In the Nababship of Kalinga exists a sect called Sûrwar (Sûryar), and another entitled Gundwar. They pay no tribute to any body; they worship the sun; from simplicity, they prefer brass and copper to gold, on account of bad smell. When one of them dies, they seize a stranger and kill him. They say that, as the Rái (prince) of Gund sits upon the ground, the lower people sit upon chairs, he being the lord of the earth and the others are not so.
The Chandra bakta,[427] or “worshippers of the moon,” call this planet one of the principal divinities, worthy of adoration and of worship; the regulation of the nether world is committed to his care; by the increase and decrease of the light of this heavenly body, the hours of night and day may be known; after the sun it is the greatest, and borrows its light from this great luminary, the access to which may also be obtained by the moon’s mediation.[428] These sectaries form an image of the moon, and worship it as an object of their devotion: they never hurt a sentient being.
Another sect venerates other stars. There is one who pays homage to Agni, or fire, and says that fire is the pure essence of God, who is the sun himself: these are called Agni Pramána;[429] “the professors of fire.” They believe also the other stars proceed from its radiance, and that the earthly fire is an emanation of its rays; they venerate every sort of fire, through the mediation of which they think access to the sun may be obtained.
Another sect, the Pavana bhakta,[430] or “worshippers of the wind,” believe that the substance of God is air, and this also the intellectual soul.
The Jala bhakta,[431] or “worshippers of water,” hold water to be the representative of the being of God, on which account they pay veneration to the rivers and flowing streams.
The Prithivi bhakta[432] are “worshippers of the earth,” which they believe to be the substance of God worthy of their adoration.
Another sect, called Tripújas,[433] worship the three kingdoms of nature, in which every place and whatever presents itself to their view, becomes an object of their veneration.
The Manushya bhakta,[434] or “worshippers of mankind,” recognise the being of God in man; they know no being more perfect than mankind, and think that it contains nothing of a bad nature.
A particular sect is to be found in Kashíal, a place in the mountainous province of Kachmir. They worship idols; the son takes the property acquired by his father to himself; but leaves whatever he gains to his sons, so that it may be the firewood belonging to his father that may burn his body. When one of them dies, a barber from without the house goes before the dead, and then brings the message that such a one wants something for a meal, upon which they go to work to prepare it; and this society is kept up for some days; then, they burn the dead; after cremation, they erect over his ashes an image of stone, one half of which is male, and the other female; and when no son of his remains, they marry his wife with a column of the house, and whoever comes upon a visit of condolence, has intercourse with the woman until a son be produced, and to him the inheritance is bestowed. This sect have no regard for the life of animals.
Another sect exists in the mountains of Kachmir, with the name of Durds. Among them it is customary for brothers to have but one wife; occasionally they sell house, land, wife, and children; whoever buys the house owns all these; they also pawn their wife. Some of them, even when they become Muselmans, still adhere to this custom. They also do not spare animals.