JUGGERNATH. BY THE REV. GEORGE GOGERLY, MISSIONARY IN BENGAL. THE great temple at Pooree, in Orissa, is situated in latitude 20° 38′ North, and longitude 86° 15′ East. According to the Hindoo authorities, it was built A. D. 1198, by Rajah Anonda Bheem Deb, under the superintendence of his minister Bajpoi, at a cost of 50 lakhs of rupees, or £500,000 sterling. It is surrounded with a stone wall twenty feet high, and forms a square of 650 feet. Besides the large pagoda, there are about fifty smaller temples, in honour of Shira Kalee and other Hindoo deities. There are four gates, one at each side of the square, but the principal entrance is the Singha-devar, or the "Lion-gate." Immediately before this gate, outside the wall, is a beautiful column, which formerly adorned the black pagoda, but which was removed to its present position by a wealthy inhabitant of Pooree; it is in honour of the sun. Near the Singha-devar is a monastery, belonging to a sect of Voishnobs, very richly endowed; it is frequented by the most learned pundits of India, and the mohont, or superior, is a venerable man, of high reputation for learning and sanctity, and is adored by his disciples, whose number, it is stated, amounts to several thousands. The principal building within the walls is 180 feet high, and 32 feet square, on every part of which, in bold relief, are representations of the most obscene and abominable description. This, however, is not confined to the Pooree temple, for in various parts of Bengal, on the temples of Shiva, I have beheld sculpture, which, had I not seen, I should not have believed could exist. Sculpture of the same kind disgrace all the temples within the enclosure. Upwards of 3000 families of priests and other servants of the idol are supported by the revenues of the temple, among whom are 400 families of cooks and 120 women of ill fame, who are kept for the avowed purpose of dancing before the idols. How affecting the comparative apathy with which the followers of the pure and holy Jesus have so long regarded the abominations and pollutions of idolatry, so openly practised and so perseveringly upheld in India! Connected with this temples, three idols are the great objects of attraction, the chief of these is the great Juggernath, or Jogot-nāt'h, from the Sanscrit Jogot, world, and nat'h, lord"Lord of the World." The next in importance is his brother, Bollobhodro, the "Great Lord;" and the third, his sister, Soobhodro, which may be translated, "the Great Beauty." The idol called Jõgot-nāt'h is a huge unsightly figure of wood, bearing some distant resemblance to the human form, but without legs or arms, excepting two short projections or stumps proceeding from the upper part of the trunk; it is painted black, with a red mouth, and large red and white circles for eyes. The form of Bollobhodro resembles, in appearance, that of the principal idol, but is painted white; whilst their sister, though denominated the "Great Beauty," is the most deformed of all, having neither arms, legs, or neck, the head of the figure consisting of a round block of wood painted yellow, fixed upon the shoulders. These three idols are placed in separate cars, one of which is forty three feet high, and has sixteen wheels; the other two, forty-one and forty feet high, have each fourteen wheels. The origin of Jogot-nāt'h is differently related by the Hindoos themselves, but is generally believed to be as follows: Kristno, the eighth incarnation of Vishnoo, having been killed by a hunter, his body was left to rot in the forest. After a time, some zealous individuals collected his bones, and, depositing them in a box, kept them a considerable time, when the Rajah Indradomon, a man held in great veneration, under the instruction of Vishnoo, obtained possession of the bones; and, entreating the assistance of Vishno-koormo, the architect of the gods, to prepare an image, in which the bones of Kristno were to be deposited. Vishnoo-koormo is reported to have consented, on the condition that, if interrupted by any one in his work, he would leave the figure in an unfinished state. He commenced, and in one night built a temple on the Neel-giri, or blue mountains of Orissa. He then proceeded to prepare an image to receive the bones of Kristno, and continued at his work fifteen days. Rajah Indradomon, hearing no noise, and seeing the temple complete, imagining the work was finished, and that Vishno Koormo had ascended to the gods, entered the building, and to his astonishment found the architect still engaged. Filled with wrath at the interruption, the workman left his image. without legs, or hands, or neck. In his distress, the king prayed to Bromha, who promised to make the image famous in its present shape. The king, on receiving this promise, prepared to set up this unfinished idol, and invited all the gods. to the ceremony, and Bromha himself officiated as high priest on the occasion, which established the fame of Jogot-nat❜h for ever. In the month of June, the ceremony of drawing the car of Jogot-năt❜h takes place. On the day previous to the ceremony, the three cars are brought out and arranged opposite to the Singha |