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been refused by the Court, as it had been previously by the Bengal and Madras Governments; and the Indian Governments have, in different instances, adopted a line of proceeding at variance with the Court's instructions of 1833, and of the unanimous resolution of the Proprietors in 1836.

The subject under our consideration has been classed under the following three heads:--

I. The interference of the public functionaries of the Company in the interior management and ceremonies of the native temples -in the appointment of the officers and attendants of the temples -in the presentation of offerings on the part of the Circar (or Company) to the idols-and in their attendance, on certain great festivals, as the representative of the Circar.

II. The compulsory attendance of the Company's Christian European troops, as well as natives, as guards of honour at the Hindoo and Mussulman religious festivals.

III. The farming or collecting the superstitious offerings to the Hindoo idols, for the benefit of the Company; and the taxes on the worshippers, at certain temples, for the same object.

FIRST The interference of the public functionaries in the interior management and ceremonies of the native temples. Under the Madras Presidency,

"the identification of the Government," it is remarked, in the Appendix to the Madras Memorial, "with the idolatry of the country, is so complete, that the endowments of the pagodas are taken under the fiscal management of the Collector of Revenue in each district; public officers are retained in several provinces, whose sole and especial duty it is to see that all the services to the idols in the district are duly performed, the different attendants at their posts, the vessels, temples, &c. &c. in repair, and to report to the European officer (the Collector) at the head of the province. They take no step without reference to that officer; and, in all cases, resort to him for orders. At the larger temples, a special officer is employed, whose duty it is to superintend the particular temple. It must be particularly observed, however, that the authority in every temple, whose office it is to manage the rites and ceremonics of the temple, is the Dharmacarta or Sthallatar (Temple Warden); so that the special officers, Devastanum Peshcars, and Curnúms, are Supervisors of the Temple under the Collector.

"And it is notorious, that, at this hour, the pagodas and their idolatrous rites are, under British rule, officially superintended with an efficiency and care, descending to minute particulars, which they never received, even under the Hindoo Government.

"The extent to which their systematic interference and encouragement (legalised by Regulation VII. of 1827) has been carried (it will be observed from the following extract from a letter of a former Secretary to the Board of Revenue, dated in 1823) has been long perceived and lamented; and it will be seen from it, that the evils of the system have not been overstated.

"A countenance and support the most unhallowed are given to the abominations of Hindoo worship, by our own actual management, direcGG 2

tion, and control of their fraudulent and impure system, by donations from our treasuries, and by the countenance and official aid of our public officers, who frequently make offerings and donations in their own name, and (proh pudor!) in that of the Company.

"This evil-for I think it is a material stain-is particularly prominent now; and the Collector of Madras is, at this moment, a defendant in the Supreme Court, in an action of trespass, for forcibly taking possession of the jewels of the idol of Triplicane Pagoda; which he justifies as the proper and necessary act of the Government, to secure them from the depredations of (whom?) the responsible Hindoo Manager (Dharmacarta). Surely such a case ought to come before the Court in no other shape than as a suit, on the part of the Hindoo worshippers, against their own officer, for malversation! A Christian Government and its officers cannot consistently direct and intermeddle with the administration of Pagoda affairs."* It appears further, that the officers of Government are in the habit of furnishing supplies for idol worship.

The provision and appointment of the servants of the idol rest with the officers of Government. Instances exemplifying the character of the Government support of idolatry, in the management of pagodas, repeatedly occur, to shew that the lowest menial of the temple is not appointed without the sanction of the officers of Government. The following extracts are from the pamphlet before us:"To the Acting Principal Collector of Coimbatoor.-From the Tahsildar

(Chief Native Revenue and Police Officer) of Dharaporam. No. 44. "At Uttiray Veera-Ragava-Swami's Pagoda, the cook, named Narayana Iyengar, was sick, and died on the 2d of Anni (June); and his wife, named Mahalakshmi, begs that her son Vencata-Ramana, aged three years, may have the situation; and states that her brother Appavoo Iyengar, aged twenty-eight years, will perform the duties till her son is of age to do it himself.

"Thus the Pagoda Manigar (Superintendant) comes and reports at the office; and I forward this statement, and request orders concerning it.”+ "To the Acting Principal Collector of Coimbatoor.-From the Tahsildar of Kangyam. No. 7.

"At the Devastanum (Pagoda) of Siva-Mali, the piper, named Kuru

* Madras Memorial, Appendix II. p. 98.

