The feast and music are as usual, for even a poor man must entertain “twelve Brahmuns” on any religious holiday. This is one leading feature in Brahmunism. It distinctly commands its believers to entertain Brahmuns and other castes in the time of the idol-worship. Thus it makes hospitality a part of the ceremony, and upon this the attention of the gods is particularly directed. There is a beautiful story to this effect. A man, according to his promise, offered a thousand mangoes to the sacred Gunga, by emptying the baskets into its waters. A poor man picked up one, and ate it. Now the goddess visited the rich man in a dream, and demanded the full payment of mangoes, acknowledging the receipt of _one_, which the poor man had eaten. CHAPTER XII. CHOITHRO, MARCH. CHURUCK-POOJA.--HOOK SWINGING. This is the last month of the Hindoo year, and witnesses that bloody religious ceremony which is so much talked of in Christian countries. It is Churuck-pooja; or, graphically, the swinging by the hooks. I am aware that the Christian missionaries have taken especial care to describe this fearful institution ably and accurately to their friends at home. But as they write what they see, not what they know of the Hindoos, they often fail to treat of the real state of the thing. However, they are not to blame; for the want of true knowledge of an object makes its description dry and imperfect. It has been a belief in Hindoo minds from the remote ages, that self-torture is essentially requisite for the propitiation of the gods. The human body being made out of matter which is evil in its nature, and wars against the spirit, it is desirable to macerate it, and give dominion to the spirit thereby. This notion has created various orders of Shun-nashi’s, Shadhoos, Jog-us, Mohuntros, etc., who are common in India. It did not long remain confined to India, but, crossing its boundaries, reached the people of Persia, Tartary, Arabia, Turkey, etc. Its influence was also felt by the Christian Church in her infancy. In India it manifests itself in some form or other in all the religious institutions of the people. I have seen a man offer prayer to Shiba, standing on his head; others on one leg for hours under the burning sun. Some would not eat or drink anything unless it should be put in their mouths, while others would not lie down at all for a certain number of years. Nearly three years ago there came a Shadhoo into our village, who spent a whole day and night on foot. His disciples said that many years had seen him eat, drink, and rest in that position, and perhaps his head will not touch the earth until it does forever.