From the Caves and Jungles of HindostanBlavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Religion
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna), 1831-1891; India -- Description and travel; India -- Religion
And suddenly, almost without interval between darkness and light, the
red-hot globe, emerging on the opposite side from under the cape, leant
his golden chin on the lower rocks of the island and seemed to stop for
a while, as if examining us. Then, with one powerful effort, the torch
of day rose high over the sea and gloriously proceeded on its path,
including in one mighty fiery embrace the blue waters of the bay, the
shore and the islands with their rocks and cocoanut forests. His golden
rays fell upon a crowd of Parsees, his rightful worshippers, who stood
on shore raising their arms towards the mighty "Eye of Ormuzd." The
sight was so impressive that everyone on deck became silent for a
moment, even a red-nosed old sailor, who was busy quite close to us over
the cable, stopped working, and, clearing his throat, nodded at the sun.
Moving slowly and cautiously along the charming but treacherous bay, we
had plenty of time to admire the picture around us. On the right was a
group of islands with Gharipuri or Elephanta, with its ancient temple,
at their head. Gharipuri translated means "the town of caves" according
to the Orientalists, and "the town of purification" according to the
native Sanskrit scholars. This temple, cut out by an unknown hand in
the very heart of a rock resembling porphyry, is a true apple of
discord amongst the archaeologists, of whom none can as yet fix, even
approximately, its antiquity. Elephanta raises high its rocky brow, all
overgrown with secular cactus, and right under it, at the foot of the
rock, are hollowed out the chief temple and the two lateral ones. Like
the serpent of our Russian fairy tales, it seems to be opening its
fierce black mouth to swallow the daring mortal who comes to take
possession of the secret mystery of Titan. Its two remaining teeth, dark
with time, are formed by two huge pillars t the entrance, sustaining the
palate of the monster.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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