The Talook Manigar of the pagoda states, that for the sanctuary (Sannitha) of these four Gods, viz., Kalyana Ramaswami, Uttiray Veera Ragava Swami, Agasteesara Swami, and Kadu Anunda-Raga Swami, both for the fixed idol and the festival idol, the Government some time ago bought and gave cloths; and they report that these cloths are now very old and rotten, and must be renewed. Having seen them, and made inquiry, I find it is not the rule to give the cloths for the above holy places every year; but when cloths, &c. are necessary, the Government have been in the habit of giving them; and I know that they are all old; I have, therefore, made a statement, amounting to Rupees 50, for buying and giving cloth to the said gods; and I now inclose the said statement in this address, and send it to the Presence, waiting for orders.-See Madras Memorial.

nadan, being dead, orders were sent, on the 14th of the present month, to appoint his son, named Angam, aged eight years: and to allow Moottein to be his Gomastah (substitute), and perform his duty till he becomes of age. According to the rules for service by proxy, I have appointed the said Moottein to be a piper, instead of the son of the deceased; taking security, which I herewith enclose for orders."

"To the Acting Principal Collector of Coimbatoor.—From the Tahsildar of Dharaporam.

"In the Pagoda of Siva-Mali Sippandy, the Superintendant Mada Naiker died on the 29th Audi: the Manigar, and the son of the deccased, having sent Chinna Mada Naiker, also a son of the said deceased, to the office, and he being fit to perform the duties of the office, I have placed him in the situation, agreeably to the rules for service by proxy."

"To the Acting Principal Collector of Coimbatoor. From the Tahsildar of Kangyam.

"In the Pagoda of Kalyana-Ramaswami, the pay which Vencatesalayer, the dancing-master (Nathan), and Ramaswami Iyer, the (Idol's) cook, ought to receive for sacred duties, is appropriated by Nanjen, the sweeper at Uttiray-Ragavaswami Pagoda; and they have sent in a petition, complaining that there is no one for sacred duties, which are therefore negligently performed. On my inquiry why Nangen should receive the pay designed for the person to be appointed according to order from the cutcherry, it appears that the wife of the said Manigar is entered as doing the business of sweeper at Kalyana-Swami Pagoda, who does not, however, attend to it: but Nanjen himself looks after both pagodas; and there being thus but one person for the two pagodas, when he is at Uttiray Veera Ragava Swami's Pagoda, the holy business is neglected at the other. The Manigar begs that another sweeper may be appointed to the said Kalyana-Ramaswami's Pagoda; for though the woman is there, shie does not attend to the business properly."

APPOINTMENT OF THE PROSTITUTES OF THE TEMPLE BY THE OFFICERS
OF GOVERNMENT.

"To the Acting Principal Collector of Coimbatoor. From the Tahsildar of Palachy.

"At the Pagoda of Kolandai, Perial, employed as a dancing-girl, died; and on the 7th of last September I sent to Hoozoor (the Collector) for permission to appoint her daughter as a dancing-girl. Having now appointed her, I send her to the Presence (Collector); and wait for the Collector's orders, as to taking the customary securities, &c. from her."

"To the Acting Principal Collector of Coimbatoor.-From the Tahsildar of Kangyam.

"In the Devastanum of Agarama-Iswaraswami, Agalandy, the dancinggirl, having become old, an order from the Presence (the Collector), No. 199, was sent on Feb. 10th, that Shena-giva, the grand-daughter of the above, should take her place. I have kept her as a dancing-girl; and have commanded the Manigar (Overseer) to see that the Devastanum

(Pagoda) service is performed by her. The security and sunnud of office, taken according to rule, I here enclose."

The repairs of the pagodas are often superintended by the Company's European Engineers. And as an instance of the regulation of the ceremonies of an idol of considerable note by the officers of Government, the Madras Memorial contains the following particulars of the restoration of the worship of the Madras Goddess, under their management, and quoted by a late President in India, in the Pamphlet before us :--

"Copy of an Official Record of the Ceremony at the Restoration of the Worship and of the Offerings to the Idol Padazier.

"And then the Padazier (the Idol) was removed out of her room to the outer verandah, where flower-garlands were presented to each of the three following persons:-1. To the Governor; that is, to any person belonging to the Government, &c.

