Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-08-09
A SACRED RIVER.
or HINDoo TEN
Plies ALONG THE GANGES.
How This Mighty Stream Excitcs tho
superstitious Worship Of the Ma
tivcs-Rcligious Ceremonies
in Its Filthy Waters.

dian more than the Jordan is to tho
Christian. On tho top of house boat,
with six red-turbaned, black faced and
bare-legged rowers, slowly driftcd past
the bathing CHATS this morning. The sun
was just rising, and over fields of green
extending for miles away on the left of
the river its rays came to gild the brass
jars which each pilgrim carried 1t turned
the semi-barc brown skins of the men,
women and children to rich mahogany
and brought out the shadows in the fort
like walls of the temples lining the other
side of tho river. 1t was n scene for II
painter. The wonderful colors of Oricn-
tai Immunity miNcd with the glorious rcd
of nature filled one almost with feeling
of worship, and the muttcring of the
prayers of thousands with their strange
incant&tions and mysterious posturcs
threw an indcscribablc wcirdness over tho
scene.
Fantastic and foolish MS some of the
actions seemed, could not forget that
tins spot is to onc-siXth of the human
race the hottest place on the surface of
the whole world, that out of every six
men, women and children on Gods good
earth ono believes that If he washes here
his sins float away on these waters to the
sea, and that ii his ashes are here burned
ms soul goes straight to heaven. If the
Hindoo i'll accents of prayer uttcrs the
name OF this river within one hundred
miles OF its banks the net atoncs for the
sins OF three previous lives, and if he has
ms head shaved mt point which lies two
hours ride by train from where am now
writing and the hairs fall into the stream.
for every hnir that floats away he will
have Il million years in paradise. This
place is ut Allahubad, where the river
Jumna flows into the Gangcs, and here ut
certain times of the year thousands of
Hindoos may DC seen on the banks of the
river holding their heads over the water
and allowing BARRIERS TO shave them, MS il
were, into heaven.
And do the people really believe this2
l assure You they do, and their belief is
practical one, too. IL is not II faith
without works, by any means. This
town of l'cnarcs has II population rs big
us that of Cleveland, Cincinnati or Wash
ington. just now the mornings are cold
and the air is raw and piercing. IL is the
duty OF every one of these people to come
before their breakfasts and bnthc in the
Gauges. l found the hunks of the river
filled with them this morning The city
lies close to the river, und for three miles
along its banks are great temples, from
the walls OF which stone steps lend down
INTO the Gangcs, going under the water
and into the bed of the stream Each
Of these temples has perhaps one hundred
OF these steps from its bnsc to the water,
and these three miles of such steps were
filled with worshippcrs. All were
Hindoos and none were clothed in ANY,
thing but the thinnest of cottons. There
were shrvcled old men and women
wrapped around i'll the single breath of
dirty white cotton, standing up to their
waists in water and holding their long,
thin, bony arms upward while with
chattcring teeth they muttcrcd prayers to
the gods, silva and Vishun. Now and
then they duckcd down into the water,
and as they came up they gaspcd and
looked colder than ever.
There were plump girls, whose bright
eyes flashed II half roguish gance ut me
between their prayers. As they raised
their arms noted that each Ind gold and
silver bracelets upon them, and some of
the country maidcns had bracelets one
after another from the wrist TO the elbow,
and from thence on to the shoulders.
Many wore great nose rings, and as they
threw back their heads | could see that
their cars were punctured with many
holes, and that each hole contained bit
OF gold or silver. Most of them, how
ever, hid their fnccs, and not few were
high caste IIindoo maidcns. They did not
battle with the men, and rs rule thcy
huddlcd up in little groups by them
selves. At many of the temples there
were lodges built out over the river, and
here men gathered up water in their hands
and muttcrcd prayers over it. Ench man
and woman had II brass jar, and MS they
left their bathing they carried some of tho
holy water TO aid them in their worship
in the temples. There were thousands
OF maid servants carrying great bowls of
Gangcs water on their heads and steady
ing the burden with one brown, burc arm
as they walked up the steps. The cos
tune of the IIindoo is Picturesque one.
1t is one long strip Of cloth wound about
the person. Sometimes bright colorcd
shawls are added by the wcalthier, and u
bright turban or cap covers the head.
Mixed with this gaudy, splashing,
sputtering throng just above the water
were square benches covered with UNI
brellas us large us the top of summer
house, and under these sat wrinklcd old
priests with boxes of red paint beside
them. Each worshippcr came to these
priests as he finished his bath and the
priest, dipping his finger into the paint
box, made one, two or three marks upon
his forehead. These marks were to re-
main on until the next days bathing and
they were the signs of the gods. Among
the bathcrs were peddlcrs of Gangcs
water. These carry the holy fluid in
jars to villages far out in the country and
each pilgrim who comes takes a load home
to his relatives.