Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-08
HINDOO FUNERALS and WORsHTP.
Bombay Cor. of the Providence Journa'.I

BOMBAY COr. or the providence journal
My last letter was dated upon nv arrival In
Calcutta. which found to be a beautiful city
wi h wide streets. fine buildings and numer-
Gus pleasant parks. The commarc OF Cal
eutta is immense. Ships are mpored heal
and stern in tiers of four or five each so close
that the head gear has to be removed, and
they extend for several miles along the right
bank bank OF the river. ! saw where tn" famous
thing now TO mark the spot save large lam.
post. In the botanical garden We saw IA
nous banyan tree, one OF the largest IN the
world 1t has three hundred branches and i
$40 feet around. After spending several d w.
very pleasantly in Calcutta. we started for
BenaTes, uiSt ut Il day ride in the cars. Be
on the Ganges river. They say that the city
is $1,000 steps nearer Heaven than any other
Place on earth, and as by dying here good
hindoos will be saved quite long tramp, the
humanity, ready for their long Journey
1t is a part OF the religion of the HlndooS 10
battle every morning, and say theif prayers
before taking food. Tue favorite pace for
doing beth is on the banks of the Gauges. So,
one morning, we arose about daylight, and
went to see them. We hired quite a large
boat, rode by half a dozen natives, and had a
very good view. Thousands were in the water
bathing and washing their clothes. After
being in sufficient time they went to one of
the numerous priests to be found on the bank,
said their prayers and the Brahmin painted
their faces, red or yellow, according TO caste.
" lille out on our sail that morning, We saw
another very curious sight, namely, the burn
ing of bodies on piles OF wood. The burning
is always done on me banks of the river, at a
place called the burning Chat, and the follow
ing is the general order of arrangements: The
on the shoulders of four coolies, followed by
the relatives. 1t is first dipped in the holy
Ganges, and then placed on the bank, while
on: Then the body is put in the river again,
and afterwards put on the pile of wood, lace
downwards; Wood is then placed on the
corpse, and everything being ready. a bow
pounds big gong and the fire is lighted Of
course, there was Sckening smell, but my
curiosity compelled me to remain. 1t took
three hours to burn the remains to ashes.
which were then thrown into the Sacrei
river. The people think that the GangeS flow
directly into heaven. All the details of the
burning were done by relatives of the deceased,
but they did not seem very sad. In fact they
laughed and chatted as if the Whole proceed
ing was capital JOKE. Many die in Benares
and there ale always several of these opera
classes, who cannot afford the great expense.
aboul $50, the burning is dispensed with, and
he body is placed on its back with lighted
candle Ill its m nth, and sent floating down
NJ stream TO heaven, via GangeS river.
We spent one day among the celebrated TEN
pies OF BenareS, which number over loo,
pei nearly 80 Mohammedan mosques.
had been led to expect something grand and
wonderful, but ! was greatly disappointed,
especially after having seen such p:lces as
Hhiba and lyeno, i'll Japan; Hainam Temple,
temple dedicated TO the sacred monkeys
which no; only filled the place, but raised
Ned all around the neighborhbod. bought
quantity of NUS and fruit, which threw at
the little raScalS, with the iuea of fri ghteuing
them, bat they merely stood on their hind legs
and caught the fruit with great deXterity
AT another temple there was a very deep
well, and all that was necessary to be done
was To look down, say Short prayer and then
make some request, no mat er what and the
iequeSt was sure to be granted. But the most
cui iouS OF all was the Temple of the Brahmin
Bull Ii was filled with people praying to a lot
Of COWS. The only sensible think | could see
about the religion OF the country was the bath
ing in the morning, which was very needful
a. the HindouS are a most filthy people.
Our Intention was to go from Benares to
Agra and Delhi, but the weather was so dan
eerouSiy hot that We were Obliged to abandon
the idea and proceed direct to Bombay tits
a ride by rail of about forty hours. Bombay
is a pretty place. with elegant buildings
drives, &c. The most famous sight here is the
PhaTSee cem' terry, where bodies are placed
on the top OF tower and are picked to pieces
by vultures. The greatest sight, however. in
Bombay, and tan almost say in India is the
famous EIephanta Caves, which is a large
chasm chiSeled out of solid rock. 1t contains
many la ge statues, and is nearly fourteen
hundred years Old. Years ago the Portuguese
SEN a man-Of war out here and battered the
place severely becaue it was a place OF
heather worship.