Page:The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás.djvu/661

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MATHURÁ.
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of the deified hero Krishna, and a curious inquiry into the resemblance which has so often been noticed between the myths attaching thereto and some of the great truths of Christianity; Mr. Growse, than whom few can be better qualified to judge, is disposed to look on this as merely fortuitous. Equally worthy of note are his accounts of the annual miracle play, the great pilgrimage of which it forms a prominent feature, and the peculiar Holi festival, in connection with which may be studied the history of the intrusion of Buddhism into the province, the reform under the Vaishnava sectaries, and the modern introduction of Catholicism, in which Mr. Growse has taken no small part. All artists must approve of his plea for the adaptation of native architectural forms to the requirements of Christian worship, instead of the obtrusion of unsuitable alien styles, and the photograph of the church at Mathurá is enongh to show how successfully this may be done by a competent architect. The antiquarian portion of the volume is not the least important, dealing with the discoveries, by the author and others, of sculptures, inscriptions, and so forth, invaluable alike to artist and historian. The temples at Brindá-ban and elsewhere are described in a manner which throws almost a new light on the subject of Indian art, and the several photographs are most beautiful. Before closing a necessarily brief notice of this important work, we must draw attention to Mr. Growse's protest against the too common neglect by etymologists of the Sanskrit element in the various native dialects, and to what he says about the revolting practices taught and carried out by the more advanced Buddhists; these latter may astonish some of those 'new light' apostles, who are so fond of eulogising the followers of Gautama and their principles at the expense of Christianity. Altogether the volume is in itself unique and must prove of the greatest service to the Oriental student."—Whitehall Review.

"Books like Mr. Growse's Mathurá are very welcome………It is a valuable monograph on a very interesting subject………Mr. Growse's excellent autotypes are a great help to his careful descriptions. Throughout the book is a model of painstaking and intelligent research—is, in fact, just what such a district memoir should be."—Graphic.

"It is with much gratification that we welcome the third edition of Mr. Growse's valuable work on Mathurá. The immense importance of this sacred spot to modern Hinduism it is difficult for a European to realise. It is the holy of holies to the vast Vaishnava sect, and the exhaustless theme of adoration to Hindus of every sect and of every province. Such being the theme, Mr. Growse is right in treating it worthily; and his handsome and well-illustrated quarto volume shows, by the success with which it has met, that a good thing well done is sure of a hearty welcome.

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