The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-04-24

this great raarcbing-anthemOf the Union
army in the late war, was a thoughtful
recognition on the part of the mahara-
jah OF Mr.. Seward's presence. We
took leave of our prineely entertainers
at twelve O'Clock, leaving the pageant
of the Gangrs to go on during the
whole night for the enjoyment of those
who, unlike ourselves, had strength
enough to endure it.
THE sHAuTs or THE GANGEs,
Long before John baptized in the
Jordan, the Asiatics hal conceived the
beautiful idea that certain rivers are
holy, and that their waters have the
rover of cleansing from all sin" The
Ganges Is, as it always has been, that
river of the Hindoos. They must come
bither as pilgrims from the most distant
regions, at least once in lifetime, and
even once a year, If they can. They
come here, moreover, if they can, to
die; because, to die In the holy city,
oCCuECc u 4ALCCI SllL1ACC AAlO
Native princes. successful halooos, and
rich zemindars, please the Bramin
priests and the people. and think also
that they please the gods, by erecting
majestic temples and buildings, costly
marble CHANTS for the use of the pill
grims as well as burning ghauts. To
reach these ghauts, the high, steep
banks of the river, for miles in length,
are terraced with perfect stone steps.
The temples rise to the height of FIVE,
six, seven, eight, nine stories. They
are built of marble and freestone, pier
ced with windows of every conceivable
graceful shape. and are extravagantly
ornamented with colonnades, corridors,
balconies, inches, large and small
domes, towers, pavilions, and pinnacles,
which are set off with gliding and
bright colors. The mosque; with its
tapering minarets, occasionally inter
jected among the temples, lends pleas
ing relief to the Hindoo architecture,
while its severe form and outlines seem
to reprove the prolific imagination of
the Hindoos. A highly-picturesque
seone presented itself on the river bank.
Citizens, pilgrims, men, women, and
children-singly, in groups, and IN
throngs-are ascending and descending
the staircases, bearing on their heads
bronze urns and vases, large and small,
of forms as graceful as the Etruscan.
Even the stately elephant seems to have
adopted the mystic faith, for we saw
him many times walk down the stair
case, which had been nicely adapted to
the human footstep, fill his trunk, and
solemnly return. Pilgrims were plum
ging into the water from platforms and
boats and barges of fanciful cUnstruc-
ton, some in the shape of peacocks,
swans, and fishes. All the devotees
dress IN snow-white robes as they leave
the water, to give effect to the idea that
immersion purifes. The funeral-hres
of the previous night are still blazing.
How can they be extinguished? ALI
that are in the city must die, and all
that die are brought here. Having
passed the entire river-front in the yacht
we dismissed it and returned through
the streets of the city. They are close
and narrow, but well paved, and COM
pared with the Chinese cities, excepting
Canton, they are clean. The chief
temple is that of silva, the representa-
tive of the principle of destruction and
reproduction. The dome and the tow
ers are of FURNISHED gold. silva is the
same round, black stone set in the floor
as at Calcutta. For greater reverence
is paid to him here. Access and egrcss
are made almost impossible by the null
titude of pilgrims and votaries, who
come into the temples laden with per-
fumes, fruits, flowers, and urns of holy
water. Priests receive these citations
and appropriate them as perquisites,
nor did the holy men disdain to receive
some bright silver rupees from our un-
worthy and profane hands. These
small, gentle, and very pretty sacred
white COWS, with wreaths of orange
flowers and roses around their necks,
wander at pleasure in the holiest recess
es of the temple, among the worship
pers, who feed them with rose-leaves
and locus-fowers.
But what poor apology for human
devotion is that of silva compared with
the exhibition of that sentiment which
is presented to Door0ay At the temple
of the former it is q black stone that is
honOred; at that of the Doorga it is the
living, moving animal creation, the mon
key. Moreover, these monkeys seem to
appreciate their celestial privileges and
honors. They are of all sorts and sizes.
We saw them by the thousand gamboll-
ing in the courts, tracing and chasing "
through the corridors, and mischievous-
ly laughing upon the worshippers be-
low from columns and cornices, from
balustrades and balconies.
RECEPTION AT PUTTEEALA-