Chapter 22

Festivals continued—Adoration of the sword: its Scythic
origin—The Dasahra, or military festival: its Scythic
origin—Torans or triumphal arcs—Ganesa of the Rajputs and
Janus of the Romans—Worship of arms: of the magic brand of
Mewar, compared with the enchanted sword, Tyrfing, of the
Edda—Birth of Kumara, the Rajput Mars, compared with the
Roman divinity—Birth of Ganga: her analogy to
Pallas—Adoration of the moon—Worship of Lakshmi, or
Fortune; of Yama, or Pluto—Diwali, or festival of lamps,
in Arabia, in China, in Egypt, and in India—Annakuta and
Jaljatra—Festivals sacred to the Ceres and Neptune of the
Hindus—Festival of the autumnal equinox—Reflections on the
universal worship of the elements, Fire, Light,
Water—Festival sacred to Mithras or Vishnu, as the sun—The
Phallus: its etymology—Rajput doctrine of the
Triad—Symbols Vishnu, as the sun-god: his messenger
Garuda, the eagle: his charioteer Aruna, or the dawn—Sons
of Aruna—Fable analogous to that of Icarus—Rites of Vishnu
on the vernal equinox and summer solstice—Dolayatra, or
festival of the ark, compared with the ark of Osiris, and
Argonautic expedition of the Greeks—Etymology of
Argonaut—Ethiopia the Lanka of the Hindus—Their sea-king,
Sagara—Rama, or Ramesa, chief of the Cushite races of
India—Ramesa of the Rajputs and Rameses of Egypt
compared—Reflections 679

CHAPTER 23

The nicer shades of character difficult to catch—Morals more
obvious and less changeable than manners—Dissimilarity of
manners in the various races of Rajasthan—Rajputs have
deteriorated in manners as they declined in power—Regard
and deference paid to women in Rajasthan—Seclusion of the
Females no mark of their degradation—High spirit of the
Rajput princesses—Their unbounded devotion to their
husbands—Examples from the chronicles and bardic
histories—Anecdotes in more recent times—Their
magnanimity—Delicacy—Courage and presence of mind—Anecdote
of Sadhu of Pugal and Karamdevi, daughter of the Mohil
chief—The seclusion of the females increases their
influence—Historical evidences of its extent 707

CHAPTER 24

Origin of female immolation—The sacrifice of Sati, the wife
of Iswara—The motive to it considered—Infanticide—Its
causes among the Rajputs, the Rajkumars, and the
Jarejas—The rite of Johar—Female captives in war
enslaved—Summary of the Rajput character—Their familiar
habits—The use of opium—Hunting—The use of weapons—Jethis,
or wrestlers—Armouries—Music—Feats of dexterity—Maharaja
Sheodan Singh—Literary qualifications of the
princes—Household economy—Furniture—Dress, etc. 737

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

CHAPTER 25

Valley of Udaipur—Departure for Marwar—Encamp on the heights
of Tus—Resume the march—Distant view of
Udaipur—Deopur—Zalim Singh—Reach Pallana—Ram Singh
Mehta—Manikchand—Ex-raja of Narsinghgarh—False policy
pursued by the British Government in 1817-18—Departure
from Pallana—Aspect and geological character of the
country—Nathdwara ridge—Arrival at the city of
Nathdwara—Visit from the Mukhya of the temple—Departure
for the village of Usarwas—Benighted—Elephant in a
bog—Usarwas—A Sannyasi—March to Samecha—The Shera
Nala—Locusts—Coolness of the air—Samecha—March to Kelwara,
the capital—Elephant’s pool—Murcha—Kherli—Maharaja Daulat
Singh—Kumbhalmer—Its architecture, remains, and
history—March to the ‘Region of Death,’ or Marwar—The
difficult nature of the country—A party of native
horsemen—Bivouac in the glen 760