Travels in India (Tavernier) 129.1.1

129.1.1

The idolaters of India have, both in the towns and country parts, a great number of temples, large as well as small, which they call pagodas, where they go to pray to their gods and make offerings ; but many of the poor people who dwell in the forests and mountains, far removed from villages, take a stone, and rudely trace a nose and eyes with yellow or red colour upon it, and all the family then worship it. The four most celebrated pagodas are, Jagannath, Benares, Muttra, and Tirupati (Tripatty), of each of which I shall give a separate description. Jagannāth is the name of one of the mouths of the Ganges, upon which the great pagoda is built, where the Great Brahmin, that is to say the High Priest of the idolaters, resides. The form of the choir or interior of this pagoda is as follows ; and it is similar, in proportion, in all the others, which are built upon the same model, in the form of a cross. The great idol on the altar of the choir has two diamonds for his eyes and a pendant from his neck which reaches to the waist, and the smallest of these diamonds weighs about 40 carats; he has bracelets on his arms, some being of pearls and some of rubies, and this magnificent idol is called Kesora. The revenues of this great pagoda are sufficient to feed 15,000 or 20,000 pilgrims daily, and these numbers are often to be found there, the pagoda being the object of the highest devotion by the Indians, who visit it from all quarters.