DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0164
152 Vaishnavism. Svami-Narayana Sect.
residences of the Maharaja and his attendants, the great hall
of assembly, and other buildings.
We were conducted by the Maharaja through a crowd of at
least ten thousand persons, who thronged the quadrangle and
all the approaches to the temple. They were waiting to
be admitted to the ceremony of the day—the one object
that had drawn so many people to the spot—the privilege of
Darsana; that is, of seeing and adoring the idol. It was a
moment of intense excitement. Let a man but bow down
before the jewelled image on this anniversary of its mani-
festation to the multitude, and the blessing of the god attends
him for the whole year. The vast concourse swayed to and
fro like the waves of a troubled sea, each man vociferating to
his neighbours in a manner quite appalling. I could not help
thinking of our apparent helplessness in the surging crowd,
and asking myself how two solitary Europeans would be likely
to fare, if, from some accidental circumstance, the religious
fanaticism of a myriad of excited Hindus were to break loose
and vent itself upon us.
But the ten thousand people were docile as children. At a
signal from the Maharaja they made a lane for us to pass, and
we entered the temple by a handsome flight of steps. The
interior is surrounded by idol shrines. On the occasion of the
present festival the principal images were almost concealed
from view by rich vestments and jewelry.
The two principal shrines have three figures. One of them
has an idol of Krishna in his character of Ran-chor,' deliverer
from evil,'—a form of Krishna specially worshipped at Dvarika
and throughout Gujarat1,—on the left of the spectator. An
image of Narayana (Vishnu as the Supreme Being) is in the
middle ; and Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu, is on the right. A
1 So the name was interpreted to me, but I suspect it properly means
'fight-quitter,' and rather refers to Krishna's declining to take part in
the great war of the Mahabharata, between the sons of Pandu and
Dhrita-rashtra.
residences of the Maharaja and his attendants, the great hall
of assembly, and other buildings.
We were conducted by the Maharaja through a crowd of at
least ten thousand persons, who thronged the quadrangle and
all the approaches to the temple. They were waiting to
be admitted to the ceremony of the day—the one object
that had drawn so many people to the spot—the privilege of
Darsana; that is, of seeing and adoring the idol. It was a
moment of intense excitement. Let a man but bow down
before the jewelled image on this anniversary of its mani-
festation to the multitude, and the blessing of the god attends
him for the whole year. The vast concourse swayed to and
fro like the waves of a troubled sea, each man vociferating to
his neighbours in a manner quite appalling. I could not help
thinking of our apparent helplessness in the surging crowd,
and asking myself how two solitary Europeans would be likely
to fare, if, from some accidental circumstance, the religious
fanaticism of a myriad of excited Hindus were to break loose
and vent itself upon us.
But the ten thousand people were docile as children. At a
signal from the Maharaja they made a lane for us to pass, and
we entered the temple by a handsome flight of steps. The
interior is surrounded by idol shrines. On the occasion of the
present festival the principal images were almost concealed
from view by rich vestments and jewelry.
The two principal shrines have three figures. One of them
has an idol of Krishna in his character of Ran-chor,' deliverer
from evil,'—a form of Krishna specially worshipped at Dvarika
and throughout Gujarat1,—on the left of the spectator. An
image of Narayana (Vishnu as the Supreme Being) is in the
middle ; and Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu, is on the right. A
1 So the name was interpreted to me, but I suspect it properly means
'fight-quitter,' and rather refers to Krishna's declining to take part in
the great war of the Mahabharata, between the sons of Pandu and
Dhrita-rashtra.