Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/359

A TEMPLE OF SIVA 301 privities (not very well) cover 'd with a cloth; they wear long hair dishevel'd, dying their fore-heads with spots of sanders, saffron, and other colours suitable to their superstitious ceremonies. The rest of their bodies is clean and smooth, without any tincture or impurity; which I mention as a difference from some other Gioghi, whose bodies are all smear 'd with colours and ashes, as I shall relate hereafter. There is no doubt but these are the ancient Gymnosophists so famous in the world, and, in short, those very Sophists who then went naked and exercis'd great patience in sufferings, to whom Alexander the Great sent Onesicritus to consult with them, as Strabo reports from the testimony of the same Onesicritus. 1 Many of them stood in the temple near the idols, which were plac'd in the innermost penetral, or chancel of it, with many candles and lamps burning before them. The idols were two stones, somewhat long, like two small termini, or land-marks, painted with their wonted colours; on the right side whereof was a stone cut into a figure, and on the left another of that ordinary form of a small .pillar, according to which as I said before that they use to shape Mahedeu. And before all these another like figure of Mahedeu, made of crystal, upon which the offerings were lay'd, as milk, oyle, rice and divers such things. The assistant Gioghi give every one that comes to worship some of the flowers, which are strew 'd upon and round about the idols, receiving in lieu thereof good summs of alms. Coming out of this temple, and ascending up the 1 See pages 54-57 of this volume.