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

BO OT AN. 163imagine :elephants, horses, apes, and a most frightful figure environedwith snakes, were among the representations intended to personateracusses, or evil genii.Virtue appeared in the shape of Durga, witha view to exterminate Vice; and some of the group received prettyhardblows before they would quit the stage;but the force of Durga,as it was intended, never failed to maintain its ground in all thetriumph of victory.The object of this festival was, as Iconceived, to celebrate the arrivalof the autumnal, as that of the Hooii does the vernal equinox.Durga poojah is distinguished also as being the well known period,when the armies of the native powers inIndia, have always been accustomedto take the field;and, till their acquaintance with Europeanstaught them the necessity of relinquishing some of their most inveterateprejudices, it was very seldom that any of their troops assembledin the field, till after the celebration of the Dussera. which happens onthe first full moon after the equinox.As that has been ever consideredas the signal for hostile preparation, so has the Dewali, the followingnew moon, a festival kept in honour of the dead, when it is usual tomake large feasts, to distribute food to the poor, and to make grandilluminations during the night, been commonly the time to set theirtroops in motion.Y