The New York herald., 1869-11-13

god b merely shapeless mass Of Stone let into the
nas no eyes or ears to keep up the pretense Of doing
An arch OF silver tlnsel encl05es this divinity,
while stone slab before him serves as an sitar'
which offerings or rice and MOWERS are presented.
The Brahmin III charge IL rather hghrcolored
Hindoo, with an insufficient rag round his loins,
with various colored pigments. At nrst sight he
looks not unlike an Indian upon the warpatn.
device OF white paint with q central circle a u
abdomen, his oack and arms and legs are all adorned
with more or less regular smudges Of white and blue
you contemplate the holy place of winch he is the
custodian; but this does not prevent his subse
quenty begging from you in a stately manner, and
as though II were his settled right, u donation o.
three or four annaS.
Tnls temple stands in large paved quadrangle
which Includes also very large tank nled WIN
putrid, green colored water, which Is sup
posed to possess some peculiarly holy virtues,
stomachs take immense delight IN laying themselves
But the chief attraction or the place lies udouDeuy
temple. and who roam IN countless myriads unmo-
Tested over Its walls ana precincts Long before you
reach the Doorgha Knond you see them sitting
the roofs OF the native houses and tney
stare at you with an evident consciousness tnat
you are the common enemy OF themselves and their
good protectors the Brahmins, while as you pass
through the portal or the temple they gather in great
crowds the nearest trees and walls aud grin ana
chatter defiance at your white lace. And you notice
that they are wel-condtioned animals, rich IN an
abundance OF fat and parastical vermin uhe impof-
tunlries Of which latter they notice now and then
you lest you should guilty OF disrespect to these
irulers ol divine right" or the land in which you
are temporarily sojournn:. But no courteous
VIII move them to look upon you with
favor. Your most innocent actions are mis-
construed and resented with indignant chatterlng
and numerous angry caper5. II Is q positive fact,
which only philosophical student OF natural history
can delight In, that Indian monkeys sacred ones at
any rate, entertain towards the Caucasian race the
same malice that turks In the hearts ol Indian men,
while they take still less pains TO conceal it. But
q
not dare to venture near you and you leave them
intact and whole IN person and property. The ma
tlves, whom they love 30 I0ndly, 1are much worse;
for they caper careessiy into the shop or house OF
Hndo0 and make or without conjunction with his
goods and chattes Ana the Hinooo ls fur too pious
to exact any compensation Tor sucn losses. For
shall he not most assuredly receive an exceeding
great reward ior these involuntary gifts In some
Besides the Doorgha Khond there are numerous
other Hindoo temples III Benares, as bents city
which itself the ol the Hlndoo religion
and learning and winch the hollesL pundits have
declared TO be the very centre oil the w0rd situated,
IN lact exactly over tne point OF Snlya's trident,
are spread out all the kingdoms OF the earth, as
supported But although many OF these shrincs
possess special claims 70 saDcly they do not merit
any particular notice as works Of art The Bishesh-
war or the Golden Temple, which Is 80 much talked
about, Is u small, mean building In the dlrtiesl
quarter OF the city, anu has no visible external
traces OF gold, though 1t Is certainly said tbat
the domes were overland with precious metal
by bequest OF the late Runleet SINGH whose
brother Dhuieep has settled In England and has
already bloomed into an hngsn justice Of the peace.
No European or MuSsunan, no ever, is allowed W
enter what Is said 10 be the one sight Of the place
the inner temple. In the immediate vicinity Cl the
Bishesnwar Is the sacred well the Cyan Bapi whose
waters reputed TO be 80 holy that there IS
30 henous and abominaDic winch they cannot wash
away.
The Mohsnmedans have never regarded Benares as
centre O their faith In india, ana Its Mosiem Dud
ulg are comparatively Iew AurUngzcbe however, in
nt OF fanaticisn, determined to show the unequiyo
Cal triumph VI islam over Brahlinnism by erecting
Splendid mosque In this hottest OF Hlndoo clses. 1ne
result OF his laDors, the Grand Mosque, Ii now by
far the most cons spicuous building IN the place.
