The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-07-14
DEATH IN BENARES.
The Heartless Offices Performed
by Venerable Brahmans.
Uermits Cast Into the Ganges-Bodies
Burned and the Yaluables Raked
from the Asbes-A Talk with
Two Native Students.

Benares-pIease do not call it Ben
Airs, it is pronounced Burma h-russ,
with the accent on the second syllable
Benares is an ancient and, in some re-
spects, an interesting, even fascinating,
sity The CHATS along the river are my
favorite promenades. In the evening /
am sure to find curious crowd assem-
1 led there The native noblemen are
conspicuous among their followers by
the bright-colored silks and satins that
they wear. One sees more of Oriental
magnificence at Benares than in any In
Ian city under direct British control.
in the native states, however, where the
rulers are not transformations black
coats, but Princes who, when they dress
ut all, dress like Solomon in all his
glory, there is much more gaiety and
display No one can form any idea of
the picturesque side of Eastern life who
has not visited Haidarabad in the Dec
can, or one of the great Raiput capitals.
Benares is city OF the Brahmans, and
one will not often observe here that SUI
perb mixture of pride and politeness,
the frank and gallant bearing that
everywhere characterizes the Rajput
Qkshattriya or warrior), who is the true
gentleman of India, however the Brah-
man or Kayasth ''Babu" may arrogate
that title. Here on the CHATS at Benares,
however, | meet with great courtesy
from all, from the fat Raja waddling by
in his flowing silk robes to the poor
washerman spreading his clothes out to
dry on the mud of the river bank.
was walking along the CHATS last
night with two young students, a tribe
very common in this city, and gathered
from all parts of India. One was.
named Srishti-followed by great many
syllables which | can not remember; the
other Bhutta-with other strange sounds
that failed to catch. These two dis
cussed Hindu theology with me as we
strolled along, and, in the true Babu
fashion, insisted on talking English,
though they did not know it very well.
One would begin sentence and stick
last IN the middle of it; the other would
carry it on till the first got his breath
again, after which they would finish it
In chorus. What they meant, however,
was always rather uncertain. They
knew great deal, these young Babus;
they knew that Christopher Columbus
discovered America, and could tell how
many wives Henry VIII. had, and what
he did with them all. Nevertheless, they
accepted these statements with a GER
tam reserve. For instance, the Puranas
SAID that the world consisted of one
great continent, Jambu Dwipa. Now,
IL America existed there must be two
continents. Hence it seemed likely
mat Christopher Columbus had been
iaboring under halIucnation, and
mat America was fiction after all.
Ibis conclusion l. being an American,
refused to consider as final Probably,
l sad, America was Suvarna. the Golden
Land, which (again according to the
furanas) lies beyond the Black Water
ythe ocean, This rash theory they re-
fused to accept without confrmative
evidence. "Was there gold in Amer
ieas they asked, and when | said there
was great deal, they were happy and
eesaf to form more favorable opin-
ION OF Christopher Columbus. We did
not get ON as well in theology. When
~ asked them if they were worshipers of
,shnu or silva, they became myster:-
Gus ~. shiv (siva) they said was every
Maere; they were Shiv, | was Shiv,
even that dog, NANCY though he
might BE-, was Shiv.' .'My Elder is
ihii9,rmationed to this from Kunnelcut, !"
sao Bhutta, by which l understood him
=. 70 say that his elder brother had learned
.iese panthc site ideas from our coun-
rrsnlan' Colonel Olcott. the prophet of
htso'erlc Buddhism. Kunnelcut was,
n az ADDED, very wise man, but not, he
,i,ought, high-caste Brahman, as peo-
pie sad. He asked me if Kunnelcut
h wore the sacred thread round his neck,
ou =, was unable to say.
meanwhile we passed the Mosque of
saa:rangzeb. high on the cliff above. Its
sfaf . though only one hundred and
Any Any ieethigh, seemed to tower in infinite
h t.s'aiee up into the sky, and | could
..lhaaly believe that had climbed up to
r r,', dizzy point few days before.
nn.lner on was the little pool of greasy
w waier with steps leading down to it,
VIII wien IS said to be the sweat of Vishnu,
anu . great bathing place. Above it
N Ssle Inc nigh, dark-red spires of the
n ma;ppaiese temple, the largest in Benares,
al %l', n gut flags flying at the top-they fly
Ia .ne time, in windy weater or quiet,
rug merely triangular sheets of tin.
WI I'n we came to the Burning Chat,
n am re the bodies of the dead are Gre
RI ~, u With unusual frankness for
Nous my friends remarked that the
. mes'ern custom of burial, which l de-
ID a.'eo TO thenl, was very barbarous
Sa. a But that is what you do with
aoaf Jogisa (hermits), l said in self.
svaclSe. They told mo horuavar that