140 Abode of Gods

favoured worshippers, who are akin to all intents and for all
purposes incarnations of the deity, capable of uttering his mind
and endowed with his supernatural knowledge. It is something
more than inspirations. This phenomenon has always puzzled

Dancing to ecstasy—Tagar
The royal gods or Katyur gods, so called from their descent
from the old Katyuri royal family, are opposed to a more plebian
party of spirits called by the name of Hani, and no associate
with them, though in general the two main classes of deities, the
royal and demonical, can be got to unite in the same dancing
ceremony. The Haru sections of gods have a place near tem-
ples named dhuni or fireplace, where dancing is done. The
Katyur or royal deities have a place called Kholi for the same
purpose. The devotees of the Haru dance after applying to their
ladies the ashes of the dhuni (altar fire). They dance with a
bamboo in their hands. The Katyur gods are fastidious, and
will not allow anyone to bring into their dancing rites prohibited
articles. The buffaloes, pigs, cocks, the goats and coconuts are
offered to them. The devotees who personate the god are called
"deo" and are tinged with pithya (or red powder) as a mark of
the jr. participation in the festivities. The entire place is kept
sacred.
The divine temptresses
A peculiar class of deities are the fairies, known by the name
of Anchor!, Kechari, Pari or Chanchari. These are supposed to
be young females, of great beauty and artistically clothed, belon-
ging to the court of Imdra, to which they are attached as dancing
girls. Their habitat is the firmament and they are very fond of
bathing and disporting themselves in water, and gathering flowers
on the top of the lofty mountains or by the side of crystal springs
and lakes in remote forests. They correspond to the Apsaras,
• or heavenly nymphs, c>f whom we read so often in classical
Sanskrit stories, whose principal occupation seems to have been
that of tempting ascetics to break their vows, lest they should
rival the gokis in merit arid consequent power. Young men and
iwDnten fell prey to their eVil glances, and become ill and die,