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supported on pillars, running round the four walls, on their inner side, opposite to the temple, in the centre. In the midst of the temple is a large idol of Ganes, the elephant-headed god, with silver hands and feet. The head is decorated with a gilded nimbus. Inside the temple, four bells are suspended; and immediately over the doorway, and in front of the idol, three small mirrors are placed, the object of which, possibly, is to produced a threefold image or reflexion of the idol; for even a reflexion of a god is accounted a sacred object, and worthy of veneration. On either side of the threshold, leading into the temple, is another idol of Ganes; but both are well worn, and, evidently, many centuries old. The present temple was erected only some twenty-four years ago; but the priests say that these two figures have always existed here. The extensive verandah of the quadrangle contains several other figures of Ganes, of, apparently, as great antiquity as those just described.

CHAPTER IX.

THE Pisách-Mochan Tank.

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The

Legend of the goblin Pisách. Festival of Lotá-Bhantá, or the Egg-plant.-The Gháts and Temple of Pisách-Mochan.-Súraj-Kund or Tank of the Sun.-The Hom or Burnt Sacrifice.-The god Ashtáng-Bhairo.-Temple of Dhruveswar or the Pole Star.

In the outskirts of the city, on its western side, is a large square tank or reservoir, called Piśách-Mochan, built in a regular manner, with gháts or stone stairs leading down to the water. On the bank, towards the road, are several temples, containing a great many images of various deities. Pisách-Mochan is a noted place of pilgrimage among the Hindus. All pilgrims coming to Benares must visit it; and all the residents in the city must bathe in its waters at least once a year. These waters are considered to have a peculiar efficacy in ensuring deliverance from the power of demons and all kinds of evil spirits, in preventing horrible dreams, or destroying their bad effect, and in removing sickness. The word Piśách means ghoul or bad spirit, and Mochan, release or deliverance. The history of this sacred place is said to be as follows. On one occasion, a very powerful demon had the temerity to approach the holy enclosure in which Benares is situated. He was, however, stopped, at the Panchkosí road, by the deities stationed there. But, although they contended bravely with him, yet, being

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stronger than they, he overcame them, and, crossing the road, entered the enclosure. He then pursued his course, until he reached the spot where the PiśáchMochan tank is now situated, and would have effected an entrance into the holy city itself, had not Bhaironath, the kotwal or deified Chief Magistrate of the place, met him there. An encounter immediately commenced between these two worthies, which ended in the magistrate cutting off the head of the common enemy. Having performed this act of valour, Bhaironath conveyed the head to his royal master, Bisheswar, and stated all the circumstances of the conflict. But the demon, though overcome and bodiless, had lost neither his life nor his tongue; and, therefore, he implored Bisheswar not to banish him from the city, but to allow him to reside on the spot where he was decapitated. He also had the boldness to request, in addition, that all pilgrims proceeding to the city of Gayá should be directed first to visit him. To this the king gave his consent, but stated that he should allow no other evil spirit to visit Benares, and that he, the demon, was to take care that none ever did so.

Such is the quaint story which the Hindus believe respecting this place. The great ugly head of the demon, carved in stone, is seen on the top of the ghát by the side of one of the temples. All pilgrims, too, proceeding to Gayá, pay honour to this Piśách; and in case any, travelling from distant parts of the country, should, from ignorance or other causes, reach Gayá without having first come to Piśách-Mochan, in Benares, they are immediately questioned on the matter. To

obviate the necessity of their travelling to Benares, and then returning to Gayá, another Piśách-Mochan has been erected in the latter place, as representative of that in Benares, where they may perform pújá or religious rites, and thus, after the payment of the prescribed fees to the priests (a sine qua non), acquire the full stock of merit which would have accrued to them had they really visited the Piśách in Benares.

In addition to several small melás or festivals, a very large one is held every year at Piśách-Mochan. This melá is called Lotá-Bhanțá, from the singular custom which prevails, on that occasion, of grinding the vegetable called bhanțá, or egg-plant, and mixing it with flour, forming it into cakes, which are eaten at the melá. The tank is a square, with gháts or stairs on the four sides. A portion of the ghát, to the east, was erected, about eighty years ago, by Gopál Dás Sáhu; and the remaining portion, and also a temple on the bank, by a Hindu lady, named Mirch Bai, about the same time. The ghát and wall, to the west, date from the same period; the former, together with the tower rising above it, having been erected by a Hindu, Balwant Rao Bákirá, and the latter, by a Mohammedan, Mirza Khurram Sháh, of Delhi. The ghát to the north was built more than a hundred years ago, by Raja Muralídhar; and that to the south, which bears upon it the marks of age, partly by Raja Siva Sambar, some three hundred years ago, and partly by Binaik Rao, a few years since.

On the eastern bank of the tank, occupying a prominent position, are two temples, one of which is a

modern structure, and was built by Nakku Misr, a servant of the Government; and the other is that erected by Mirch Bai, already spoken of. The latter only presents features of interest. The foundations of this temple are raised some distance above the level of the neighbouring street. Its roof is flat; and, in the centre of it, a peepul and a banyan tree have fixed their roots, while their trunks rise up high into the air. On all the four sides of the temple are small shrines or niches, containing a great collection of idols. Here is Siva; next to him, the hideous head of the demon Piśách-Mochan; and, beyond it, the four-handed god Vishnu, holding in one hand a conch, in another a lotos, in a third a club, and in a fourth a discus, while a garland of lotoses hangs from his neck. Next to him is his wife Lakshmí, who has an image of the Sun on her left; beyond which is the figure of a Brahman, in stone. Then comes a shrine in which is a large red idol representing the Monkeygod Hanumán. All these are on one side of the temple; and immediately round the corner to the east is a curious figure of the god Gaṇeś, who, instead of one elephant's trunk, which he commonly possesses, has, in this case, five. All the remaining sides are similarly decorated with deities, with the exception of the west side facing the tank, which has fewer in number than the rest. Away from the temple itself, but resting upon the raised pedestal on which the temple stands, is one of those curious stones representing a multitude of tiny shrines, found in various places in Benares.

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