On the evening of the day on which the swinging takes place, another act
of great cruelty is practised. Devotees throw themselves from, the top
of a high wall, or a scaffold of twenty or thirty feet in height, upon a
bed of iron spikes, or on bags of straw with knives in them. Many are
often mangled and torn. Others are quickly killed.
At night, many of the devotees sit down in the open air, and pierce the
skin of their foreheads, by inserting a small rod of iron. To this is
suspended a lamp, which is kept burning till daylight.
Sometimes bundles of thorns are collected before the temple, among which
the devotees roll themselves without any covering. These thorns are then
set on fire, when they briskly dance over the flames.
Other devotees swing before a slow fire; some stand between two fires,
as you see in this picture.
[Illustration:]
Some have their breasts, arms, and other parts stuck entirely full of
pins, about the thickness of small nails, or packing needles.
Another very cruel torture is practised. Some of the devotees make a
vow. With one hand they cover their under lip with wet earth or mud. On
this, with the other hand, they place some small grains, usually of
mustard-seed They then stretch themselves flat on their backs, exposed
to the dews of night, and the blazing and scorching sun by day.
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