Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/217

HIKDU IDOL- WORSHIP 177 the Deluge. Some people even pretend to know that all mankind were one large idolatrous body before God sent them his prophets. Among the famous idols of Hindustan was that of Multan, dedicated to the sun, and therefore called Aditya. It was of wood covered with red Cordovan leather and in its two eyes were two red rubies. It is said to have been made over two hundred thousand years ago. When Mohammad ibn Kasim ibn al-Mu- nabbi conquered Multan, he inquired how the town had become so very flourishing and how so many treas- ures had there been accumulated, and then he found out that this idol was the cause, for pilgrims came from all sides to visit it. Therefore he thought it best to have the idol where it was, but he hung a piece of cow's flesh on its neck by way of mockery. On the same place a mosque was built. When the Karmathians occupied Multan, Jalam ibn Shaiban, the usurper, broke the idol into pieces and killed its priests. The city of Thanes- war is highly venerated by the Hindus. The idol of that place is called Cakrasvamin, " the owner of the discus." It is of bronze and is nearly the size of a man. It is now lying in the hippodrome in Ghazni, together with another idol of vile form. This Cakras- vamin is said to have been made in the time of Bharata as a memorial of wars connected with his name. In Inner Kashmir, about two or three days' journey from the capital toward the mountains of Bolor, there is a wooden idol called Sarada, which is much venerated and frequented by pilgrims.