You will read in Genesis, 28th chap, and 18th verse, that Jacob, after his dream, rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.  Whether it has happened from this circumstance or not, that the heathen universally pour oil over their idols, I cannot tell.  All I know is, that they do it.  No idol can become an object of worship until a Brahmin has said his muntrums, or prayers, for the purpose of bringing down the god to live, as it is said be does, in the image, and until he has drenched it with oil and liquid butter.

The idols, in the great temples, are clothed with rich garments, and adorned with jewels, which are enriched with precious stones of immense value.  Sacrifices are constantly made to these idols, consisting of boiled rice, flowers, fruits, etc., but, above all, of lamps, of which many thousands are sometimes seen burning.  They feed them with butter, in preference to oil.

The priests of the temples offer up sacrifices twice every day, morning and evening.  They begin the ceremony by washing their idol.  The water which is used is brought from a river or tank.  Every morning a procession, with music, passes before our door, with this water.

Every priest who offers up sacrifices, must have several lighted lamps with a bell, which he holds in his left hand.  With his right hand he makes an offering to the idol, adorns it with flowers, and rubs its forehead and various parts of its body with sandal-wood and holy ashes.  While all this is going on, he is alone in the temple, the door of which is closed.  The unholy multitude remain without, silently waiting till he has done.  What he does, they cannot know, only hearing the sound of the bell.  When he has done, he comes out and distributes among the people a part of the things which have been offered to the idol.  These are considered as holy.  If they consist of rice and fruit, they are immediately eaten; if of flowers, the men put them in their turbans, and the girls entwine them in their hair.

Next to the priests, the most important persons about the temples are the dancing girls.  These are persons of the vilest character.  They perform their religious duties in the temple twice a day.  They also assist at the public ceremonies, and dance.  At the same time they sing the most abominable and filthy songs.  Of these wicked creatures, however, I must not tell you any thing further.

The next order of persons employed in the temples, are players on musical instruments.  Every temple of note has a band of these musicians who, as well as the dancers, are obliged to attend the temple twice a day.  They are also obliged to assist at all the public festivals.  Their band generally consists of wind, instruments, resembling clarionets and hautboys, to which they add cymbals and drums.  They have a bass, produced by blowing into a kind of tube, widened below, and which gives an uninterrupted sound.  Part of the musicians sing hymns in honor of their gods.