| Show RE idt 0 1 1 az NE of the oldest and most picturesque tur esque calos in tho the world ONE 0 fit benares De the largest and hollose holiest ho hol liest lost city in india it ie is located on the holy river banga and contains about 1500 1600 torn tom pies ples mosques inhabitants and many more idols than thero there aro are people 1 there are arc a few good streets but the majority of low castes are 6 crowded into irto narrow dirty lanes to tho the square mile lloyc ui every good hindu in the world longs to live in benares the ground on which tho the city la is built is so very holy that to live on it means salvation to die on it makes salvation doubly sure and even a moslem or a chilston Chil stin who expires within its sacred precincts has a chance to be saved I 1 most of the temples are oa on tho the river banks with long wide flights of stairs leading to the water pilgrims praying to the sun and bathing in the holy ganges may always be seen and 40 0 times a year a religious fair is held which is attended by thousands to co lobato the birthdays of some of the many gods at these festivals all sorts of articles are on sale and there are booths side shows merry go rounds gambling games etc not unlike our own country fairs but there ire also living saints galore and hundreds of thieves policemen bur sur round the shrines to protect them and keep the pushing crowd in order which they do by slapping them with big wet towels people stay three or four days at these fairs sleeping on the ground at night under some sacred tree edans believe that to bo be saved they duct give to the poor constantly st keep numberless fart fant days pray five times a day and go on a pil grimage to mecca the hindu believes he has lived before his present ex istance being the direct result of his former ones at death his soul will migrate to some other uther body it if he should eat forbidden food he will be a worm if he be should steal groin hia his soul will enter a mouse too much meat will turn him into a vulture excess of perfume will make him live again as us a muskrat to gain salv salvation atlon he be offsets bad does dose aro are attended by countless thou bands sands of pilgrims in march and august in the courtyard a kettle drum la in beaten constantly in honor of 0 durga near hy by la Is a largo tank of water very holy usually surrounded or filled with monkeys hundreds of these ant animals overrun the place and as they are believed to be sacred helpers of the gods hindus bow down and w worship or them thern actually prostrating thorn them delvee on the ground before a monkey such as wo we put in zoos vishnu a god usually made of cold gold or silver and set on a small brass plat form is bathed by his worshippers wor shippers after which a pheeb 1 of sandal wood is laid on his forehead and a leaf of a sacred plant presented flowers are given incense burned and he Is to fed with sweets which are afterward eaten by those present shiva is another god who receives baths bathe from tho llo people aud and in the hot season water ie le arranged to drop constantly on hie his head to keep urn lim the god of luck has bas four arms four hands a big deformed stomach and an elephants head anyone deal desirous roue of good luck in any undertaking der tAkIng humbly asks ganeshan to give it to him this god is supposed to ride on a rat fair recreation which puts ro rodents dents into the sacred class and rr prevents events their being killed therefore the country Is overrun with them near the entrance of a city there Is usually a big goblins head made of stone and ugly enough to frighten and keep all other evil spirit from entering hindus believe ril pil their III health and an bad luck is brought about by such spirits savages often take a big stone daub it with paint call it dhima the terrible one and worship it it this god has a lake that is sacred to him in it are small strange fish believed to be lice from his body educated hindus say they do not worship images only the god the image represents but when an image has been carved a priest performs a special ceremony Is supposed to brine bring the god to live inside it from then on the tho image mage receives as much care as it if 11 it was alive being given food at aad water regularly placed in bed at night carefully protected from 4 ee f h X 1 an 1 III r ilk 0 eel r AWA sina deeds by digging wells for the public or feasting priests or feeding anti anol with sugar and flour tho io latter bein ao 10 the cheapest and most popular method these deeds combined with constant worship hip of the ganges will help his soul through tho trans migi migrations nations which he believes in and finally brin bring g it to the life eternal which he pla tures as a dreamless sleep at the popular temple of durga numberless boata aro be headed tor for this goddess never listens to a prayer that has not been preceded precede dl by y a flee the goats lies head IP ir fastened to the ground the hind legs lifted high and the bead head struck off with one b blow low A priest ph places tes it nt 1 feet and the body is taken home by the petitioner to be eaten durgis was the favorite goddess of th chuga bugs and thieves who called her kali 1 I after offering a sacrifice s ome sometimes times a human 0 one ne for special re request quest they prayed a very for her aid in cottem contemplated plated crimes to this goda great religious tb A ex extrema trea heat beat and insects and some times even married to a goddess it 11 Is to estimated that there are at least religious brig bryggare gare in in dia called holy men cripples born or made are eligible to this sect and it if a criminal gets into disfavor with the authorities be he turns holy man and becomes greater than they and beyond the their ir reach these so called saints beg steal and exist like pigs yet hindus drink tho the water in which they have bathed their feet and are thus made holy I 1 th these ese parasites live in sheltered colp ners under sacred trees and andin andon on baa bam boo plat foreid d covered by umbrellas cooking utensils and dried d duas U foi for fuel are within arms reach also so a stone mortar and wooden pestle for making bhang A highly intoxicating beverage whose principle ingredients Is to hemp bomp leaves their clothing consists of a mag betl c necklace of 84 or beads made from berries and called tears of the god shiva soma 16 aries they wear si Kain aai ik |
