The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-08-27
Tricks of Hindu Jugglers.
cr. B. Holmes in The Christian Union.)

ct. B. Holmes IN the ChrlsLAn UnlOnJ
The wonderful tricks of legerdemain, the
feats of balancing, tumbling and rope dan
cling performed by men and women in the
theaters and circuses in this country are
hardly equal to the commonest tricks and
feats performed by Hindu jugglers in their
native land.
II is very common sight in India to
see young girls balancing themselves on
their heads with their heels in the air, or
to see them walking on their hands and
feet with their bodies bent backward 1t
is an easy thing for girl of Is years to
bend backward, plunge her head into hole
IS inches deep, full of water and dirt, and
bring up between her lips ring that was
buried in the mud.
Women are not less dexterous than the
girls and the men. They are frequently
seen dancing in couples on slack ropes, one
playing on the vina or Hindu guitar, while
the other poses, postures and capers grace
fully about with vessel brimful of water
in each hand, without spilling drop.
A Hindu juggler will stand a pole 20
feet high on the ground, and then climb to
the top of it as if it was firmly rooted
tree. He fixes the top of the pole in the
middle of his sash and dances about in all
directions without disturbing the equilib-
rum of the pole The same man, after
giving an exhibition of this sort, slides
down the pole, takes a boy on his should
ers, climbs once more to the top, fixes the
the top of the pole in the hollow of his
foot, and stand erect balancing himself,
with the boy on his shoulders, as easily as
the avarage person would balance himself
on one foot on the ground.
Another very difficult act is that of bal.
ancing a sword with broad blade, the
point resting on the performers chin; then
the juggler will balance straw on his nose
or on a small stick which he holds in his
lips. While performing this trick the
juggler some times places a piece of thin
tile on his nose and tosses up stone, which
falling on the tile, breaks it in pieces.
Some of the most wonderful feats O
these men are performed on the slack rope
While balancing himself on the rope, tht
performer carries long stick on the enc
of his nose. At the top of the stick is Sc
a large tray, from which walnut shells ar,
suspended by threads. He takes in hi
lips stick long enough to reach the shells
and by sudden movements of the lips tosse
each shell upon the tray without derangins
anything or losing his balance. While
doing this he strings beads upon horse
hair by means of his tongue, and without
any assistance from his hands.
The Hindus have found means of com
municating their great dexterity to domes
tic animals They train bullocks to per
form very difficult tasks. A Hindu jug
gler will lie down ON his back and nlace {
small piece Of stout wood, two feet higf
and six inches in diameter, on the lowe
part of his stomach. At his command q
trained bullock will set its four feet on the
top of this stick and balance itself. The
juggler will then place another piece OF
wood, similar to the first, a few inches from
it, and the bullock will shift its position to
it without touching its feet to the ground
Goats are also taught wonderful feats by
this queer people.