suspends it over the dish containing the plantain, and the blood runs into it; after which he lays the body down. The officiating bramhun pours some water on the head, which another person holds in his hand, and afterwards places it before the idol, fastening it on each side with two sticks put into the ground to prevent its moving. The slayer then going to the body, cuts a morsel of the flesh from the neck, and casts it among the blood preserved in the dish, which is now carried and placed before the idol. The doors are then shut; a light made with clarified butter is placed on the head, and the head is offered to the idol with appropriate prayers. The whole of the blood is next offered, and afterwards divided into four parts and offered, which closes the ceremony.

SECT. VII.-Bathing, (Snanu".)

BATHING, as an act of purification, always precedes and sometimes follows other ceremonies. It may be performed

of Doorga, was exceedingly alarmed during the festival one year, when the person who was to cut off the head of the sacrifice (a buffalo) failed to sever the head from the body at one blow. Leaving the sacrifice struggling and half killed, he went up to the image, and with joined hands cried out, 'Oh! mother! why art thou displeased with me? What have I done?' His female relations came into the temple, and wept before the image in the most bitter manner. The spectators began to reason upon this dreadful circumstance, imputing the failure in slaughtering the buffalo to different causes, according to their fancies. One opinion, among the rest, was, that the owner of the image was in no fault, but that the goddess was angry because the officiating bramhún had let fall saliva upon the offerings while reading the formulas.

n From shna, to purify or bathe.

by pouring water on the body in or out of doors, or by immersing the body in a pool or river.

A bramhun bathes in the following manner :-he first rubs his body with oil, and takes with him to the river a towel, a brass cup called a kosha, flowers, leaves of the vilwŭ tree, and a few seeds of sesamum. Some take along with them a little rice, a plantain or two, and sweetmeats. Arriving at the river side, the bramhŭn, hanging a towel round his neck, makes a bow, or prostrates himself before the river; then rising rubs his forehead with the water, and offers praise to Gŭnga. If he has omitted his morning duties, he performs them now. After this he makes a clay image of the lingu; then descends into the water, and immerses himself twice, having his face towards the north or east. Rising, he invokes some god, and, with his forefinger making circles in the water, prays, that all the holy places of the river may surround him at once, or rather that all the fruit arising from bathing in them may be enjoyed by him. He again immerses himself twice, and, rising, cleanses his body, rubbing himself with his towel. He then comes up out of the water, wipes his body, and repeats many forms of prayer or praise. This is what properly belongs to bathing; but it is succeeded by repeating the common forms of worship, for which the person made preparations in bringing his kosha, flowers, leaves, sesamum, making the lingu, &c.

Bathing, in cases of sickness, may be performed without immersing the head in water, by rubbing the arms, legs, and forehead, with a wet cloth; or by changing the clothes";

• A Hindoo considers those clothes defiled in which he has been employed in secular concerns.

or by sprinkling the body with water, and repeating an incantation or two; or by covering the body with the ashes of cow-dung.

SECT. VIH.-Drink-Offerings to the Gods and deceased Ancestors, (Turpănă P.)

THE Hindoos, at the time of bathing, present water daily to the gods, the sages, yŭkshus, nagŭs, găndhŭrvus, upsůrus, usoorus, vidyadhurus, pishachus, siddhús, and to their deceased ancestors. This they call turpunů; which should be performed three times a day: those who use the kosha take up water in it, putting in sesamum, repeating the proper formulas, and then pouring out the water into the river or pool where they are bathing. Those who perform this ceremony without the kosha, take up water with their hands, and, repeating a prayer, present it to the gods, by pouring it out from the ends of the fingers; to parents, by letting it fall betwixt the fingers and thumb of the right hand; and to the sages, by pouring the water out at their wrists. For those who have died in a state of extreme poverty, and have no one to perform the ceremonies for the repose of the soul, instead of pouring it out of the hands, they offer the libation by wringing the cloth with which they bathe. If the person bathe in any other water, and not in the Ganges, he cannot use sesamum, but performs the ceremony with water alone.

P From Tripů, to satisfy.

Seeds of sesamum are also presented to deceased ancestors, and, among the gods, to Yumă, the regent of death.

SECT. IX.-The Ceremonies of Worship, (Pōōja.)

THE following ceremonies in the presence of the idol are what the Hindoos call pōōja.-Previously to entering on this act of idolatry, the person bathes; returning home', he washes his feet, spreads a blanket or some other proper thing to sit upon, and then sits down before the idol, having the articles necessary for worship before him: a kosha, or metal bason, and a koshee, or smaller one; a small wooden stand, a metal plate, an iron stand to hold five lamps, a censer, a brass stand with a small shell placed on it, a metal plate on which to place flowers, a metal bowl into which the water and flowers are thrown after they have been presented to the idol, a metal jug for holding water, a metal plate to be used as a bell; a shell, or sacred conch3, which sounds like a horn; with a number of dishes, cups, and other utensils for holding rice, paint, incense, betle, water, milk, butter, curds, sweetmeats, flowers, clarified butter, &c. Having all these articles ready t, the worshipper takes water from the kosha with the koshee, and letting it fall into his right hand, drinks it; he then takes a drop more, and then a drop more, repeating incantations. After this, with the finger and thumb of his right hand he touches his mouth, nose, eyes, ears, navel, breast, shoulders, and the crown of his head, repeating certain forms. He then washes his hands, makes a number of motions with his fingers, and strikes the earth with his left heel three times,

These ceremonies are frequently performed by the river side.

* Both men and women, on entering a temple, often blow the conch or ring the bell, to entertain the god.

In general, when the worship is performed in the house, a bramhŭn's wife, against the arrival of her husband from bathing, sets in proper order all the articles used in worship;-flowers, water, utensils, &c.

repeating incantations. When this is done, he flirts the first finger and thumb of his right hand, waving his hand towards the ten divisions of the earth; closes his eyes, and repeats incantations to purify his mind, his body, the place where he sits, as well as the offerings about to be presented, (which it is supposed may have become unclean, by having been seen or touched by a cat, a dog, a shackal, a shōōdrů, or a Musulman.) Next, he takes a flower, which he lays on his left hand, and, putting his right hand upon it, revolves in his mind the form of the god he is worshipping. He then lays the flower on his head, and, joining his hands together, closes his eyes, thinks upon the form of the god, that he has a nose, eyes, four arms, four heads, &c. and then recites the outward forms of worship in his mind. He now presents the offerings; first, a square piece of gold or silver, as a seat for the god, inviting him to come and sit down, or visit him; and then, asking the god if he be happy, repeats for him, 'Very happy.' After this, he presents water to wash the feet; takes up water with the koshee, and pours it into the metal bowl; and presents at oncé rice, a vilwŭ leaf, eight blades of dōōrva grass, paint, and water, with incantations. He then presents water to wash the mouth, curds, sugar, honey; then water to wash the mouth again, and water to bathe in, with prayers; then cloth, jewels, gold, silver, ornaments, bedsteads, curtains, a bed, pillow, cloth, printed cloth; clothes for men, women, or children; shoes, brass drinking cups, candlesticks, and whatever would be proper presents to the bramhŭns". After this paint, either red or white, is presented on a flower; then eight or ten flowers; leaves of the vilwŭ tree;

"It must not be supposed that all these articles are presented daily by the Hindoos. This account describes what is performed at festivals. In the daily worship, flowers, leaves, sacred grass, a little rice, &c. are presented.