An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

jderived144 BOOTAN.from the Hindoo mythology; Narrain being no other than the/ favourite god Krishna, the Apollo of the Hindoos, the god of dance andmusic, of pleasure and of sport ; who is complimented by his votariesall over India, by that cheerful festival the Hooli ; a joyful season,designed to celebrate the arrival of the vernal equinox ;as the Dussera,at the end of summer, isappropriate to the autumnal equinox.The festival of the Hooli takes place the first full moon after thesun has passed the vernal equinox, and is calculated to hail the approachof spring.Its ceremonies consist entirely of the most frolicsomeand playful sports ; all ranks and ages mix in its celebration ; and,among other acts, during its continuance, cast at each other handfulsof a pulverized scarlet flower, the jubba [ixora Linnmi), and thinelastic balls, filled with a liquid coloured by the same plant; theseburst on the slightest resistance, and cover the whole dress and personof him who is struck by it, with a crimson stain. Nor is it deemeddisgraceful, on this occasion, to carry the most obvious traces of thedeepest dye; for when once the barrier of the Zennana^is brokendown, the sovereign himself sets aside his high despotic character, andunbends in frolicsome festivity. Unrestrained liberty of speech andrepartee prevails;and the females of every family particularly delightin giving free indulgenceto these romping sports, which are equallykept up by the Mahometans and the Hindoos.I was once at Muttura, in Bindrabund, in Hindostan, at theseasonin which this festival is held, the vicinity of which place is fabled tohave been the scene of the descent of Krishna, whom by this comme-'Zennana, the apartments of the females.