SHRA-BUN, JULY.
THE ROTH JATRA, OR THE CAR OF JOGGER-NAUTH.
Foreigners in general, misled by the reports of missionaries, have some
incorrect ideas of the worship of Jogger-nauth by the Hindoos. They say
that the Hindoos throw themselves under the wheels of his car, as a
voluntary sacrifice, and are crushed to death. I do not agree with them
in this assertion, although I have no sympathy with any of the forms
of worship of my countrymen. The “Car of Jogger-nauth,” as foreigners
call it, is worshipped and drawn for a different purpose. The ceremony
connected with it has its origin in the following legendary incident,
which, to me appears a historical one. Krishno, an incarnation of
Bishno, was the only child of Joshoda and Nuntho of Gocool,--the modern
Agra. Kong-sho, the tyrant king of Mothoora, made a great Jogeo,--a
religious festival, and invited the sovereigns and people of various
countries to attend it. Nuntho, the father of Krishno, being the
king of Gocool, was respectfully invited to appear at the court of
Kong-sho, with his son, whose chivalry was then the popular object of
admiration. As a token of especial honor, Occroor, a sage widely known
for his eminent piety, was commissioned by Kong-sho to bring the young
prince of Gocool to the festival. He accordingly went with a Roth
or car for that purpose. Krishno went with the sage, and did not
return to his parents again. Now to commemorate his departure from his
native land, the “Car of Jogger-nauth” has been instituted, which is
worshipped and drawn as follows.
[Illustration: THE CAR OF JOGGURNAUTH,
WITH SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE ARTICLES WORSHIPPED BY THE HINDOO
GIRLS.
DRAWN BY MR. GANGOOLY.]
The cars are constructed of different sizes, but the shape is always
the same. They are of the form of a pyramid; square at the base, and
become pointed at the top. Some are of stupendous size, being fifty
feet high, more or less, and beautiful wooden statuary and paintings
adorn them from top to bottom. A car has five, nine, or thirteen
cupolas, the highest, or main one, is the seat of the idols. As it
is drawn, the bells ring and silken flags wave on the cupolas. There
are four cars in my village, and I will speak of them. The first was
dedicated by a rich landholder, the second by the high-priest of the
priests, the third by a dairyman, and the fourth by a rich Brahmun
widow, who settled in our village a few years ago. Her car is said to
be one of the handsomest, with nearly fifty statues, and a large silver
_chuc-cross_, the throne and ornaments of the idol are of gold.
In the morning of the day in which the car is drawn thousands of people
are entertained at the dinner, by the owner. In the afternoon the
procession is formed before the car in the following manner. Men walk
in rows with flags in their hands; the bands with hundreds of drums,
flutes, cymbals, etc.,--the Krith-on, or a band of singers who sing the
praises of Krishno alone. The car in motion, drawn by hundreds, makes a
tremendous noise, and grinds everything to powder that comes under its
solid wheels. It is everywhere believed in Christian countries that the
Hindoo devotees throw themselves under the Car of Jogger-nauth in order
to be crushed to death. But that is not a true statement of the case.
Self-torture is practised, sacrifices are offered, and in many cases
even suicide is committed, to satisfy some Hindoo deities, but nothing
of this nature is allowable before Jogger-nauth. He does not take
delight in cruel, bloody shows. His love for his creatures is so great
that no animal food is offered to him. His worshippers, a peculiar sect
of the Hindoos, called Boish-tule, do not kill or eat fish, nor look
on pictures representing scenes of battle, murder, or assassination.
The loss of lives under the Car of Jogger-nauth is owing to the
carelessness of the people. It is believed by them that he who pulls
the ropes attached to the car will be carried away after his death,
to the heaven of Krishno by his Pooshpo Roth,--flowery car. Elated by
the false promise of heaven, an immense crowd comes forward to give at
least three pulls of the sacred car, and some among them accidentally
falling down are trodden by the feet of men or crushed by the wheels of
the car. I have seen four stout men go to heaven that way, being ground
to pieces by the car of the rich widow mentioned above. Of course,
while a Hindoo, I believed like the others, but do not remember of ever
drawing the car at all. Being a Brahmun, and widely known as a sincere
lover of the idols, I used to sit on the top of the car, fan the idols,
receive the shower of flower-garlands from the crowd and throw them
again at the men, women, and children below as a benediction. Such was
my devotion and affection to the images, that while almost everybody
deserted the car on account of a heavy shower, I alone sat by and took
care of the idols, believing they would reward me abundantly hereafter!
No worship of the Hindoos is free from some act of immorality or
vice. The Brahmuns, especially the young ones, from the high seats on
the car, find out, with keen eyes, and lustful hearts, some handsome
females in the crowded street, or in the house-top, and hit them
severely with the bananas.
There is no Scriptural reference to the place where the car shall stop.
It is sometimes carried to the distance of a mile and is left there for
seven days, during which time the idols are worshipped in some temple
or house built or hired for the purpose. On the eighth day the car is
drawn back to its former place, where it remains motionless until the
next year. They make large eyes for the car with paint, that it may
look at all and be careful not to crush any cruelly. After the death of
four men under the car in my village it was found that the painter had
not drawn the eyes on the top of the car!!!