1t is constructed or red sandstone, with marble
cupolas, and Is graced with couple OF minarets,
winch are among the most graceful In lndia. Ony
eight feet III diameter they tower to height OF 100
feet their slcnderness giving them an appearance OF
being much higher than taey actually are. They
have additional interest also from tneT having been
constructed out OF the materials OF temple to
Vlshnu, which formerly stood on the site OF the
mosque, ana which was demolished TO make room
ior II. The general styie OF the mosque IS one OF
extreme simplicity. The building impresses one
solely by the beauty Of lts concepLion
1t Is very interesting 70 the stranger to stroll lei
surely through the main thoroughfares OF the city.
The streets are very narrow, aud are paved from
carriage to traverse them. Locomoton must either
be accomplished on loot or on horse or an ass,
better tnan AL, an elephant The houses tower up
slightly tnwards, that wuen ono looks up the SKY
ID almost shut out from view. Only occasionally,
of the sun be caught. Tne light is, tnere-
fore dim and subdued; one walks In con-
6tant SHADOW, ana the aU Is dellcIOuSly cool.
Tne shops are extremely small, and expose their
wares for sale sloping board. The various
crafts OF the city are openly practsed aud you have
the opportunity OF seeing most articles you MAJ de-
siro 10 purchase in the various stages OF manulac
ture. Here man Is carving out an IDOL there
worker In gold cloth Is weaving gorgeous caps en-
brodered with precious threads OF silver aud gold
upon gay grounds Of gaudy- y-col0red silk; III this
dngy hole tailors are putting together the garments
OF rajah or naDob, and IN that jeweer setting
valuable stones Ill line Indian gold, deeper In color
and four dollars an ounce higher In price tnan that
used by European g0dsmtnS.
All the streets are alive witn constant stream OF
human and other beings. AmDlinQ gently along on
an ass or diminutive native horse, man or wealth
or rank, perhaps nabob comes quietly along; 1t
may even happen, II you are lucky, That you will
encounter great rajan, seated IN howdah, on the
top oT an elephant. The looL passengers are OF
many degrees vi Importance, the distinctions among
them being pretty clearly indicated by their cloth
ing. The common coole wears only the bare require
square, secured round the waist by Of string.
The small slopkeepers, or O servant, wears long
white garment, casped around the waist probably
by glrde OF wnlte cotton, In the folds OF which he
keeps his rupees, and his mead is covered with
evinces his wealth by the fneness OF the quality OF
his gown, and by gold chain round his neck aud
Tse Women who are jreenty mer mn s Win nnseis arc
dressed In silk or cotton OF gay colors, say for In
stance, red cloak, with SKIRT OF blue; their arms
are adorned with rings and their feet with anklets.
Inc Moslem women, who are in many cases allowed
here certain degree oil liberty, 60 about with tier
faces entirely covered.
bul the most unsavory and troublesome section or
the crowd are the beggsrs, VINO flock around
European as thick as ants and strive by their i'm
potunitieS to tease him out OF his loose pice ana
two-anna bits. They are OF all ages and comprise
almost every variety of incurable disease irrepa-
rape deormlty ana mutliatlon. This one runs by
your SIDE and thrusts the stump OF his arm under
your nose; another, an old man, shaking with palsy
and leaning for support upon ms stlck mumD.cs out
OF his tootnlcss mouth tue usual entreaty relief
third cries in broken Engsh tnat he Is
leper. But look at this ghasty object that
sues for charity In low whine that from
LIS very feebleness s heard distinctly above the loud
chorus OF the attendant crowd. 1t is a little GIRL
eight nine years OF age with brilliant large
dark eyes, From head to foot she mass of sores;
not square incn OF her body, which Is almost nude,
is sound and whole. she is worn down to the last
stage einaciatiun IL, IN the pitiabe ear
nest, nothing put SKIN ana bone; her knees and
elbows stand ont like large balls, while her aud
legs are but little thicker than mans thumb. In
no other land under Christian government would
such inde5crlbabe misery De permitted 10 roam
aUout the streets; 1t is manifest cruelty