His mask of veneration slowly turned into a licentious grin.
Part of its popularity lay in the forbidden nature of the dance; it was considered licentious and immoral, which made it all the more attractive to the youth of the time.
I have studied the subject most extensively, and have had opportunities of judging which no European can have, and I have no hesitation in saying that, ' the mystic songs' of Jayadeva and the ' ocean of love ' notwithstanding, there is nothing in the rituals of Jagannatha which can be called licentious."
Licentious and luxurious in his manners, cultured and catholic in his tastes, he united in his person the most diverse qualities.
Throughout his career he desired, says Swift, his intimate friend, to be thought the Alcibiades or Petronius of his age, and to mix licentious orgies with the highest political responsibilities.