Forlong - Rivers of Life

Serpent and Phallic Worship.
Gosains of Krishna—the Indian Apollo, known popularly by the name of a Maha-
Raja. His filthy town, palace, and temple lies just below the weir, surrounded by
richly irrigated lands, and is well known far and wide. None may invade his little
empire. That soil is as holy and more revered by far than the spot still left to the old
Priest (young to this Gosain’s race) on Tiber’s banks; and respected as much by his
king in Odepore, as by the paramount British power.
Fig 117.—TOMBSTONE OF AN OPHITE, OR SIVAIK CHIEF, ODEPORE, RAJPOOTANA.
From a huge block, adjacent to this warrior figure, which forms also part of the
enormous masonry works of this Royal Reservoir, I got abo the triple serpent, Fig. 118, p.
251. All are cobras with upreared hoods, of which the centre one is expanded and with
five heads,—always a god-like canopy. The side Serpents remind us of the God supporting
Maha-deva and Argha, Fig. 42, p. 123. Not far off, and on an adjacent earth-fast rock,
on one of the island-like cliffs, which here lend support to, and probably gave the idea
of damming up the gently-sloping plain, we have an abundance of sculptures, such as
these given in Fig. No. 120, corroborating in the strongest manner the phallic faith of the
land. Here we see the full formed features; the fleur-de-lis as Europe calls it, on the
right, is supporting Isis—the cup or crescent moon, or Parvati; and in case there should
be any mistake as to the meaning, the Triune God is also given on the right hand
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