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which the supposed dead sunyasee arises, when they dance around him, proclaiming the name of Shivu.

The next morning the sunyasees go to Shivu's temple, and perform worship to him, when they take off the poita which they had worn during the festival. On this day, they beg, or take from their houses, a quantity of rice, and other things, which they make into a kind of frumenty, in the place where they burn the dead. These things they offer, with some burnt fish, to departed ghosts.

Each day of the festival the sunyasees worship the sun, pouring water, flowers, &c. on a clay image of the alligator, repeating muntrus.

THE HEAVEN Of Shivu is very resplendent with gems, pearls, coral, gold, silver, &c. Here reside numerous gods, giants, heavenly choristers, dancers, courtezans, and sages. Flowers of every season are constantly in bloom here; whilst the waters of the heavenly Ganges glide along in purling streams. The seasons are uninterruptedly enjoyed; and on a golden throne, adorned with jewels, sit Shivu and Doorga engaged in eternal conversation.

Brumha.-The Brambuns, in their morning and evening worship, repeat an incantation, containing a description of the image of Brumha; at noon they perform an act of worship in honour of this god, presenting to him sometimes a single flower; at the time of a burnt offering clarified butter is presented to Brumba. In the month of Maghu, at the full mann, an earthern image of this god is worshipped, with that of Shivu on his right hand, and that of Vishnoo on his left. This festival lasts only one day, and the three gods are, the next day, thrown into the river. This worship is accompanied with songs, dances, music, &c. as at all other festivals; but the worship of Brumha is most frequently celebrated by a number of young men of the baser sort, who defray the expences by a subscription.-Bloody sacrifices are never offered to Brumha.

The heaven of Brumha is 800 miles long, 400 broad, and 40 high. Narudu, when attempting to describe this heaven, declared himself utterly incompetent to the task; that he could not do it in two hundred years; that it contained in a superior degree all that was in the other heavens ; and that whatever existed in the creation of Brumha on earth, from the smallest insect to the largest animal, was to be found there.

Indru.--The worship of Indru is celebrated annually, in the day time, on the 14th of the lunar month Bhadru. The

usual ceremonies of worship are accompanied with singing, music, dancing, &c. In Bengal the greater number of those who keep this festival are women; in whose names the ceremonies are performed by officiating Bramhuns. It lasts one day, after which the image is thrown into the river. This festival, which is accompanied with the greatest festivities, is celebrated all over Bengal; each one repeating it annually during fourteen years. On the day of worship, a few blades of doorva grass are tied round the right arm of a man, and the left of a woman. Some persons wear this string, which contains fourteen knots, for a month after the festival is over. Fourteen kinds of fruit, fourteen cakes, &c. must be presented to the image. This worship is performed for the purpose of procuring riches, or a house, or a son, or pleasure, or a residence after death in Indru's heaven.

Indru is supposed to preside over the elements, so that in times of drought, prayers are addressed to him as the giver of

rain.

Indru's heaven is thus described; This heaven was made by Vishwu-kurmu, the architect of the gods. It is 800 miles in circumference, and 40 miles high; its pillars are composed of diamonds; all its elevated seats, beds, &c. are of gold; its palaces are also of gold. It is so ornamented with all kinds of precious stones, jasper, chrysolite, sapphire, emeralds, &c. that it exceeds in splendour the brightness of twelve suns united. It is surrounded with gardens and forests, containing among other trees the parijatu, the fragrance of the flowers of which extends 800 miles, that is, fills the whole heaven. In the pleasure grounds are pools of water, warm in winter, and cold in summer, abounding with fish, waterfowl, water-lilies, &c. the landing places of which are of gold. All kinds of trees and flowering shrubs abound in these gardens. The winds are most refreshing, never boisterous; and the heat of the sun is never oppressive. Gods, sages, the winds, clouds, Olravutu, (Indru's elephant,) and other celestial beings, dwell in this heaven. The inhabitants are continually entertained with songs, dances, music, and every species of mirth. Neither sickness, sorrow, nor sudden death, are found in these regions, nor are its inhabitants affected with hunger or thirst.

Sooryu, the sun, is worshipped daily by the Brahmins, when flowers, &c. are offered, accompanied with incantations.

On a Sunday, at the rising of the sun, in any month, but especially in the month of Maghu, a number of persons,

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chiefly women, perform the worship of Sooryu :-The sun is annually worshipped on the first Sunday in the month Maghu. The name of this worship is called Dhurmubhaoo, or Sooryu-bhaoo. The ceremonies vary in different places, but in the district of Calcutta the women appear to be the principal actors, though none are excluded; and even Mussulmen are so far Hindooized as to join in the idolatry. "I saw it once," says a friend who informed me, "thus conducted : at the dawn of the morning a great number of offerings were carried into the open field, and placed in a row. The offerings consisted of fruits, sweet-meats, pigeons, and kids. small pot was placed by each person's offering, containing about a pint and a half of water. A device made of waterplant, a species of Millingtonia, intended to represent the sun, was placed on the edge of the pot, and a small twig of the mango-tree, with a few leaves on it, put into it, as people in England keep flowers. The pot with all its appendages represented the sun perhaps as the vivifier of nature. By each offering also was placed (what shall I call it?) an incense. altar, or censer, called dhoonabhee. It resembled a chafing-dish, made of copper, and stood upon a pedestal about a foot long. It contained coals of fire; and a kind of incense from time to time, was thrown into it, principally the pitch of the salu-tree, called dhoona. Near each offering was placed a lamp, which was kept burning all day. The women also took their station near the offerings. At sun-rise they walked four times round the whole row of offerings, with the right hand towards them, and the smoking dhoonachees placed on their heads: after which they resumed their stations again, where they continued in an erect posture, fasting the whole day, occasionally throwing a little incense into the dhoonachee. Towards evening the Bramhun who attended the ceremony threw the pigeons up into the air; which, being young, could not fly too far, and were scrambled for and carried away by the crowd. The officiating bramhun perforated the ears of the kids with a needle; after which they were seized by the first person who touched them. About sun set the officers again took up the smoking dhoonachees, and made three circuits round the rows of offerings. After this the offerings and lighted lamps were taken away by their respective owners, who threw the lamps into a pool of

water."

Guneshu.-At the full moon in the month Maghu, some persons make or buy a clay image, and perform the worship of Guneshu; when the officiating Bramhun performs the

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