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THE

HINDOO MYTHOLOGY.

BOOK II.

OF THE TEMPLES, IMAGES, PRIESTS, AND CEREMONIES OF THE HINDOOS.

CHAP. I.

OF THE TEMPLES.

THE Hindoo temples in Bengal, though different in shape, are nearly of the same description of architecture: they are very inferior, it is true, to the sacred edifices in Europe; but some of these buildings are in a better style than might have been expected from a people so little advanced in the arts.

SECT. I.-Of different Kinds of Temples.

The Mundiru, dedicated to the lingŭ, is a double-roofed Gothic building, the body square, but the upper part short

• Mundirǎ means any edifice of brick or stone; but custom has appropriated it almost exclusively to the temples of the lingů.

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and tapering to a point. It contains one, two, three, or more rooms, about three cubits by four, with a porch in front for spectators. The centre room contains the lingu; in the others are placed the utensils for worship, the offerings, &c.-Small square temples for the lingu, with flat roofs, are erected in rows facing the houses of rich men, or before a college, a consecrated pool of water, another temple, or a flight of steps descending into the river. Similar

temples in honour of Gŭnéshů are to be seen in some places. Very small temples like the Mundirů, only three or five cubits high, and containing a lingŭ about a foot in height, have been erected at Benares.

The Déoolu temples, sacred to Jŭgŭnnať'hŭ, rise from the foundation in a gradual slope like a sugar loaf, with an iron image of Gŭroorů on the pinnacle. These temples, made of brick, are ascended by a flight of steps, and contain only one room.

The Punchu-rutnu temple has two or three rooms, and a single-arched roof, with a large pinnacle or turret on the dome, and a smaller one on each corner. It is dedicated to the different forms of Vishnoo, as Radha-bŭllŭbhů, Gopalŭ, Můdŭnů-mohůnů, Govindhu, &c. The temple called Nuvu-rutnud, dedicated also to the various forms of Vishnoo, has a double roof like the Mundirů, with a small turret on each corner of the lower roofs, and on the upper one a larger turret to crown the dome. It contains four or five rooms. At Ügrů-dwēēpů, the temple of Gopēē-nat'hu has different houses attached to it; one for cooking, an

↳ Corrupted from dévalayŭ, i. e. dévéí, a god, alŭyů, a house. < Having five turrets.

Having nine turrets.

other for the utensils used in worship; another is a storehouse for the offerings, and two others are open rooms for the accommodation of visitors and devotees.

The Vishnoo-mundirů, having one room, with a portico in front, is a flat-roofed building, erected either within or without the wall which incloses a Hindoo house, or at a little distance from the owner's house; and sometimes by the side of the Ganges, when the person's house is near the river. A few temples may be seen, having three rooms; one of which is the god's hall of audience, another his dining room, and the third his room for sleeping.

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Another kind of temple, with a flat roof, is often erected by rich Hindoos adjoining to their houses, and called Chundēē-mundupů, and is designed for the image of Doorga or Kalēē. This is built on four sides, with an area in the middle. The image is placed at the north end, with its face to the south; the two sides, and the north end, in most cases, contain upper rooms with porticos beneath. The room which contains the image is about ten cubits long and sixteen broad: the other rooms are open in front with arched doorways; and in these the visitors sit to see the ceremonies of worship, hear the singing, &c.

The Yoru-bangala is made like two thatched houses or bangalas, placed side to side; and has what is called in England a double-pitched roof, generally covered with tiles or bricks. The front is open without doors. These tem ples are dedicated to different gods, but are not now frequently built in Bengal.

The Hindoos have another sacred edifice, called Rasămunchů, in which the image of Krishnŭ is annually placed

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and worshipped. This building is octagonal, with eight turrets at the corners, and a steeple in the centre supported by pillars; and consists of one room, open on all sides, and elevated five or six feet from the ground. On the nights of the rasă festival the image is brought and placed in this elevated open room, there worshipped, and afterwards carried back to the temple adjoining to the owner's house. The Dolu-munchŭ is a similar building, but is sometimes made larger.

A great number of small clay and thatched buildings are erected in Bengal, in which the images of Siddheshwŭree, Krishnoo, Ramů, &c. are set up. The roofs of these buildings are sloping, like the huts of the poor in Europe.

Images of some of the inferior deities are placed under trees, and these trees become as it were temples for worship.

In some few towns a number of different temples are built in a square. I once saw a Dévalũyŭ of this kind at Chanchra, in Jessore, which contains twenty-one temples and as many gods. One thousand acres of ground are attached to this place; one bramhun performs the ceremonies; six others cook for these gods; four others gather flowers, and bring the articles for the daily worship. Nimaee-mŭlliků, a goldsmith of Calcutta, built and endowed this place. Similar dévalŭyůs are to be seen at Krishnŭ-nŭgůrů, Gunga-vasů, Shivŭ-nivasů, Bărăhă-nŭgără1, Natorů, Poonté, Somrah, Bhōō-koilasů, Gooptŭ-para, and at many

• These belong to Girëëshu-chundră, the raja Nüvů-dwēēpů. This first place is in Moorshůdabadů, and belongs to raja Vishoonat'hu, as does that at Natorů.

This belongs to raja Bhoovünü-t'hakooră.

This place is the property of Ram-sünkürü-rayü, a voidyă.

other places in Bengal.-Raja Chundrŭ-rayŭ, of Patŭlee, is said to have built two hundred of these dévalŭyŭs, at each of which two or three hundred people are daily fed. The relict of raja. Tilŭkŭ-chůndrů, of Burdwan, erected one hundred and eight temples in one plain, and placed in them as many images of the lingŭ; attaching to them eleven bramhůns and inferior servants, and endowing the temples with estates to the amount of the wages of the attendants.

Before many temples is seen a roof, supported by pillars, under which portions of the shastrus are recited or sung, and at other times animals for sacrifice slaughtered. In general, however, the singing and dancing at the festivals take place under an awning in the open air, near some temple, or near the person's house who bears the expense. The long periods of dry weather in this climate render this practicable; nor would the heat allow of such large assemblies meeting in houses, even if buildings sufficiently large could be constructed. This accounts for the Hindoo temples being so small in the inside: many of them, especially those of the lingu, are only large enough to contain the image, the offerings, the utensils of worship, and the officiating priests.

Much of the wealth of the Hindoo kings was formerly expended in building temples, and supporting splendid festivals. At present, those who erect these temples in Bengal are principally the head-servants of Europeans, who appro priate part of their gains to these acts of supposed merit1.

The expense of erecting one of these temples, if a single

The capitol, or temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, was raised in conse quence of a vow made by Tarquinius Priscus in the Sabine war.

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