(130)
was present in January in places far apart from each other, but as the
pilgrims flocked in the disease rapidly increased, and became epidemic about
the end of February, first in Puri town, and then along the pilgrim routes in
Puri, Piplee, and Khurdah circles; it also prevailed in remote places, such
as Gp, Nemapara, Bolia, Patra, and Bisnapur. In ordinary years the
Ruthjatra (car festival), held in June or July, is by far more largely attended
than the Doljatra (swing festival) held in February or March; but in 1877
the latter festival was a specially holy one, said to occur only once in a
hundred years; and the crowd of pilgrims who come from all parts of India
to visit Juggernath was estimated at 200,000-nearly four times as many as
attended in ordinary years. In March cholera was at its height, and
the mortality in the town of Puri was very severe, the residents suffer-
ing more than the pilgrims. In April the disease ceased in the town
and began to abate in the district generally but slowly. In former
years it has been observed to abate rapidly until May, to revive in June and
July when the second festival takes place, and abate again a second time by
October. This year (1877) the disease did not abate until May, but then it
slowly and steadily declined until October, a marked feature being the absence
of the usual epidemic during the second festival in June and July. "In
November and December the usual autumnal prevalence was coincident with
a minor festival held in November. Of the total 5,795 cholera deaths registered
during the year 3,905 occurred in the months of February, March, and April,
and 1,230 of the number were pilgrims. The overcrowding in the town during
the festival was very excessive." The existing lodging-houses could not
furnish room for more than a small fraction of these men, and thousands of
pilgrims had to pass their short stay in Puri in the open streets, gardens,
under trees, &c., &c., with an area of three square miles nearly and a resident
population of nearly 200,000 souls during the months of February and March.
"The insanitary conditions of the town which have ordinarily been great
were very materially increased during, and some time after this great festival.
With regard to food and drink, the rice cooked in the temple and offered to
Jaganath formed the main part of the food of this immense crowd. This food
is often cooked of bad and unwholesome materials, and is made available for
use at extremely irregular hours, sometimes very late in the evening. It is
often sold when putrid and consequently injurious to robust health and
deadly to those in low health. These irregularities were multiplied manifold
at the great festival in March 1877, hence partial starvation on the one hand,
and unwholesome food on the other no doubt predisposed the system of the
pilgrims to attacks of sickness. This combined with high religious excitement,
preceded by the physical discomforts of a prolonged and wearisome journey,
paved the way for any disease, especially cholera. The water-supply of Puri town
has been naturally bad. The nature of the soil is porous. The human excre-
tions were never removed, and the soil got quite saturated with ordure.
During the rains these animal matters got dissolved and percolated through the
soil. Wells and tanks, which form the sources of water supply in the town,
could never be expected to remain uncontaminated. Besides, the tanks are
used for bathing purposes, and thousands of people are seen bathing daily.
Many vegetable matters, such as rice, flowers, fruits, and leaves, are largely
thrown into the tanks as necessary items of religious ceremonies. These get
decomposed and vitiate the tank.
During the festival the water must have grown very filthy indeed. The
mass of pilgrims, who had every form of physical disadvantages predisposing
them to disease, drank this concentrated filth in the shape of water, and so
added another potent cause of sickness to many already existing. There is no
existing means of draining the city. It is said that the roads serve the
purposes of surface drains, while there is absolutely no provision for subsoil
drainage. "With regard to conservancy, the efforts of the health office
establishment were mainly confined to street conservancy and to providing a
few latrines for public use." But they were not comprehensive, and the
"work of removing night-soil had just begun when the great festival and
epidemic of cholera occurred. The conservancy arrangements in private houses
are bad, the private latrines consist of holes dug in the earth, and when one
is filled another is opened until all available ground is dotted with these