honour of Pír Goráchánd, a Muhammadan missionary who lived nearly six hundred years ago. Tradition states that this holy man came to Bálindá, accompanied by his servant, and settled on the banks of the Padmá, close to the house of one Chandraketu, a rich landholder and staunch Hindu. Goráchánd at once set to work to induce Chandraketu to embrace the faith of Islam. He performed several miracles before him, such as changing a piece of iron into a plantain, and causing a common fence to produce champá flowers. He also restored to life a Bráhman, who had been slain by the female monster Birojá. These miracles, however, did not shake Chandraketu’s faith in the truths of Hinduism.
Unsuccessful in his attempt to convert Chandraketu, Goráchánd next proceeded to Háthiágarh Fiscal Division, which was ruled over by Akhiánand and Bakánand, the sons of Rájá Mohidánand, who practised human sacrifice, offering up one of his tenants every year. On the occasion of Goráchánd’s visit, the lot for the next victim had fallen upon one Múmín, the only Muhammadan tenant of the Rájá. Goráchánd offered to become the proxy of his co-religionist, but when taken before Bakánand he refused to fulfil his promise. A fight then ensued, in which Bakánand was slain. Akhiánand, on hearing of his brother’s death, invoked the aid of his guardian deity, Siva, who supplied him with a weapon with which he took the field against Goráchánd, and severely wounded him. Goráchánd asked his servant to procure some betel-leaves to apply to the wound, but he could not obtain any. Hence it is said that betel-leaf can never grow in Háthiágarh, and it is remarkable that none is cultivated there. Goráchánd returned wounded to Kulti Behárí, about four miles from Haruá, where he was abandoned by his servant, who gave him up for dead. It is said that a cow belonging to two brothers, named Kinu and Kálu Ghosh, daily came to Goráchánd and gave him milk, and that his life would have been saved if he could have sucked unobserved for six days successively. It happened, however, that the milkmen, having failed to get any milk from the cow for four days, watched her, and discovered her in the act of giving suck to Goráchánd. Thereupon the latter, feeling his end approaching, requested the milkmen to inter his body after his death, according to the rites of the Sayyids. He soon afterwards expired, and was buried at Haruá on the 12th Phálgun. It happened, however, that the burial of Goráchánd by the milkmen was observed by another man, who repeatedly taunted them with the act, and
