New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-05-10
mae ralzaera I'D INDIA.

scribes the appearance OF these as be entered the
holy city Of Benaresl "Fakeers' houses" be OBJ
serves occur at every turn adorned with idols, and
sending forth an Increasing tinkling and stunning
| Of vjnas byas and other discordant instruments !;
while religious mendicants OF every Hindoo sect, Of
ferinc every conceivable deformy which chalk, cow
ding disease matted locks, distorted limbs, and dis
gushing and hideous attitudes Of penance can show,
literally line the streets on both sides. Here
repeated Instances OF that penance Of which heard
so mucbof men with their legs and arms voluntarily
stii1ened BY keeping them In position and their
hands clenched till their nails grew out Of the backs.
Their piuful Explanations passed, 'Aghd Sd-
hib,' sIopes Saht6, the usual names in Hndo-
stani for Europeans. Khana ke ,oasie kooeh cheez
do'-'GiYe me something TO eat'--so0n 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 in the
hubbub which surrounded u.s."
The tortures which these fanatics endure exceeds
all belief. A penitent who went through the cere-
mony of sitting between five fires ia described by
Frazer, who witnessed the penance at public feH-
tiyal. Being seated on quadrangular stage, AFTER
the sun began to have considerable power, be stood
one leg, gazing steadsasty his scorching teams
whilst fires large enough to roast an OK were burning
around the penisent counting his beads, and occa-
sicnaly adding fuel the flames. He stood upright
on his head in the midst OF these res or three hous
manned till the end Of the day, exposed to the scorch
ing heat OF both the and fire. At one OF the les
rivals Of the goddess Kali the spouse of Siva Bishop
hooks thrust through the muscles of his side which
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 a long pole and by
means Of another poesfxed in the ground, he was
swung aloft and whrled round in the air. On mo-
ton being made TO take him down, he made sign
for them to proceed mark OF consistency 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 iakeers, dervishes, or religious
heathens Of the indies there is abundance Of them
that have converts in which there superors, 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,
lie days and nights upon the ashes, and commonly
enough under some Of those trees that are on the
sides OF e talabs ponds or 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 were small and lean as of heretca PERSONS be-
cause they took not sufficient nourishment in that
forced posture and they could not let them down to
take snything with them, either meat or drink be-
cause the nerves were retired and the Joints were
filed and dried up; wherefore also they have young
novces, that serve them as holy men with great re-
spect.
There is no Megara in hell terrible to look on as
those men are-all naked with their black skim long
hair dried arms and in the posture mentioned and
with crooked nails have often met in the fields
especially upon the lands OF the rajahs-whoe squad
rona OF these iaquirs, altogether Naked dreadful to
behold. Some held their arms lifted up in the pos
ture mentioned Others had their terrible hair hang
ing ab0nt them, or else they had wreatled them
about their head some had kind of Hercules club
IN their hands; Others bad dry and stiff tigersskins
over their shoulders | saw them pass thus, quite
naked, without any shame, through the midst Of
great borough. ! admired how men, women and
children could look upon them ndiferently, with
out being moved no more than it we should see pass
some Ermi'e through our streets aud how the wo-
men brought them aims with mnch devotion, taking
them for very holy men, much wiser and better than
others,n
A certain class OF these meudicants live in commu-
mites, like the monks of the western world, while
others live singly as hermlts, or wander about max
ing strange displays Of seftortures and mortdca
tons. Although from time immemoral ascetiesm
has been held in high veneration in the east, and it
was deemed meritorious TO retire from the world to
renounce the comforts of the domestic and social re-
lations aud to live in poverty Solitude aud religious
contemplation the original principles OF Mahomme-
danism were unfayOrable to monastic life. Religi-
GUS mendicants did not appear among the Mussul-
mans till six centuries after Mohammed, in the thir-
teenth century Of the Christian era. But there is
reason to believe that they existed among the Hin
docs at much earlier period. From the first they
appear to have been distinguished by their ragged and
hlthy dress, and the severity Of their sefnflicted
penanees- celebrated member Of their order, who
aurshed about the close Of the twelfth century says
that the exterior OF those devoted to religious life
should be a ragged dress and illcomhed hair; and
later writer allirms that member OF this mendicant
order should have ten OF the qualities proper to the
dog To be always hungry to have no fixed resi-
dence TO watch during the night to leave no herit
age after his death not to abandon his master, al
I'D
the lowest place. and to yield bis seat to any one who
wants II I; to return the person who has beaten him
when offered a morsel of bread TO keep at distance
when one is bringing him something to eat and not
10 think OF returning to the place he has quilted
while following his master.
Among the Turks several orders OF fakeers or der
wishes exist The chief Of these Is the order Of the
Mauayis, founded about the close of the thirteenth
century by the Persian poet, Jelaleddin Rumi They
have great monasteryat Gaata and another at leo
mum, and have also converts in nearly all MahOm-
medan countries Mendicants of this order are noto-
rious for their fondness OF intoxicating liquors aud OF
opium and are addicted 10 the practice OF sorcery
COMPUTATIONS and tricks of legerdemain. They may
leave their order and then released from the VOWS
OF celihacy, and permitted to marry. The order
Of the Rufuus are celebrated for their strange ex-
cesses OF decentralization In their weekly meetings
some Of their number are always selected to hold a
red bot piece of iron between their teeth till it be-
comes cold while the Others make deep missions on
their bodies with sharp-edged instruments A third
GLASS; termed the CaenuarS are distinguished by the
singuarty Of their dress. They sometimes wear a
tigers a sleeps skin, sometimes garments made oil
particolored Clothes and not unireqnently 20 about
halfnaled, with their skin painted red or black
feathers in their ears fancifnly shaped turbans
hats their heads, stick hatchet or sometimes
drawn sword in their hands and in their girdles
| plate or bowl, which they hold out to receive aims
In this guse they visit coeehouses and other places
of public resort 70 preach and to beg.
The Hind0o akeeFs go entirely naked, carrying OF
their shoulders thick club, the end of which i.
wound round with rags Of cloth of all colors. They
strew their hair which hangs halfway down theil
backs, with ashes, with which they sometimes be
smear their bodies. They generally take up theii
abode in shady places, either in the open air or in
old aud runous buildings, without using anything Il
repose on or to cover themselves. All classes Of
these mendieants endeavor to gain the veneration Of
the people by the infection OF absurd and cruel pen
| ances and fortunes Stavorinus says he met with
some, who, bg holding arm raised in one position
for many years. had lost the power of lowering il
4 again. Others had bent their bodies forward, till
they had grown so crooked that they formed right
angle. Some, by continually bending the head back
ward could not bring II back to its natural position
Others keep the hands casped together 40 long that
the nails grow into the flesh, and come out on the
other side. favernier mentions that some Of thess
never SIT nor lie down to Sleep but are supported b,
rope hung down for that purpose Others lay fir,
on their heads, aud burn their scalps to the yer,
bone. Others roll themselves naked on thorns
some bury themselves in pit or ditch for nine o.
: ten Gays, without tasting food or drink.
recent traveller in India states that be saw a IA
keer who never kHown In eat al nIl He carrie,