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north-east and south-west. This is the hill which Krishna is fabled to have held aloft on the tip of his finger for seven days and nights to cover the people of Braj from the storms poured down upon them by Indra when deprived of his wonted sacrifices. In pictorial representations it always appears as an isolated conical peak, which is as unlike the reality as possible. It is ordinarily styled by Hindus of the present day, the Giri-ráj, or Royal Hill, but in earlier literature is more frequently designated the Anna-kúṭ. There is a firm belief in the neighbourhood that, as the waters of the Jumna are yearly decreasing in body, so too the sacred hill is steadily diminishing in height; for in past times it was visible from Aṛíng, a town 4 or 5 miles distant, whereas now a few hundred yards are sufficient to remove it from sight. It may be hoped that the marvellous fact reconciles the credulous pilgrim to the insignificant appearance presented by the object of his adoration. It is accounted so holy that not a particle of the stone is allowed to be taken for any building purpose; and even the road which crosses it at its lowest point, where only a few fragments of the rock crop up above the ground, had to be carried over them by a paved causeway.

The ridge attains its greatest elevation towards the south between the villages of Jaṭipura and Ánzor. Here on the summit was an ancient temple dedicated to Śri-náth. In anticipation of one of Aurangzeb's raids, the image of the god was removed to Náthdwára in Udaypur territory, and has remained there ever since. The temple on the Giri-ráj was thus allowed to fall into ruin, and the wide walled enclosure now exhibits only long lines of foundations and steep flights of steps, with a small, untenanted, and quite modern shrine. The plateau, however, commands a very extensive view of the neighbouring country both on theMathurá and the Bharatpur side, with the distant hills of Nand-gánw, Barsána and Dig. At the foot of the hill on one side is the little village of Jatipura with several temples, of which one, dedicated to Gokul-náth, though a very mean building in appearance, has considerable local celebrity. Its head is the Gosáin of the temple with the same title at Gokul, and it is the annual scene of two religious solemnities both celebrated on the day after the Díp-dán at Gobhardan. The first is the adoration of the sacred hill, called the Giri-ráj Pujá, and the second the Anna-kúṭ, or commemoration of Kṛishṇa's sacrifice. The right to take the lead in the procession has been vehemently disputed by the priests of the two rival temples, Śri-nāth and Gokul-náth; and it is generally found desirable, a little before the anniversary, to bind both parties over in heavy sums to keep the peace. Immediately opposite Jaṭipura, and only parted from it by the intervening range, is the village of Ánzor—literally 'the other side'—with the temple of Śri-náth on the summit between them. A little distance beyond both is the village of Puchhri, which, as the name denotes, is considered 'the extreme limit' of the Giri-ráj.

Kártik, the month in which most of Kṛishṇa's exploits are believed to have been performed, is the favourite time for the pari-krama or perambulation of the sacred hill. The dusty circular road which winds round its base has a length of 7 kos, that is about 12 miles, and is frequently measured by devotees who at every step prostrate themselves at full length. When flat on the ground, they mark a line in the sand as far as their hands can reach, then rising they prostrate themselves again from the line so marked, and continue in the same style till the whole weary circuit has been accomplished. This ceremony, called Dandavati pari-krama, occupies from a week to a fortnight, and is generally performed for wealthy sinners vicariously by the Brahmans of the place, who receive from Rs. 50 to Rs. 100 for their trouble, and transfer all the merit of the act to their employers. The ceremony has been performed with 108 prostrations at each step; but in that case it occupied some two years, and was remunerated by a donation of 1,000 rupees.

About the centre of the range stands the town of Gobardhan, on the margin of a very large irregularly shaped masonry tank, called the Mánasi Gangá, supposed to have been called into existence by the mere action of the divine will (mánasa). At one end, the boundary is formed by the jutting crags of the holy hill, on all other sides the water is approached by long flights of stone steps. It has frequently been repaired at great cost by the Rájás of Bharatpur; but is said to have been originally constructed in its present form by Rájá Mán Sińh of Jaypur, whose father built the adjoining temple of Harideva. There is also at Banāras a tank constructed by Mán Siñh, called Mán Sarovar, and by it a temple dedicated to Máneṡvar. Unfortunately there is neither a natural spring, nor any constant artificial supply of water, and for half the year the tank is always