Nagpur is now the head-quarters of the
Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces.
9. 'There is a legend that Siva appeared in the Kali age, for the
good of the Brahmans, as "Sveta", "the white one", and that he had
four disciples, to all of whom the epithet "Sveta" is applied'
(Monier Williams, _Religious Thought and Life in India_, p. 80, note
2). Various explanations of the legend have been offered. Professor
A. Weber is inclined to think that the various references to white
teachers in Indian legends allude to Christian missionaries. The
Mahabharata mentions the travels of Narada and others across the sea
to 'Sveta-dwipa', the 'Island of the White Men', in order to learn
the doctrine of the unity of God. This tradition appears to be
intelligible only if understood to commemorate the journeys of pious
Indians to Alexandria, and their study of Christianity there (_Die
Griechen in Indien_, 1890, p. 34).
10. The Ramlila, a performance corresponding to the mediaeval
European 'miracle-play', is celebrated in Northern India in the month
of Kuar (or Asvin, September-October), at the same time as the Durga
Puja is solemnized in Bengal.
Pages:
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273