New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-05-10
The Falzears Of Indin.

HOLY city Of Benares "Fakeers houses, he OBJ
serves, occur At every tarn adorned WIN IDOLS ana
Of 7iuas byais, and other discordant Instruments
while religious mendicants Of every Hindoo sect, Of
feing every conceivable deformty which chalk cow
dung disease, matted locks, distorted limbs and dis.
gushing aud hideous attitudes OF penance can show,
| literally line the streets both sides. Here ] saw
repealed Instances OF that penance Of which heard
SO mach-of men with their legs and arms voluntarily
stfened by keeping them in one position and their
hands clenched till their nails grew out Of the backs.
Their pittnl ordinations we passed, 'dghd Sd-
hib,i T0pee Sdhtb, the usual names in Hindo-
stani for Europeans RAana ke tcaste kooeh eheez
do'-'Give me something to est'-soon drew from me
the few pence had but il was drop of water in
the ocean, and the opportunities of the rest as we
advanced into the city were almost drowned 10 the
hubbub which surrounded usn
The tortures which these fanatics endure exceeds
all belief. peniteht who went through the eere-
mony OF sitting between five fires, is described by
Frazer, who witnessed the penance at public fes-
tival. Being seated on a quadranguar stage, after
the sun began to have considerable power, be stood
on one leg gazing seadlasty his scorcbing teams,
whilst fires large enough TO roast were burning
around. the penitent counting his beads, and occa-
sicnally adding fuel 70 the flames. He stood upright
on his head In the midst OF these fires for three hours
and then seating himself With his legs across he re-
manned ill the end of the day. exposed TO the scorch
ing heat Of both the and nre At of the les
tivas Of the goddess Kali the spouse Of Sya Bishop
Heber relates that one of these seftorturers had
he endured without shrinking and broad bandage
being fastened round his waist to prevent the hooks
from being torn through the flesh by the weight Of
his body. he was fastened to long pole, and by
means Of another pole>fxed in the ground, be was
swung aloit and whirled round in the air. On mo-
tion being made to take him down, he made a sign
for them to proceed, mark OF constancy received
with shouts OF applause by the admiring multitude.
Another traveller describes the same class OF fana-
tics: Amongst says Bernier, 'that vast number
and great variety Of akeers, dervishes or religious
heatbens of the Indies, there is abundance of them
that have converts in which there superiors and
wherein they make certain vows of chastity poverty
and obedience. leading SO odd life that doubt
whether you can give credit to it. hese are COM
monty called faquirs, II you should say united to
Cod You shall see many OF them sit stark naked,
or lie days and nights upon the ashes and commonly
enough, under some of those trees that are on the
sides OF re alabs ponds else in those galleries
that are about the idol temples. Some Of them have
their hair hanging down to the middle Of their legs
and that wreathed into several parcels the large
names Of our horses. OF these have seen some in
divers places who held one arm and sometimes both
lifted up perpetuay above their heads and that had
at the ends Of their fingers wreathed nails that were
longer by measure than half my little finger. Their
arms small and lean, as of heretlcal persons be-
cause they took not sufficient nourishment in that
forced posture and they could not let them down to
take anything with them, either meat or drink, be-
canse the nerves were retired, and the Joints were
filed and dried up; wherefore, also, they have young
noviees, that serve them as holy men with great re-
spect.
There is no Meeara in hell 20 terrible to look on as
those men are-all naked, with their black skin long
hair, dried arms, and in the posture mentioned and
with crooked nails. have often met ia the fields
especially upon the lands Of the rajahswhole squad.
rons OF these iaqurs, altogether Naked dreadful to
behold. Some held their arms lifted up in the pos
ture mentioned Others had their terrible hair hang
ing about them, else they had wreathed them
about their head some had kind of Hercules club
n Their hands Others had dry and stiff tigersskins
over their shoulders Saw them pass thus, quite
naked, without any shame, through the midst Of a
great borough | admired how men. women and
children could look upon them so indifierently with
out being moved no more than if we should see pass
some Ermi'e through our streets ; aud how the wo
men brought them aims with mneh devotion, taking
them for very holy men, much wiser and better than
othersp
certain class Of these mendicants live in commu.
