A Woman's Journey Round The World, From Vienna To Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia, And Asia Minor By Ida Pfeiffer
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On The Last Day Of The Festival The Goddess Is Conveyed With Great
Pomp, And Accompanied By Music, To The
Hoogly, where she is put in a
boat, rowed into the middle of the stream, and then thrown overboard
in
The midst of the shouts and acclamations of the multitude upon
the banks. Formerly, the real jewels were thrown in along with the
goddess, but carefully fished up again by the priests during the
night; at present, the real jewels are replaced on the last day by
false ones, or else the founder of the feast takes an opportunity of
secretly obtaining possession of them during the goddess's progress
to the river. He is obliged to do this very cautiously, however, so
as not to be observed by the people. A Natch often costs several
thousand rupees, and is one of the most costly items in the
expenditure of the rich.
Marriages, too, are said to cost large sums of money. The Brahmins
observe the stars, and by their aid calculate the most fortunate day
and even hour for the ceremony to take place. It is, however,
frequently postponed, at the very last moment, for a few hours
longer, as the priest has taken fresh observations, and hit upon a
still luckier instant. Of course, such a discovery has to be paid
for by an extra fee.
There are several different feasts every year in honour of the four-
armed goddess Kally, especially in the village of Kallighat, near
Calcutta.
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