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 CHH For further

details, see

351

Gogra and Sarda.

CKR1PIA*—Pargana Babhnipair— Tahsil Utraula—District Gonda.

A small village

—

in pargana Babhnipair, noticeable for its bazar and its temple. Ninety-five years ago, a boy called Sahajanand was bom

handsome of a Pande Brahman, who had married the daughter of one of the numerous co-sharers in this diminutive property. At a very early age he migrated to Gujarat, where he was adopted as spiritual son by Eamanand, the abbot of the great Vaishnavi monastery at Junagarh. Any detailed account of his life belongs more properly to the Gazetteer of that province, and it is enough to say that shortly after his adoption he succeeded to the headship of the monastery. learned Sanskrit scholar, and strict ascetic, he soon established a wide influence, and before his death at the age of forty-nine had raised his order to the highest pitch of fame and enrolled among his lay pupils most of the powerful chiefs of Western India. His followers claimed for him divine honours as an incarnation of Krishna, and worship and speak of him under the holy name of Swami Nar^in. He divided his immense wealth among two uncles, who were summoned to Gujarat from their humble homes in Chhipia, and whose descendants still rule the two branches of the sect. Of the four orders of his followers, the highest are the Brahmacharias, who must be Brahmans by birth, and devote themselves The Sadhus occupy a, slightly inferior to meditation aud sacred studies. position, may be recruited from any of the twice-born castes, and lead a life of strict asceticism, being debarred by their vows from touching women, money, and flesh or fish of any kind, or indulging in tobacco, spirits, or intoxicating drugs. Next to them conie the Palas, a large class, bound by no vow but that of celibacy, who are supported by the common funds of the order, and are employed in building its temples and houses, and conducting its very considerable trade, which in this district chiefly consists in theimportation of Gujarati horses. Besides these there are the lay disciples who simply regard the abbot as their spiritual chief, and include in their ranks all classes of society, from the field labourer to the raja. Just thirty years ago the sect in Gujarat determined to erect a temple by the birthplace of its founder, the exact spot of which is marked by a. small brick chanumber of Palas and Sadhus were sent to carry out the work, btitra. which resulted in the present building. Immediately after annexation, a, share in the village adjoining the temple was bought at the enormous price of Ks. 600 per acre, and the works subsidiary to the The fane itself is entirely of temple are not yet concluded.

A

A

stone and marble, imported from Mirzapur and Jaipur, and consists of a porch, approached by a broad flight of steps and surmounted by a small dome. Behind this is a colonnade surmounted by three domes iu a line, the centre one being the largest and straight behind In the colonnade, and immediately succeeding the dome of the porch. the one to the left, containing a lingam and chapels, two the porch, are argha, with figures of Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesh, while that to the right The colonnade encloses a small of the entrance is sacred to Hanoman. square court, handsomely floored with squares a,nd bezants of black and white marble, and, in an alcove on the further side of this are three small

Sy Mr. W.

C. Benett, c.

s.,

Assistant Commissioner,