Mites like The monks Of the western world, while
others live singly as hermits, or wander about max
ing strange displays Of selftortures and mortidca
tions Although from time mmemorial ascetieism |
has been held in high yeneration in the east and it
was deemed mertorious TO retire from the world to
renounce the comforts OF the domestic and social re-
afons and to live In poverty, solitude and religious
contemplation, the original principles OF Mahomme
ianlsm were unfav0rabe TO monastic life. Relig !
Ius mendicants did not appear among the Mussu- |
mans till six centuries after Mohammed in the thir-
eenth century OF the Christian era But there is |
eason to believe that they existed among the Hin
ZOOS at much earlier period. From the first they
ppear to have been distinguished by their ragged and
ilthy DRESS and the severity of their selfinicted
lenances. celebrated member of their order, who /
lourshed about the close Of the twelfth century SAYS
hat the exterior OF those devoted to religious life
should be ragged dress and ill-combed hair; and
alter writer aiirms that member of this mendcant
rider should have ten of the qualities proper to the
log To be always hungry to have no fixed resi-
ience to watch during the night leave no herit-
lge after his death not to abandon his MASTER al
hough ill-treated by him to content himself with
he lowest place. aud to yield his seat to any one who
Fauts It to return the person who has beaten him
when offered morsel of bread to keep at distance
when one is bringing him something to eat and not
2 th'ak o. returning to the place he has quilted
Among the Turks several orders OF fakeers or der.
FISHES exist The chief of these is the order of the
Manayls. founded about the close OF the thirteenth
century by the Persian poet, Jelaleddin Rumi They
have great monastery at Gaata and another at leo
lium, and have also converts in nearly all Mahom.
nedan countries. Mendicsnts of this order are noto.
rous for their fondness Of intoxicating liquors aud of
1plam ana are addicted 70 the practice OF sorcery,
COMPUTATIONS and tricks of legerdemain. They may |
eave their order and then released from the VOWS
Df ceilbacy and are permitted to marry The order |
Df the Ruiuus are celebrated for their strange ex-
;esses OF standardization. In their weekly meetings
some OF their number are always selected to hold |
red hot piece Of iron between their teeth till 1t be.
comes cold, while the Others make deep incsions on
heir bodies with sharp-edged Instruments. third
class termed the Calendars distinguished by the
iger's q sleeps skin, sometimes garments made Of
partcoored clothes, and not unreqnently go about
with their skin painted red or black |
Gathers In their ears, fanctuly .shaped turbans or
lats ON their heads, stick or hatchet or sometimes
drawn sword in their hands; and in their girdles
llate OF bowl which they hold out to receive aims
"a this guisc they visit coffeehouses and other places
N public resort 10 preach and TO beg.
The hindoo lakeeFs go entirely naked, carrying on
heir shoulders a thick club, the end of which Is |
wound round with rags of cloth of all colors They
trew their hair, which hangs halfway down their |
JACKS, with ashes, with which they sometimes be- |
near their bodies They generally take up their |
bode in shady places, either in the open air or in
Nd aud ruinous buildings, without using ANYTHING 70
epose on. or TO cover themselves. All classes Of |
hese mendicants endeayor TO gain the yeneraton of /
be people by the infection Of absurd and cruel mem
noes and tpriures Stavorinus says he met with
ome, who, by holding an arm raised in one position
or many years, had lost the power of lowering il /
yam. Others had bent their bodies forward till |
hey had grown so crooked that they formed right
lngle- Some, by continually bending the head back
ward could not bring it back TO its natural position
others keep the hands casped together 40 long that
me nails grow into the flesh, and come out on the
other SIDE Taverner mentions that some of these
never SIT nor lie down to Sleep but are supported by
= rope hung down for that purpose. Others ay Gre
on sheis heads, and burn their sealps to the very
eune. olhers roll themselves naked on thorns.
So'ns oafy themselves in pit or ditch for nine or
Yen Gays, Without tasting food OF drink.
recent traveller IN India states that he saw IA
keer VINO was never kHown TO eat at ALL He carried
ina