DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.641#0028
THE HINDOO MYTHOLOGY. 81
purifying water of the Ganges, comes to the temple to
awake the god. He first blows a shell and rings a bell j
then presents water and a towel, and mutters certain
prayers, inviting the god to awake, &c. The offerings
made to the forms of Vishnoo are much greater in quantity
than those presented to Shivu. About noon, fruits, roots,
soaked peas, sweetmeats, &c. are presented to the image;
and after this, that which answers to the English idea of
dinner, consisting of boiled rice, fried herbs, spices, &c.
Vishnoo neither eats flesh, fish, nor fowl. After dinner,
betle nut, &c. in leaves of the betle vine, are given to be
chewed. The god is then left to sleep, and the temple is
shut up. While he sleeps the bramhuns eat the offerings.
In the evening, curds, butter, sweetmeats, fruits, &c. are
presented, and at this hour people come to the temple to
look at the god and make their obeisance. After the set-
ting of the sun, a lamp is brought into the temple, and a
small quantity of milk, sweetmeats, &c. are offered. The
priests wave a lamp of five lights before the image, ring a
small bell, present water to wash the mouth, face, and feet,
and a toweld. After the offerings have continued before
the god about ten minutes, they are withdrawn, as well as
the lamp, and the god is shut up in the dark all night.
a When I enquired into the meaning of these ceremonies, I was in-
formed, that they were in imitation of the service paid to Krishna when
he used to return from tending the cattle:—water to wash himself, a
towel, lights to examine where the thorns had entered his feet or any other
parts of the body, a bell to testify their joy that he was arrived in safety,
and some food to refresh him after the fatigues of the day in following
the herds.
purifying water of the Ganges, comes to the temple to
awake the god. He first blows a shell and rings a bell j
then presents water and a towel, and mutters certain
prayers, inviting the god to awake, &c. The offerings
made to the forms of Vishnoo are much greater in quantity
than those presented to Shivu. About noon, fruits, roots,
soaked peas, sweetmeats, &c. are presented to the image;
and after this, that which answers to the English idea of
dinner, consisting of boiled rice, fried herbs, spices, &c.
Vishnoo neither eats flesh, fish, nor fowl. After dinner,
betle nut, &c. in leaves of the betle vine, are given to be
chewed. The god is then left to sleep, and the temple is
shut up. While he sleeps the bramhuns eat the offerings.
In the evening, curds, butter, sweetmeats, fruits, &c. are
presented, and at this hour people come to the temple to
look at the god and make their obeisance. After the set-
ting of the sun, a lamp is brought into the temple, and a
small quantity of milk, sweetmeats, &c. are offered. The
priests wave a lamp of five lights before the image, ring a
small bell, present water to wash the mouth, face, and feet,
and a toweld. After the offerings have continued before
the god about ten minutes, they are withdrawn, as well as
the lamp, and the god is shut up in the dark all night.
a When I enquired into the meaning of these ceremonies, I was in-
formed, that they were in imitation of the service paid to Krishna when
he used to return from tending the cattle:—water to wash himself, a
towel, lights to examine where the thorns had entered his feet or any other
parts of the body, a bell to testify their joy that he was arrived in safety,
and some food to refresh him after the fatigues of the day in following
the herds.