The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-12
THE GREAT DELHI MOSQUE.

Magnificent Monument of Imperial Spleen
dor and Religious Devotion.
The Mosque of Delhi is of all Indian
mosques the noblest Nowhere, perhaps,
in the world does there exist more mag
nitcent monument of imperial splendor
and religi Gus devotion. With its two soar
ing minarets, its three lofty marble domes,
its giant gateways, arched corridors and
Mosques, it presents majesty and har-
m0ny of appearance uniqe of its kind and
unrlyaled by any other Indian house Of the
prayer. Carefully kept in repair by the
generosity Of 4 Mohammedan Prince, it is
looked on by the Mussulmans of India as
their chief pride, and a large congregation
consisting of townspeople, villagers and
visitors assemble every Friday to worship
at the midday prayers. On Friday in the
early part Of April, when the Indian sun
had become formidable, | visited the
mosque to witness the Juma prayers from
seat high up in balcony Uf the great
gateway. The courtyard lay below and
the building raised its majestic face in
'front.' The interior, accommodating 1000
persons, was already filled with lines of
wOrshlpers, dressed in white, and the over
flow had occupied the spacious corridors in
closing the square, the most curious sight of
all being the columns of people that filed
the shadows OF the minarets stretching out
at acute angles with the front of the bnild-
ing. When at last the Imam called the first
words OF the prayer the whole audience
rose. The cry God is great" was taken
up at intervals by the congregation, and,
echoing in the domed roofs, rolled out OF
the open arches and filled tile air. At the
moment Of prOstratiOn, with one impulse
the mighty crowd seemed to fall and bowed
itself TO the ground in alteration, again rose
and again bowed itself, following the simple
grandeur of tho MOlammptan rituaI
the prayers were about to finish dead
body, covered with white linen, was
brought into the courtyard and placed
in the center, and file Of mOurners came
to say the funeral prayers. Many
of the worsbipers, as they lett
the general prayers, formed in two long
rows and prayed for the peace of the de-
parted spirit, a touching sign of that kind
illness OF sentiment so common in the East.
AS the mourners carried out their burden
the most affecting figure was that of an old
man, with perfectly white beard and hair
who followed. mumbllng with grief, his
palsied hands beating the litter. Large
pots of water were placed at a side gate-
way, and cups filled with it were served out
gratis to all who wished to drink, some
Water-caTrlers being constantly at work re-
filling the vessels. A man stood at the gate
with little Dot of water for a sick man.
upon which passers-by breathed, uttering
q prayer. two lines OF beggars sat by the
door, and the devout gave them aims. The
PEOPLE had that variety of physiognomy
that IS so attractive in an Eastern crowd:
the gray-headed and the young were there:
the well-t0-d0 and the poor jostled together,
Old men with boards dyed red and Young
men OF fashion with carefully eombed hair
and well tended wniskers, pretty Children.
learned men wearing quaint spectacles filed
In one long stream of five or six abreast ont
OF the gate.-L0nd0n Morning Call.