a village saint or in honour of a minor divinity, but a large number are kept as general holidays, sometimes extending over many days at a time, during which period the whole population devotes itself to ritual, or revelry, or both, according to the religious significance of the event. One of the greatest thinkers of the East has written, "Religion is the prop of all beings, everything is embraced in Religion, therefore Religion is said to be excellent over everything else" (Taitarya-ranyak), and in no place is the letter of this more strictly adhered to than in Nepal. On such an occasion as the "Dassera" festival the routine of daily labour is put entirely on one side for over a week while the rites and ceremonies of this feast are observed, and at varying intervals during the year other festivals are celebrated which occupy similar periods of time. In fairness, however, to the Newar, and in defence of customs which must necessarily interfere not a little with the internal trade of the country, it should be noted that more often than not the share which the individual takes in these festivals is not optional, but
