LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF
SAN DIEGO
presented to the UNIVERSITY LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO
by
MRS. KENNEiH N. BAKER
INDIA AND ITS INHABITANTS.
BY
CALEB WRIGHT, A. M,
THE AUTHOR VISITED INDIA AND TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY THERE, FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF COLLECTING THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME.
THIRTY-FIRST THOUSAND.
ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS.
CINCINNATI, OHIO: PUBLISHED BY J. A. BRAINERD, 1857. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, BY CALEB WRIGHT,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.
PRINTED BY GEORGE C. BAND & AVEEY. From Rev. Rufus Anderson, D.D., of Boston. " Mr. Caleb Wright visited India a few years since, to qualify himself for of the in that lecturing on the manners and customs people country ; and the Lectures he has since published give evidence of the carefulness of his observations, and of his faithfulness in description. The volume entitled LIFE IN INDIA is valuable for its subject-matter, even beyond any other similar collection of the size within my knowledge,"
From Rev. Jeremiah Day, D.D., LL.D., formerly President of Yale College. " Mr. "Wright has recently lectured in seven of the churches in this city (New Haven), to large and highly gratified audiences. I believe his Lectures are doing much good, and hope they will continue to receive the patronage they deserve."
While Mr. Wright was lecturing in the principal cities and towns in the United States, testimonials, similar to the above, were received from a great number of persons in eminent stations, among whom were twenty Presidents of Colleges and Theological Seminaries, viz. :
Rev. E. Nott, D.D., President of Union College. L. Beecher, D.D., President of Lane Seminary. J. Edwards, D.D., President (formerly) of Theol. Sem. Andover. Jere. Day, LL.D., President (formerly) of Yale College. H. Humphrey, D.D., President (formerly) of Amherst College. Mark Hopkins, D.D., President of Williams College. S. North, LL.D., President of Hamilton College. Joel Parker, D.D.,. President of Union Theol. Seminary, N. T. B. Tyler, D.D., President of Theol. Seminary at E. Windsor B. Sears, D.D., President of Theol. Seminary at Newton. R. Babcock, D.D., President (formerly) of Waterville College. J. Bates, D.D., President (formerly) of Middlebury College. N. Bangs, D.D., President (formerly) of Wesleyan University. H. J. Clark, A.M., President of Alleghany College. J. Carnahan, D.D., President of Princeton College. Asa Mahan, A.M., President of Oberlin Institute. E. W. Gilbert, D.D, . President of Delaware College. Benjamin Hale, D.D., President of Geneva College. Silas Totten, D.D.,. President of Trinity College. Hon. A. Hasbrouck, LL.D., President of Rutgers College.
ENGRAVINGS.
LECTURES ON INDIA. HO. r''- 1. A Devotee, who had been standing eight years, 9 11 2. A Devotee, whose finger-nails were eight inches long,
8. A Devotee, whose arms were constantly elevated, 13
4. Hindu of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, 15
5. Mohammedan of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, 17 6. Byragee playing on a Timbrel, 19 7. Mohman Khaun, Nabob of Cambay, 21
8. Culi CV.cf, 23
9. Culi Soldier of the Forests of Raj putana, 25
10. Minaret at Delhi, 27 11. Columns of a Temple at Benares, 29 12. Columns from the ruins of a Temple at Barolli, 31 18. Temple of Vishnu, at Mahabalipooram, South India, .... 33 14. Entrance to the Cave Temple of Elephanta, 85 15. A Mosque at Delhi, 35
