第85章

In this pagoda,opposite to its principal gate which is to the east,there is a very beautiful street of very beautiful houses with balconies and arcades,in which are sheltered the pilgrims that come to it,and there are also houses for the lodging of the upper classes;the king has a palace in the same street,in which he resides when he visits this pagoda.There is a pomegranate tree [429]above this first gate,the gate has a very lofty tower all covered with rows of men and women and hunting scenes and many other representations,and as the tower goes narrowing towards the top so the images diminish in size.Passing this first gate,you come at once into a large courtyard with another gate of the same sort as the first,except that it is rather smaller throughout;and passing this second gate,there is a large court with verandahs all round on pillars of stone,and in the middle of this court is the house of the idol.

Opposite the principal gate stand four columns,two gilded and the other two copper,from which,owing to their great age as it seems to me,the gold has worn off;and the other two are also of copper,for all are of copper.That which stands nearest the gate of the temple was given by this King Crisnarao who now reigns here,and the others by his predecessors.All the outer side of the gate of the temple up to the roof is covered with copper and gilded,and on each side of the roof on the top are certain great animals that look like tigers,all gilt.As soon as you enter this idol-shrine,you perceive from pillar to pillar on which it is supported many little holes in which stand oil lamps,which burn,so they tell me,every night,and they will be in number two thousand five hundred or three thousand lights.As soon as you pass this shrine you enter another small one like the crypt (CINZEYRO)[430]of some church;it has two doors at the sides,and thence onward this building is like a chapel,where stands the idol which they adore.Before you get to it there are three doors;the shrine is vaulted and dark without any light from the sky;it is always lit with candles.At the first gate are doorkeepers who never allow any one to enter except the Brahmans that have charge of it,and I,because I gave something to them,was allowed to enter.Between gate and gate are images of little idols.The principal idol is a round stone without any shape;they have great devotion for it.This building outside is all covered with copper gilt.At the back of the temple outside,close to the verandahs of which I have spoken,there is a small idol of white alabaster with six arms;[431]in one it has a ...[432]and in the other a sword,and in the others sacred emblems (ARMAS DE CASA),and it has below its feet a buffalo,and a large animal which is helping to kill that buffalo.In this pagoda there burns continually a lamp of GHEE,and around are other small temples for houses of devotion.

The other temples aforesaid are made in the same manner,but this one is the principal one and the oldest;they all have many buildings and gardens with many trees,in which the Brahmans cultivate their vegetables[433]and the other herbs that they eat.Whenever the festival of any of these temples occurs they drag along certain triumphal cars which run on wheels,and with it go dancing-girls and other women with music to the temple,(conducting)the idol along the said street with much pomp.I do not relate the manner in which these cars are taken,because in all the time that I was in this city none were taken round.There are many other temples in the city of which I do not here speak,to avoid prolixity.

You should know that among these heathen there are days when they celebrate their feasts as with us;and they have their days of fasting,when all day they eat nothing,and eat only at midnight.When the time of the principal festival arrives the king comes from the new city to this city of Bisnaga,since it is the capital of the kingdom and it is the custom there to make their feasts and to assemble.For these feasts are summoned all the dancing-women of the kingdom,in order that they should be present;and also the captains and kings and great lords with all their retinues,--except only those whom the king may have sent to make war,or those who are in other parts,or at the far end of the kingdom on the side where (an attack)is feared,such as the kingdom of Oria and the territories of the Ydallcao;and even if such captains are absent in such places,there appear for them at the feasts those whom I shall hereafter mention.

These feasts begin on the 12th of September,[434]and they last nine days,and take place at the king's palace.