The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-12-21

ment of tombs. shrines. minarets. pal
aces and temples. 1t is the glorifica-
tion of steps, the triumph OF stairways.
But looked at close by. the temples,
though large and expensive, are any
thing but attractive. The seeming
gold in many cases turns out to be
brass. The precious stones in the wall
turn out to be paint. The marble is
stucco. The slippery and disgusting
steps lead you to images of horrible
visage, and the flowers put upon the
altar have their fragrance submerged
by that which is the opposite of aro-
matics.
After you have seen the CHATS. the
two great things in Benares that you
must see are the Golden and Monkey
temples. About the vast Golden temple
there is not as much gold as would
make an English sovereign. The air
itself is asphyxiated. Here we see men
making gods out of mud and then put
ting their hands together in worship of
that which themselves have made.
Sacred cows walk up and down the
temple. Here stood fakir with right
arm uplifted, and for so long a. time
that he could not take it down, and the
nails of the hand had grown until they
looked like serpents winding in and
around the palm.
The god of the Golden temple is silva,
or the poison god. Devils wait upon
him. He is the god of war. of famine,
of pestilence. He is the DESTROYER. lie
has around his neck a string of skulls.
Before him bow men whose hair never
knew Il comb. They eat carrion and
that which is worse. Bells and drums
here set up a racket. Pilgrims come
from hundreds of miles away, spend
ing their last piece of money and eX-
hausting their last item of strength in
order to reach this Golden temple, glad
to die in or near it, and have the ashes
of their bodies thrown into the Ganges.
We took Il carriage and went still
further on to see the Monkey temple,
so-called because in and around the
buildings monkeys abound and are
kept as sacred. All evolutionists
should visit this temple devoted to the
family from which their ancestors
came. These monkeys chatter, and
wink, and climb. and look wise, and
look silly. and have full possession of
the place. We were asked at the en-
trance of the Monkey temple to take
off our shoes because of the sacredness
of the place, but a small contribution
placed in the hands of an attendant
resulted in permission to enter with
our shoes on. As the Golden
temple is dedicated to silva, the
poison god. this Monkey temple
is dedicated to Siva's wife, a deitess,
that must be propitiated. or she will
disease. and blast. and destroy. For
centuries this spitfre has been wor-
SHIPPED. She is the goddess of scOld, and
and slap. and termagancy. She is sup
posed to be a supernatural Xantippe:
hence to her are brought flowers and
rice, and here and there the flowers
are spattered with blood of goats slain
in sacrifice.
As we walk to-day through this
Monkey temple we must not hit, or
tease. or hurt one of them. Two Eng
lishmen years ago lost their lives by
the maltreatment of a monkey. Pass
ing along on one of these Indian
streets monkey did not soon enough
get out of the way, and one of these
Englishmen struck it with his cane.
Immediately the people and the
priests gathered around these
strangers. and the public wrath
increased until the two Englishmen
were pounded to death for having
struck n monkey. No land in all the
world so reveres the monkey as India,
as no other land has temple called
after it. One of the rajahs of India
spent one hundred thousand rupees in
the marriage Of two monkeys. A
nuptial procession was formed in which
moved camels. elephants, tigers, cattle
and palanquinS of richly dressed peO-
pie. Bands of music sounded the we'd
ding march Dancing parties kept the
night sleeplesS. 1t was twelve days
before the monkey and the mOnkeyeSs
were free from their round of gay at
tentions. In no place but India could
such a carnival have occurred. But,
after all. while we cannot approve of
the Monkey temple, the monkey is
sacred to hilarity. defy any one to
watch n monkey one minute without
laughter. Why was this creature made?
For the worlds amusement The mis-
sion of some animals is left doubtful
and we cannot see the use of this
or that quadruped or this or
that insect. but the mission of
the ape is certain; all around
the world it entertains. Whether
seated at the top of this temple in
India, or cutting up its antics on the
top of a hand organ, it stirs the sense
of the ludicrous; tickles the diaphragm
into cachination; topples gravity into
play, and accomplishes that for which
it was created. The. eagle. and the
lion, and the gazelle, and the robin no
more certainly have their mission than
has the monkey. But it implies a low
form of Hindooism when this embodied
mimicry of the human race is lifted
into worship. In one of the cities for
the first time in my life | had an op-
portunity of talking with a fal<ir, II IL
HindOo who has renounced the world
and lives on aims. He sat under
rough covering on platform of brick.
lie was covered with the ashes of the
dead. and was at the time rubbing
more of those ashes upon his arms and
legs. He understood and spoke Eng
lish. said to him: "How long have
you been seated here?" He replied,
Fifteen years Have those idols
which I see power to help or Destroy
He said, No; they only represent God
There is but one God"
Question-When people die where do
they go to?
Anc1ray That daDaDdS rnou what