16. Hindu College at Calcutta 37 17. Fort of Haje Ka, on the Indus, 39
18. Town and Fort of Roree, on the Indus, . . . 41
19. Fort of Burkhur, on the Indus, 43
20. Hindu Family and Dwelling, 47
21. Travelling in a Palankeen, ....47
22. Specimens of Hindu Jewelry, 49
23. Celebrating the Huli Festival, 53 24. A Brahmin Reading the Shastcrs, ... 53
25. A Volume of the Shasters, written on Palm Leaf, 55
26. Vishnu reposing on his Serpent Couch, 59
27. Interior of a House in the City of Benares, 59
28. Temple of Kali near Calcutta, 63
29. The Goddess Kali, 6J ENGRAVINGS.
NO. PICE 67 30. Temple at Tanjore, 71 81. Images found among Ancient Ruins at Gaya, 32. Temple near Allahabad, 71
83. Two Portraits, 75
84. A View in the City of Benares, 75 79 35. Presenting Offerings to a Mendicant Priest,
86. An Infant Victim of Superstition, 83 37. Interior of a Chapel at Cuttack, 83 38. Baber, the founder of the Mogul Empire, 87
39. Ruins in the City of Delhi, 91
40. Interior of a Choultry, 91 41. Union of the Ganges and Jumna, 95 42. The Sick, brought to the Ganges, 95
43. A Pilgrim at his Devotions, 99
44. The God of Wisdom, Dancing Girl, and Musicians, 99 45. The Great Temple of Juggernaut at Puri, 103 46. Portrait of Juggernaut, 103 47. Car and Procession of Juggernaut, 107
48. The Goddess Luckshine, copied from an Ancient Sculpture, . . . 107 49. Ceremony of the Swinging of Krishna, Ill 50. A Tank and Temple near Benares, 115 51. The India Ox, 115
52. A Devotee leaping from a Precipice, 119 58. a into an Evil Transforming Woman Spirit by burning her alive, . .119 54. A Group of Women, 123
55. Interior of a Dwelling, ...... 123 56. Saugor Island, 127 57. Bannian Tree, 127
LECTURE ON WOMEN.
Commencing at Page 129. 58. Three Hindu Girls, educated at Burdwan, 131 59. Women of Calcutta, 135 of 60. Hindu Woman Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, 189 61. Mohammedan Woman of of Bengal, high rank, in full dress, . . . 143 62. Parsee of Woman Bombay, of high rank, in full dress, 147
63. Hindu Dancing Girl, 1*1 64. Kyan Woman, a 155 ENGRAVINGS. Vll
0. FAOB.
65. Hindu Woman of the Brahmin Caste, . . 159
66. Hindu Mother lamenting the Death of her Child, 163
DESCRIPTION OF THE THUGS.
Commenting at Pagt 169.
67. A Thug disguised as a Merchant, 167
68. . Carrier of Ganges Water, . . . , 176 69. Interior of a Cave Temple at Ellora, 185
70. to . A Thug going a Feast, , 190 71. A Mohammedan at Prayer, 191 72. Indru, King of the Minor Deities, 193 73. Cottage in the Forest, 197
DESCRIPTION OF FESTIVALS.
Commencing at Pagt 201.
74. Procession at a Hindu Festival, 199 75. Image of the Goddess Durga, 202
76. A Hindu Family carrying Offerings to an Idol, 209 77. Returning from a Sacrifice of Animals, 215
78. Dancing in Celebration of the Durga Festival, 219 79. Consigning an Image of Kali to the Ganges, j 223
SPECIMENS OF THE SHASTERS.
Commencing at Pagt 237. 80. Gautama, or Budh, 249 81. Chinese Budh, 251 82. Brahma, 251 83. Another Form of Brahma, 251 84. Huneman, 255
85. Another Form of Huneman, . 255 86. Vishnu, 255 87 Ganesa, the God of Wisdom, 258 88. Serpent God, 259 89. Colossal Bust of Shiva, from the Temple of Elephanta, .... 259 90. Shiva, 259
91. Temple of Nandi, at Tanjore, 269
92. Kartika, the God of War, . . 271
ENGRAVING, No. 1. Portrait of a Devotee who had been standing See at 73. eight years, day and night. description page
elevated No. 2. Portrait of a Devotee who had kept the left arm
*n the position represented until it had become stiff, and the finger-nails had (frown six or eight inches in length. See page 70.
No. 8. Portrait of a Devotee who had kept both arms elevated
until they had become stiff and immovable. See page 70.
in dreu. No. 4. A Hindu of Bengal, of high rank, full
No. 5 A Mohammedan of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress.
No. 6. A Byragee. See page 69.
No. 7. Mohman Khaun, Nabob of Cambay.
Cvlis are a tribe Bobbers and Pirate in No. 8. A Guli Chief. The of north-west part of Hindustan.
No. 9. A Cull Soldier of the Fores