Besides these twelve, Srirangam, near Triehin °poly, Benarea, Puri, where Jaganath is, Badri nath tho Himalaya, Conjeveram and Tripati in North Arcot, with Dwarka, Gaya, and Mathura, may be indicated as sacred towns; and the Ga.nges, Brahmaputra, Godavery, Kistna, and Cauvery among the rivers, and hundreds of thousands annually visit them. Govardhana mountain is Bacred to the Ilindus, and Palitana to the Jains. Mount Meru and Mount Kailasa of the Himalaya aro famed in Hindu mythology.
Sir George Birdwood mentions, in particular, other sacred cities of the Ilitidus,—Ayodliya or Otulh, the city of Rama ; .1Iathura or Muttra, the city of Krishna ; Maya. or Buddha Gaya ; Kasi or Benares, the city of Siva as Visveswara ; Kanchi or Conjeverant ; Avanti or Avantika or Ujjniyini and Dwamka or Dliamwati ; Gao-karna or Cow's Ear, near „Mangalore ; Rameswaram; Sonmath and Pathan.
Jerttsalem is sacred to Jewa, Christians, and Muharumadans, and the last-named designate it Bait-ul-Maqaddas ; with them Mecca is called Bait Ullahil-haram, the holy home of God ; and with them Karbala, Medina, and Meshid also are holy cities, which are resorted to by pilgrima from all Asia and Africa.
Sacred fires are kept up by the A.guiliotra Bra.hmans of India, and by the Parsee or Zoroas trian religionists. The Brahmanic families who keep up the sacred fires are supposed descendants from the seven Rishi,—Bhrigu, Angoras, Visva mitre, Vasishta, Kasyapa, Atri, Agastya ; but Jamadagni, Gautama, and Bliaradwaja aro also enumemted.
Sacred planis among the Hindus are numerous; their flowers are offered up to their idoLa, their seeds are used for rostulea, etc., and their gums as incense.
The Sij plant, Euphorbia, is the god of a race in ASSAM.
The Jews, about the 12th to the 3d century n.c., largely followed surrounding nations in their worship in the groves.
The sacred grove of oaka at Dodona, supposed to have been planted by the Pelaigi, existed till the time of Constantine. Their branches were
hung with bells, sacred pigeons rustled amidst the leaves. The laurel of Apollo at Delphi WAS sacred like the oak at Dodona. Under the laurel's shade the python took refuge.
Modern llindus restrict their reverence to indi vidual plants, some of them being sacred to Siva and sonic to Vishnu and their avatars; and the following aro those chiefly regivaled:— Aehyraathes wipers. Borneo' ilebolliformis.
iEgle martnelos. I Buohenania latifolie.
itschynomeno scsban. Buten frondosa.
Afrohn bijuga. C'alophyllum inophyllum.
Antenaria, sp. Calotropis gigentea.
Aplotaxys gossipine. Oedrus dealers.
Arte m is in astriaka. Chamerops Ritebiens.
Aucklamlia costus. Chrysanthemum Intlicum.
Barringtonia acutangula. Clitorea tenintea.
Bauhinia variegate. Cupressus torulosa.
Botula thojputra. Cyuodon daetylon.
Dalbergia sissoo. Michelle. champaca.
Daphne cannabins. Mimusops elengi.
Datura fastuosa. Morinda multiflora.
Dclphinum brunonianum. Murraya exotica.
Dolondea macr. Nauclea cadamba.
Echites caryopbyllata. Nelumbium speciosum.
Erythrina fulgens. Nerium odorum.
Euphorbia, sp. Nymplicea esculentum.
Ficus Indica. Ocimum sanctum.
F. glomerata. Origanum marjoranum.
F. religiosa. Poa cynosuroidcs.
F. venosa. Poinciana pulcherrima.
Gardenia florida. Polianthus tuberosa.
Gmrtnera racemosa. Populus balsamifera.
Guettarda speciosa. Prosopis spicigera.
Helianthus annuus. Pterospermum aceri Hernandia sonora. folium.
Hibiscus Phceniceus. Pt. suberifolium.
H. rosa Sinensis. Putranjiva Roxburghii.
Jasminum, sp. Rhododendron arboreum.
Jonesia asoca. Rosa, sp.
Justicia adhatoda. Saussurea obvallata.
Juniperus communis. S. sacra.
J. excelsa. S. sorocephala.
Kupatieus, sp. Senecio laciniosus.
Limonia scandens. Tagetes erecta.
Bielia azedarach. T. patula.
M. sempervirens. T. populnea.
Menispermum glabrum. Tabernwmontana coriarea.
Mesua ferrea.