Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-01-10

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benares is imposing in the distanc
as you look at it from the other side O
INC dangcs The forty-seven CHATS
OF nights OF stone steps, reaching from
tne waters edge to the buildings higl
up on the banks, mark place for tn,
ascent and descent of the sublimities
Inc eye is lost in the bewilderment o
tomos, shrines, minarets, palaces ant
temples. It is the glorification Of stems
the triumph of stairways. But looked
az close BY the temples, though large
ana expensive, are anything but at
tractiye. The seeming gold in man,
places turns out to be brass. The pre-
clous stones in the wall turn out to be
4 paint. The marble is stucco. The
slippery and disgusting steps lead yor
70 images OF horrible visage, and the
flowers put upon the altar have theil
fragrance submerged by that which is
the opposite of aromatics.
After you have seen the CHATS, the
two great things in Benares that Won
must see are the Golden and Monkey
temples About the vast Gold 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 falir with a 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. He
has around his neck string of skulls.
Before him bow men whose hair never
knew comb. They eat carrion and
that which is worse. Bells and drume
set up racket. Pilgrims come from
hundreds of miles away, spending then
last piece of money and exhaustinp
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 carriage and went still
further on to see the Monkey Temple.
so called because in and around the
building 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 entrance of the Monkey
Temple to take off our shoes because of
the sacredness of the place, but small
contribution placed in the hands of an
attendant resulted in permission to
enter with our shoes on. As the Golden
Temple is devoted to silva, the poison
god, this Monkey Temple is dedicated to
Siva's wife, deitess, that must be
or she will disease, and blast
and dstroy. For centuries this spit
fire has been worshiped. She is the
goddess of scold and slap and ter
migancy She is supposed to be super
Xantippe; hence to her arc
brought flowers and rice, and here and
there the flowers are spattered with
the blood OF goats slain In sacrifice.
AS we walk to-day through this Mon
key Temple we must not hit or tease
or hurt one of them. Two Englishmen
years ago lost their lives by the NAL
treatment of a monkey. Passing along
one of these Indian streets, a monkey
lid not soon enough get out of the way
and one of these Englis hmen struck it |
with cane. Immediately the people |
md the priests gathered around these
strangers and the public wrath in
creased until the two Englishmen were
pounded to death for having struck a
monkey. No land in all the world so
everes the monkey as India, as no
,ther land has temple called after it.
)ne of the rajahs of India spent 100,-
100 rupees in the marriage of two mon
,eys. A nuptial procession was formed
n which moved camels elephants,
igers, cattle and palanquins of richly
Lressed people. Bands of music sounded
he wedding march. Dancing parties
,ept the night sleepless. It was twelve
ays before the monkey and monkeyess
we're free from their round of gay at
entions. In no place but India could
UGH carnival have occurred. But.
fter ALL while we cannot approve Of
he Monkey Temple, the monkey is sa-
red to hilarity. | defy any one to
vatch monkey one minute without
aughter. Why was this creature
lade? For the worlds amusement.
he mission of some animals is
1T doubtful and we cannot see
he use of this or that quadruped, or
his or that insect, but the mission OF
he ape is certain all around the world
entertains. Whether seated at the
op of this temple in India, or cutting
D its antics on the top OF hand
ryan, it stirs the sense OF the ludl-
rous; tickles the diaphragm into each
nation; topples gravity into play, and
ccomplishes that for which it was Gre
ted. The eagle, and the lion, and the
azelle, and the robin no more certainly
ave their mission than has the mon
ey. But it applies to low form OF
-indooism when this embodied mimicry
E tho human race is lifted into wor-