were
two-storied houses. No one lived in this _mahal_. At the festival of
Durga it was thronged; but now grass sprouted between the tiles of the
court, pigeons frequented the halls, the houses were full of
furniture, and the doors were kept locked. Beside this was the _thakur
bari_ (room assigned to the family deity): in it on one side was the
temple of the gods, the handsome stone-built dancing-hall; on the
remaining sides, the kitchen for the gods, the dwelling-rooms of the
priests, and a guest-house. In this _mahal_ there was no lack of
people. The tribe of priests, with garlands on their necks and
sandal-wood marks on their foreheads; a troop of cooks; people bearing
baskets of flowers for the altars; some bathing the gods, some ringing
bells, chattering, pounding sandal-wood, cooking; men and women
servants bearing water, cleaning floors, washing rice, quarrelling
with the cooks. In the guest-house an ascetic, with ash-smeared, loose
hair, is lying sleeping; one with upraised arm (stiffened thus through
years) is distributing drugs and charms to the servants of the house;
a white-bearded, red-robed _Brahmachari_, swinging his chaplet of
beads, is reading from a manuscript copy of the _Bhagavat-gita_ in the
_Nagari_ character; holy mendicants are quarrelling for their share of
_ghi_ and flour. Here a company of emaciated _Boiragis_, with wreaths
of _tulsi_ (a sacred plant) round their necks and the marks of their
religion painted on their foreheads, the bead fastened into the knot
of hair on their heads shaking with each movement, are beating the
drums as they sing:

"I could not get the opportunity to speak,
The elder brother Dolai was with me."

The wives of the _Boiragis_, their hair braided in a manner pleasing
to their husbands, are singing the tune of _Govinda Adhi Kari_ to the
accompaniment of the tambourine. Young _Boisnavis_ singing with elder
women of the same class, the middle-aged trying to bring their voices
into unison with those of the old. In the midst of the court-yard
idle boys fighting, and abusing each other's parents.

These three were the outer _mahals_. Behind these came the three inner
ones. The inner _mahal_ behind the _kacheri bari_ was for Nagendra's
private use. In that only himself, his wife, and their personal
attendants were allowed; also the furniture for their use. This place
was new, built by Nagendra himself, and very well arranged. Next to
it, and behind the _puja bar