国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

CHAPTER I.

The Satluj Valley.

We left Simla on the 14th June and reached Kōtgur (map Kotgarh) on the 16th
at noon. At Kōtgur I enjoyed the hospitality of the C. M. S. missionary, the Rev. Mr.
Beutel, who is an authority on the language, customs and geography of his district.
On the rocks near Kōtgur are found carvings in the shape of a Yōni. This is Mr.
Beutel's explanation at least, and it agrees exactly with the interpretation I have given
of many similar carvings found all over Kulū and Lahul. This symbol is found even in
Ladakh, but it is rarer there. I am convinced that this symbol is intended to remind
the worshipper of deities of the Kāli type, as we find them all over the hills, under
various names. These goddesses, together with gods of the Śiva type, represent the
creative principle which is the main feature in the religion of all the Western Himalayan
tribes.

During our short stay at Kōtgur, Pindi Lal witnessed the Doum festival which is
celebrated annually. The Doum is a tablet with silver and gold masks fixed to it. As
Mr. Beutel told me, such masks are dedicated to the temple by the ruling chiefs of
Kōtgur and neighbourhood, on the occasion of deaths in their families. But whether
these masks are supposed to be portraits of the deceased persons or not, I have not been
able to ascertain. We find the same custom all over Kulū,¹ and also at Trilōknāth in
Chambā-Lahul. The spirit (of the deceased ?) is supposed to enter a man set apart for
this cult, who performs a sword-dance and thrusts needles through his cheeks. When
he is in a trance, he is asked questions and acts as an oracle. Pindi Lal placed his ap-
paratus carefully in front of the mask board and was on the point of snapping, when
he was suddenly assailed by the priests, who said that they could not allow him to photo-
graph these objects of sanctity. Pindi Lal, snapping off his apparatus, calmly said :
"Well, if you will not allow me to take a photo, I can do without it," and carried his
treasure home (Plate I, a).

That there is a possible connection between these masks and those used for the devil-
dances of Ladakh and Tibet, is made apparent by the following passage by Dr. Vogel,²
who speaks of two miniature śikhara temples at Trilōknāth in which a number of
wooden masks are preserved. "At the death of a member of the Rāṇā's family, such
a mask is prepared and placed in the temple, whence it is on no account to be re-
moved. An exception is made for three masks which are used at the Chār or Spring
festival, and are said to represent a man, a woman and a demon, called in the local
dialect gāmi, mēzmi and kulinza. The main substance of the Chār festival is a per-
formance symbolizing the advent of Spring and the defeat of Winter. The latter,
personified as an evil demon, is represented by the bearer of the kulinza mask, who is