The National Magazine New Series. September 1902

The much-abused senana is the school the illiterate matrons of the family are the teachers and the education they recieve elevate them morally and spiritually. [...] After the distribution of dakshina to those who havbeen all the while engaged in the grand recital of hymns all sects of Brahmins Vaidiks and Loukiks are allowed into the presence of Narasinha the image of the god standing with his manly courage coupled with beastly strength and with a fierceness and ferocity ucommon among men and beasts amidst the sweet fragrance of icense the smoke [...] The Puranic origin of this festival is not without its allegorical and esoteric meanings and it is the duty of true devotees to find out those interpretations for themselves and thus to admire the teachings of our ancient Rishis as regards the valuable truths of occultism and the allegorical interpretations of important spiritual probtems and the stages of higher initiation for a rapidly advancin [...] In these festivals mere blind observance of religious rites is not what is wanted from the devotees but a strong and firm "faith in and devotion to those great Rishis who in the past ages -gave tlt_tc teaching which to this day stands to us as symbol of the undying love of the Great One Whose palpable presence is veiled during a great portion of the Kali Yuga from the sight of the ordinary"37j [...] The boys and the young men of the village live in one large building apart by themselves and their custom of having a common abode for all the male youths of.the hamlet is found among many of the aboriginal tribes in distant parts of India This custom is found among the Sonthals in the remote parts of Mourbhanj.