DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.614#0129
BENARES, PAST AND PRESENT. 91
I soon discovered to be the ill-formed Ganes. On one
side of this chamber is a row of images, and, on the
floor, a singularly-carved figure, called Naugrah, which
embodies in itself all the planets. On the exterior
face of the temple-wall is a niche, four or five feet
in height, which is filled up by the god Hanuman.
He is painted bright red, and stand with hands folded;
while on one shoulder sits the god Earn, and, on the
other, his brother Lakshman.
In sight of this temple are two others, namely,
the temples of Jwarahareswar and Siddheswar, which,
together with Bageswari, are regarded as old places
of pilgrimage. Jwara signifies fever; hara, destroy-
ing or conquering: so that Jwarahareswar is famous for
his supposed power of dissipating fever. The worship-
per, on approaching the idol, vows, that, should he
recover, he will present to it dudhbhangd, that is,
dudh or milk; bhang, leaves of hemp; and sweet-
meats, mixed up together. Siddheswar professes to
grant ability to consummate any undertaking in
which a man may wish to engage. Near these
temples are several tombs to devotees, and also' a
number of mutilated figures, which, it is said, have
been dug up in this neighbourhood. Several of these
are placed together on a small mound of earth. They
are not all worshipped, which is rather strange, con-
sidering how prompt the Hindus are to worship carved
images of every kind. But the reason of their not
being worshipped is, I imagine, because they are so
unlike the idols that are now found in Hindu temples.
They are more delicately sculptured3 and are more
I soon discovered to be the ill-formed Ganes. On one
side of this chamber is a row of images, and, on the
floor, a singularly-carved figure, called Naugrah, which
embodies in itself all the planets. On the exterior
face of the temple-wall is a niche, four or five feet
in height, which is filled up by the god Hanuman.
He is painted bright red, and stand with hands folded;
while on one shoulder sits the god Earn, and, on the
other, his brother Lakshman.
In sight of this temple are two others, namely,
the temples of Jwarahareswar and Siddheswar, which,
together with Bageswari, are regarded as old places
of pilgrimage. Jwara signifies fever; hara, destroy-
ing or conquering: so that Jwarahareswar is famous for
his supposed power of dissipating fever. The worship-
per, on approaching the idol, vows, that, should he
recover, he will present to it dudhbhangd, that is,
dudh or milk; bhang, leaves of hemp; and sweet-
meats, mixed up together. Siddheswar professes to
grant ability to consummate any undertaking in
which a man may wish to engage. Near these
temples are several tombs to devotees, and also' a
number of mutilated figures, which, it is said, have
been dug up in this neighbourhood. Several of these
are placed together on a small mound of earth. They
are not all worshipped, which is rather strange, con-
sidering how prompt the Hindus are to worship carved
images of every kind. But the reason of their not
being worshipped is, I imagine, because they are so
unlike the idols that are now found in Hindu temples.
They are more delicately sculptured3 and are more