The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-13
A History of Twenty Five Hundred
Years Written Of midas
Sacred City.
It's Religious Characteristics are
Almost It's Sole Means Of
Support.
Resorts OF Pilgrims MISUNDERSTANDING
Temples Filled With Grotesque Gods
A Religious Center.
Tho disturbances in Bsnares, (which the

uT6W 0LucutlUu III Ouc III buC OlACub GiIAUn III
the world and, in the eyes of millions Of
men, the most sacred. Like most disorders
in India the basis of tho present trouble il
religious, the moving cause being the DEM
clifton of a temple to make room for a new
waterworks. Benares, the most ancient
CITY in India, lies about four hundred miles
in q northwesterly direction from Calcutta,
the most modern. There the Ganges, most
sacred of all streams in the estimation
of 20O, 900, 900 of men, makes a gentle curve,
along the north side of which the sacred
city stretches for more than three miles,
with an average breadth of about one mile
and a half. Within that area there is a
population of 22b, 600, mostly Hindus, who
I:--,-.U ii its thoughts and beliefs and
the linn and hopes that form it. is as differ
ent from ours as the life of any people Of
whom the writer. a contributor in the New
York Times, has any knowledge.
Benares is, and for many years has been,
known by two names-Benares and Kashi,
The former may be regarded az the civil
NAME, used in common by Hindus, Moham-
medans and Europeans. The latter is the
sacred name, used almost exclusively by
Hindus when they speak of the city as a
place of pilgrimage or in a religious con-
nection. Both names occur repeatedly in
Brahaminlcal literature that dates at least
l5O years before oar era. All writers on
Buddhism or 'the Law US it is termed by
its adherents, agree that Eakya NUM-, tho
founder and the only real historical Bud
dha, on attaining to the state Of Buddha-
hood, Travelled from the city of Gaya to
Benares. There he spoke of the change
that had come over him, and began to pro-
claim the two leading principles of his
religion, namely. "Dharma," or right
eousness, and 'N%irvana," meaning lit
orally n%othingness. Bakya Mum il
believed by the best authorities to have
entered on his mission 5Ss b. G. As Be-
Mares was undoubtedly a city of considera-
bic population and influence when he fixed
upon IT as the most suitable place from
which to promulgate his doctrines, 1t may
safely be believed that it was founded not
later than the Seventh century before
Christ.
In many respects Benares is different
from the other great cities of Iudia. Reli-
glon Is Its chief source of maintenance and
great wealth.; without it it would sink into
comparative insignificance. To the Euro
pean it seems one of the most undesirable
places in India to live in, and, indeed, near
~ al! who for any time are situated there
dwell in a suburb nearly a milo andia hall
further from the river than the CITY. For
Hindus Benarss has a strong fascination;
they regard it as the most beautiful and
worthy to be loved. The city ia chiefly
built of sandstone, and is a vast labyrinth
OF lofty narrow streets and bazaars, into
many of which the rays of the sun pcne-
tra.e for only a few moments of each
day. Ihe houses are chiefly two stories
high, some of three or four, and a few
even higher. Their outer wall' are adorned,
on a large scale, with paintings Of trees,
gardens, birds, beasts, fishes, snakes, hunt
ing scenes, gods, goddesses. and all kinds
of NEUROLOGICAL subjects. The prints used
consist of some very bright coloring mat |
ter, which, notwithstanding constant ex-
posture to sun and rains, preserves its fresh
ness for many years. A few of the paint
both perspective and proportion, and lend
a strange but striking appearance to the
houses on which they are seen.
About 70 per cent. of the people are Hin
dus, who are divided primarily into four
great oastes or classes-called Brahmins,
military caste; the Vaisyas, or the trading
caste, and Sudras, or the ~servile, laboring
caste. These are popularity believed to have
sprung respectively from the head, the
arms, the chest, and the feet of Brahma,
the supreme, all-pervading spirit from
"AOAA ~ AoasV VAAAHo VlA0Adt0 oAu 10 |
whom they return. About $4,000 of the
H1nduA OF Benareg are Brahmius,
In the Intense heat of an Indian summer
men have been known to PROSTATE their
persons on the dusty road and to stretch
out their arms to mark the point on the
road to which their fingers reached. Gov
cred from head to foot with the dust OF the
road they rise and repeat the process. For
weeks, and IN some cases for months, even,
the pilgrims repeat this process as they
measure with their own persons the whole
of the way from their distant homes to
Benares. some of these strange journeys
extend over hundreds of miles.
Benares is truly a city of idolatry. Tenn
pies and shrlnes, in all some l, 500, are seen
in every street, alley and bazaar. Some
stand alone, others are placed in a line or
grouped around one another, in order or
no order. The idols are of various ma
terlals-stone, earth, wood, marble, iron,
brass, silver. gold-of all sizes and shapes.
and colossal, human, bestial.
natural and unnatural. Most of them are
grotesque,, huge, badly formed and in
decent. Many living creatures. such as .
bulls, peacocks, monkeys and serpents are
seen In the temples and houses; they are y
suporstitlously reyered, if not reverently
Although the temples in Benares are
they are, with scarcely an excep-
hon, modern. Many of them are believed
to be on the sites of ancient temples that
have long since passed away. Probably not
ore of them dates earlier than the Moham-
medan invasion of India. The temples of
and nearly all of them in northern
India are small and unimposing when com
pared with the grand and stately temples of
southern India. The temple of Bishesh-
mar, Lord of the Universe, known also as ,
Mahadey, is probably the largest, and GER n
AMY the most popular of all the sacred
'ity 8 temples. 1t occupies one corner of a j,
square, the greater portion of which '
s al elevated platform. On one side OF it .
the principal mosque of the city. 1t 9
3 built on the site and partly with the ma =
.erinls of the ancient temple of Bisheshmar
which was destroyed by the order of Arupp-
eb. A high and massive wall surrounds =,
he temple, and i'll the midst of the quad '
angle is II raised platform with a roof,
hove which are images in sandstone, mar
'le and brass of various gods and god
lesses. who form, as it were, the court of
The India metal workers and those of
heir cratt have their shops near the gate of
he temple. There idols can be bought &C 4
ordlng to weight or workmanship, and not y
little wranpling may be heard as the seller
raises and the buyer disparapes the IMAGE :.
I the god that both of them worship. Al q
II hours of the day, but especially from u
We am. to L., crowds of worshippers pngs N
and out of the temple. > Each one comes v
I the hour most convenient for himself. ma al
here Is no appointed time, and worshipa o,
ny or all OF tho gods az he may please. e.
.ach worshipper in this temple must of ~
pay homage to Bisheahmnr tbo "