulders, in which I put my
papers and boxes, we next morning commenced the
ascent; at first through woods of the common trees,
with large clumps of bamboo, over slaty rocks of
gneiss, much inclined and sloping away from the
mountain. The view from a ridge 500 feet high was
superb, of the village, and its white domes half buried