ABSTRACT
From this realm ’tis a journey of ten days to another realm which is called Mobar 1 , and this is very great, and hath under it many cities and towns. And in this realm is laid the body of the Blessed Thomas the Apostle 2 . His church 142is filled with idols, and beside it are some fifteen houses of the Nestorians, that is to say Christians, but vile and pestilent heretics. There is likewise in this kingdom a certain wonderful idol, which all the provinces of India greatly revere. It is as big as St. Christopher 1 is commonly represented by the painters, and it is entirely of gold, seated on a great throne, which is also of gold. And round its neck 143it hath a collar of gems of immense value 1 . And the church of this idol is also of pure gold, roof (and walls) and pavement 2 . People come to say their prayers to the idol from great distances, just as Christian folk go from far on pilgrimage to St. Peter’s 3 . And the manner of those who come is thus :—Some travel with a halter round their necks; and some with their hands upon a board, which is tied to their necks; others with a knife stuck in the arm, which they never remove until they arrive before the idol, so that the arm is then all in a slough 4 . And some have quite a different way of doing. For these as they start from their houses take three steps, and at the fourth they make a prostration at full length upon the ground. And then they take a thurible and incense the whole length of that prostration. And thus they do continually until they reach the idol, so that sometimes when they go through this operation it taketh a very great while before they do reach the idol. But when those who are going along in this way wish to tum aside to do anything, they make a mark there to show how far they have gone, and so they (come back upon this, and) continue until they reach the idol 5 .
