chap, xi BENARES AJODHYA 185
situated, there is another pagoda called Richourdas,1
from the name of the idol on the altar inside, and lower down on
another small altar is the idol whom they call Goupaldas," brother of
this Richourdas. Only the faces of these idols, which are made of stone
or wood, are exposed to view. They are black as jet, with the exception
of the image of Morli Ram, which is in the great pagoda and is
uncovered. As for the idol Ram-Kam, which is in the pagoda of the Raja,
it has two diamonds in the eyes which the Prince has placed there,
together with a large necklace of pearls, and a canopy sustained by
four silver pillars over its head.
At eight days' journey from Benares, due northwards, is a mountainous country 3
which at intervals has beautiful plains sometimes 2 to 3 leagues wide.
They are very fertile, producing corn, rice, and vegetables, but what
injures and ruins the people of this country is the abundance of
elephants * which eat a considerable proportion of the vegetables and
grain. If a caravan of travellers passes through this country where
there are no caravansarais, as they are compelled to camp in the open
fields, they have much trouble in defending themselves during the night
from the elephants which often come to carry away the food. In order to
prevent this the travellers light fires, fire musket-shots, and from
time to time some of them cry with all their might, and make a great
noise to frighten these animals.
In
this country there is another pagoda, well-built and very ancient, and
ornamented within and without with many figures, which are
representations of girls and women only. Men never go there to worship,
and on that account it is called the girls' pagoda. It has an altar in
the middle like the other pagodas, and upon this altar there is an idol
of massive gold about 4 feet high, which represents a girl, standÂing,
whom they call Ram-Marion.5 She has on her right an
1 Ranchhordas,' he who fled from the battle field', a form of Krishna.
2 Gopala, Krishna as a keeper of cows.
*
Ajodhya, not in the hills, but in the plain of Oudh, on the river
Gogra, about 105 miles north of Benares. It is the birthplace of the
deified hero, Rama, and the centre of bis cultus (Imperial Gazetteer, v. 175 f.).
' See p. 205.
1 Ramnarayan, the deified Rama of Ajodhya. Narayana, usually