"And after the necessary ceremonies were performed there, the procession moved, and stood near the north gate of Fort (St. George); when the Collector of Madras (the European Officer of Government) sent a gold botto, called talee,'t (a necklace), and a piece of red silk cloth, called cooray, with doopa deepun (incense), which were given to the Goddess; and, at the same time, the Collector presented a red scarlet cloth to the Oochen (attendant priest), and seventeen rupees and eight annas to the bearers of the conveyance; and the baure, &c. (the running to and fro with the offering to the Idol) was conducted."+

Another instance is, the regulation of the great annual festival at Conjeveram, one of the principal temples in the Carnatic. The charge of this pagoda was assumed by a former Collector of the district, and the festival is performed by the Honourable Company.

* In the same district, a few years past, an expenditure was authorised, on the special application of the Collector, of 40,000 Rupees, for the repair of the walls of the pagoda at Seringham; and the progress of the work was occasionally superintended in person by the European officer and his subordinates. As further manifesting the nature and extent of the Government interference, it may be deserving of notice, that the cars of the same pagoda have been provided, from the Government arsenal, with European cables. These acts may be, in part, justifiable, while the Government retains in its own hands the pagoda funds, and the people are not left to themselves to provide for their religious buildings and rites as they may see fit. It tends to prove, however, that so long as the administration of the pagoda funds is with the Government, it is a necessary consequence that their officers, and their aid, should be required, and seen in every act of idolatry, leading the people unavoidably to the conclusion that their superstitions are the object of the paternal solicitude of the Government.—See Pamphlet, p. 96.

"The talee is the emblem of union and the marriage-tie. The Idol was the so-called Goddess of Madras; and hence the gift of a talee or marriage necklace is indicative of the closest union. A more direct act of worship could not well be performed."

Madras Memorial, Appendix II. page 80.

In the year 1824, the Rajah of Mysore requested the Government to allow him to perform the feast; which was conceded that year; but the following year the Company resumed the office.*

"It should be observed," says the Madras Memorial, "that no similar honour was paid to idolatry under the rule of our Mahomedan predecessors, nor till the country was assumed in full sovereignty by the British Government."t

The author of this work informs us that offerings to idols, for the purpose of procuring rain, are also made under the express orders of the public officer, and provided for at the expense of the Government, in all seasons of drought. The nature of this offering and service, termed Varuna Japam (or Prayer to the Hindoo Deity of the Waters), is as follows:

"1. Four religious Brahmans will utter several mantrams (incantations) to Verana Devatta, Rudra Devattah, and Parjuny Devatta, for ten or twenty days, standing in the water: after which, they will place on the ground a calasem, or a pot containing holy water, and implore the said deities to come and enter the said pot. This being done, Rudra will be washed by the water which this pot contained.

"2. Particulars of Rudra Japam (prayers to Rudra).

"Eleven Brahmans should continually pray eleven times a-day to Rudra, for ten or twenty days, after placing a calasem or pot, and uttering various other mantrams relative to all the limbs of the deity; and then wash the image of the deity with that sacred water in the pot.

"3. Particulars of Navagrahajapam (prayers to nine plancts).

"Four Brahmans make use of several mantrams to nine planets, in consideration that some of them would prevent the falling of rain. The Veeruna Purum, in the Maha Bharata, should be read in support of the above Japams (prayers or invocations) for the fall of rain.

"Seven Brahmans should make use of Vayasthati, or hymns, in praise of Hanuman (the Monkey God) in the Pagoda. Each Brahman should utter the sthuti twenty-one times a-day, and then wash Hanuman with the holy water. The abovementioned Brahmans should live upon milk and rice, without salt, during the intervals of japams and mantrams, &c., &c. Servants for cooking rice, &c., are required; and they are to be paid for from the Government Treasury, as well as the daily expense for the food of the abovementioned Brahmans.

"A general Summaràdàna, or feeding of a great number of Brahmans, is necessarily required."

Annexed is a copy of an Order issued on such occasions : Translation of an Order issued to the Tahsildars by the Collector

of Canara, in 1833, directing special ceremonies for rain. to be performed in certain pagodas of that district :

"1. Urzees (communications) have been received from the Tahsildars (Chief Revenue servants) of some Talooks (districts), stating, that, from deficiency of rain, the cultivation is hindered; and requesting permission

*Madras Memorial, App. II. p. 84.

+ Ibid. p. 84.

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