I uhdenstöocl Trom Poorungheé» fhat'the festival"which nowoccüpiëd
tThe Attention of tlie BOTteeasfwas thé1 Durga fbögai the great iStoiinal
festival of the Hindoos'.'
An effigy of Diirga,1 in tomlïaf with the chief of the Rkccüssés,
Sobmne'Soóm^is exhibited ihindg'1 lïwv»^5iwr” mmFS a most gaudy
group of evif genii, and auxiliary god!/ forming a picture, irfltfib
relievo, sufficient io fill the breadth ïaïgé saiobö, AS-tÉè^- as
brilliant colours, and Tinsel ornaments Can make it. This' effigy is
removea/ón thé last day at nóón, and conveyed in procession to the
Ganges, where Durga and her associates are committed alPtögéÉier to
the deep. JDuring-this latter part of the festival, which is generally
known in Calcutta by the appellation ofthe Nautches, the houses of the
most opuIentHiridoos, dre'öpën'fö European visitors, And" constantly
attract a prodigious1 concourse of company. m
This festival, which is one of the most famous among the Hindoo!,
gives occasion also in Böófaii, to a great display of ingenuity^ The
representation is continued from the commencement to the close öf the
festival, whichlasts,in the whole, ten day!. It is hefe termed Mullaum.
I was present only at the commencement of it, during the three first days,
and, I am sorry to say, was too ignorant of their mythology, to under*
stand thoroughly the meaning of the masque. The great court yard
of the palace, was the scene of representation. The Daeb Raja with
all the Gylongs, sat very gravely in the surrounding colonnade looking
op. He politely provided us with seats, near himself.
The grotesque figures that exhibited themselves in the combat
formed altogether the most fantastic motley group, it is possible to
imagine: elephants, horses, ape's, and a most fiiglttM figure environed?
with snakes, were among «the^epresentations^iîît^i^.dd; to ncj innate
reçusses, c^-1 evil gémi. Virtue appeared in the shape1 of Durga, with
à view toj exterminate Vicg^ and some of‘ the, grdjaip^ffidGeiyed pretty
hard blows before they'would .quit the*stage; but the força of Durga,
a^it waSl intended^ never failed to^maintain its' ground in, alkthe
triiunp||jS|-yicioEy> ■
The objppof this festival was, âsTconceived, tocelebiale the arrival
pj§ the autumnal, as^tjiatspf■ the_Hoali jJàljé tlie veinal equinox.^/■>
DurgaTpôojah.i,s distinguished also as being the well known piling
ythen the armies of the native powers in In^aijh.aye ^l-ways been acr
customed to take the held; and, till their aequairilanct with Europeans
taught them«*the.necessity of relinquishing sorae$ofcH their most inveterate
prejudiG^sfit was very seldom that any of.their tloops assembled
in thë.fifldiy till after the .celebration of the Dussera, which happens on
the first,full, moon after the equinox. As that has been eveç considered
as,the signal for*hostile preparation,*'so has,.the Dewali, the following
newnsifn, a festival kept in honour of ffie/de^d/ wheht’iJ^iji usual to
make large, feasts, to distribute' food tofthei’pqor, anàjo^makçî grapd
illuminations during the night, J>een commonly the time to, set their'
troops in motion,,^ •#