Travels in India (Tavernier) 135.6

135.6

On the 8th of April, when I was in Bengal at a town called Maldah, the idolaters made a great feast which is peculiar to the inhabitants of that place. They all leave the town and attach hooks of iron to the branches of trees, to which many of these poor people hook themselves, some by the sides and others by the middle of the back. These hooks enter their bodies, and they remain suspended, some for an hour and others for two, till the weight of the body drags the flesh, when they are compelled to retire. It is a surprising thing not to see a drop of blood come from this cut flesh, and not to see a sign of it even on the hook, and in two days they are entirely cured by the drugs which the Brahmins give them. There are others at this festival who make beds for themselves with points of iron and lie upon them; these points enter very far into the flesh, and while both are doing these penances their relatives and friends bring them presents, as betel, money, or pieces of calico. When the penance is accomplished the penitent takes all these presents and distributes them to the poor, not wishing to profit by them himself. I asked some of these people wherefore they made this feast and these penances, and they said it was in memory of the first man, whom they called Adam like us.