The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-06-04
A HOLY CITY.
Strange Sights on the Banks Of the Ganees
at Benares.


spectacle presented by the river face of
Benares is its population, resident and
immigrant. Throughout the length Of
this northern shore, where the flights of
steps and the slopes Of the temples come
down to the Gauges, is seen all day long
an immense crowd of devOtees, of all
ages, ranks, and raiments. and of both
sexes. bathing in the sacred river or
praying by its edge, or washing their
robes of pilgrimage, or bringing their
dead to be burned. Imagine what an
artistic effect results from such fringe
of life and of color between the steep
multi-colored background of the steps
and temples and the shining waters of
the stream. Throngs of brown-skinned
men and women, of boys and girls,
stand waist-decp along the bathing
stations. whispering their supplications
and pouring the holy liquid over neck
and breast and loosened black hair.
Groups of bright-clad women, led by
their Brahman gurus, come joyously
down the stairs from far-Off towns and
junglcs, to lay their scarlet. saffron
green. and rose-color saris aside with
the ghat-kecpers, and wash their limo
cent sins away in Gunga. Big UNI
brellas are everywhere erected in the
sand or mud. inscribed with Ram,
RAM" and under them, shaded from
the sun, family parties sit and chatter,
or pray in silent accord, arrived, after
immense marches, to be laved in and
saved by Gunga. Sick people lie, visit
full and wan, on charpOys, brought to
her beneficent side, that they may hear
the ripple of the Great Mother" and
feel the healing wind blow from her
waves; while, at the foot of the burning
Chats. where the people who sell the
"death-wood" are raking for white
bones in tho heaps of hot ashes, and
piling up fuel and cow-dung for their
next batch of funeral pyres, lie three
still figures covered with white and red
cloths, from which prelude only the
fixed. cold feet, washed by the outer
edge of the tide. These are the dead OF
to-day, happy-thrice happy-to have
passed to the gate of Swarga, close to
Gunga's good waves. Their friends sit
near, we'll satisfied even amid their
natural regrets; and, very soon, three
blue curls Of smoke waited among the
temple-roofs from three cracking fires
upon the platform of the Chat will tell
where those vOtaries have finished their
pilgrimage for once and all. Wonder
full is the fervor of belief among these
gentle, metaphysical Hindoo people.
An orthodox British churchwoman will
feel that she has done her duty if. when
she visits q famous city, she goes twice to
its ancient cathedral on Sunday. What
would she think of these Indian wives
and mothers bathing with such rejOic-
ing confidence OF salvation in crowd
under the Dasaswalncdha ,.hatp Some
of them are "purdah women" who
would never lay aside their wells and
step outside the curtain except under
protection Of the sacred simplicity of
pilgrimage. Some are old and feeble,
weary with the long journey of life,
emaciated by maladies, sa,idened from
losses and trouble; and the morning air
blows sharp, the river wave runs chilly.
Yet there they stand, breast-dcep in the
cold river, with dripping cotton gar
ments clinging to their thin or aged
limbs, visibly shuddering under the
shock Of the water, and their lips blue
and quivering, while they eagerly NUT
ter their invocations. None Of them
hesitates; into Gunga they plunge on
arrival, i'll or well, rObus. or sickly, and
ladle the holy liquid up with small.
dark, trembling hands, repeating the
sacred names. and softly mentioning
the sins they would expiate and the be-
loved souls they plead for! ] hope it is
perhaps true, rs l watch these devout
and shiyering women, that "all the
prayers which are uttered come some
how to the ears of Kcshar." q. a.
Sala. in London Telegraph.