‘The travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle, a noble Roman, into East-India and Arabia Deserta. In which, the several countries, together with the customs, manners, traffique, and rites both religious and civil, of those Oriental princes and nations, are faithfully described: In familiar letters to his friend Signior Mario Schipano. Whereunto is added a relation of Sir Thomas Roe’s voyage into the East-Indies’ [‎52] (73/508)

The Travels of Peter Delia Vallc,
concouife of people, and the ftreet which leads to it is always
Eiil, not onely of goers and commers to the Templej, but alfo
of beggars who ftand here and there alking Alms of thofe that
pafs by- The building of this Temple is Imall, the entrance
narrow and very low , almoft under ground 5 for you defcend
by many fteps, and you would think you were rather going
into a Grotto then into a Temple > and hence there is always a
great crowd there. On high hung a great number of Bellsj
which are rung every moment with great noife by all thofe
who come to worfhip. Within the Temple continually ftand,
many naked Gioghi^ having onely their privities (not very well)
cover'd with a cloth i they, wear long Hair difheverd , dying
their Fore-heads with fpots of Sanders, Saffron, and other co
lours fuitable to their fuperftitious Ceremonies. The reft of their
bodies is clean and fmooth, without any tindture or impurity 5
which I mention as a difference from (bme other Gioghi, whofe
Bodie arc all fmear 'd with colours and aflies, as I (hall relate
hereafter. There is, no doubt 3 but thefe are the ancient
Gymnofophifts io famous in the world > and, in (hort, thofe
very Sophifts who then went nakedjand exercis'd great patience
in fufferings, to whom Alexander the Great fent Onefuritns to
confuk with them, as Straho reports from the teftimony of the
fiime Oneficritns. Many of them ftood in the Temple near the
Idols, which were plac'd in the innermoft Penetral or Chancel
of it^ with many Candles and lamps burning before them.
Theldols were two ftones, fomewhat long, like two fmall Ter-
mini, or Land-marks, pointed with their wonted colours; on
the right fide whereof was a ftone cut into a figure,and on the left
another of that ordinary form of a fmall pillar , according to
, which, as I faid before, that they ufe to fliape Mahaden ; And
before all thefe, another like figureiof Mahadeu, made of
Cryftal, upon which the Ofeings were lay'd, as Milk;, Oyle,
Rice, and divers fuch things. 1 he afliftent give every
one that comes to worfhip fome of the Flowers, which are
ftrew d upon , and round about the Idols 9 receiving in lieu
thereof good fumms of Alms. Coming out of this Temple,
and afcending up the wall of the City, which is hard by 3 we
beheld from that height the little River call'd Saherweti, which
tuns on that fide under the walls without the City. Upon the
bank thereof, ftood expos'd to the Sun many Gioghi of more au-
i r iTf 5 ? amely fueh5 as 1101 onel y are naked . iike thofe above
eelcrib d, but go all Ipnnkled with afiies, and paint their bo
dies and faces with a whitilh colour upon black, which they
do with a certain ftone that is reducd into powder like Lime :
Their beards and Hair they wear long, untrim'd, rudelv
involv d, and fometimes ere£fed like horns. Painted they are
orten 3 or rather dawb'd with fundry colours and hideous figures?
to that they feemfo many Omb, like thofe reprefented in our
Comedies. The afties wherewith they fprinkle their bodies
are