The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-09-04
HINDUISM STILL LEADS BY A
GREAT MAJORITY.
The Faith Numbers About 70 Per Cent
of the Aggregate Populatidn-Only
9 Per Cent of Christians.

I
The recent Indian census has reveal
ed many interesting facts concerning
tn religions of the country The adj
herents of Brahmanic Hinduism have
declined from 207 $50. 900 in 1891 to 207.
O75 900 in 1901 and it is a strange cir
cumstance that the diminution is in
males alone. The decline it can hard
ly be doubted, is due not to decay of
faith but to the severe famines of the
decade. Hindus, being most numerous
among the famine-stricken population,
have suffered proportionately. The
precise figures for the separate admin
istrations are curious. in the British
provinces there was an increase of g.
400 900 in the number of Brahmanic
Hindus, despite falling off of 1.12O-
900 in Bombay and the central provin-
ces, where famine was most severe.
The growth of Hinduism was espe-
cially noteworthy in Madras, Bengal
and Assam. But the increase in Brit
ish provinces was more than counter
balanced by the reduction in the native
states, especially in those of the Dec
/ can and Rajputana. The total de-
crease in native state was Ol3, 600, of
which 100000 must be assigned to
Rajputana. In strong contrast Is the
growth in the second great religion Of
India, Mohammedanism the Mussul-
mans showing an increase from 81 ,32l-
900 to 81 45S 900, or per cent In Ben
gal Mohammedanism grew twice as
fast as Brahamic Hinduism during the
decade, while its progress in Madras
was also very marked.
In Baluchstan were enumerated
nearly 500 900 Mussulmans who were
in in
the number of Mohammedans has been
attributed in part to the relative pros
peritv of the regions where they most
ly reside, in part to conversions. A
/ large increase in the population of Bur-
! ma has been accomplished by a still
| greater increase in those processing
/ Buddhism. the increase in Buddhists
being from 6SSS 900 to 91S4 900, or over
SO per cent. India proper, it may sur
prise many to learn, has only $4,000
Ruddhists. The total population of
Sikhs is 2,195000, a rise of 2S7000 OF
these no less than 100000 are to be
found in the Punjab and it's native
states.
One branch of the orthodox Jews still
keeps up the custom which seems more
than thirty centuries old. 1t is the
laying of a dead mans head upon
pillow filled with earth, and placing
4 upon his face of an earthen plate or
saucer broken into three pieces, one
for the nose and one for each eye.
Where a family is very wealthy the
earth is brought from the Holy Land,
and the mortuary plate from a potter's
kiln not far from Jerusalem. 1t is
made of reddish clay, and is similar
to those now dug up by the Palestine
exploration fund laborers. To make
/ the pillow and to break the plate into
/ the three conventional pieces demand
considerable practice if not skill, and
give steady employment to a little wiz
enedup. long bearded POlak rabbi,
who lives down in the Bend between
Park Row and the Five Points. For
the opuent he has earth which he
claims to have imported from Palestine
and odd plates which look as if they
might have been made by the potters
of King Solomon. But the well-tO-dO
who follow out the old customs are
few in number and the majority of the
faithful are not blessed with an eX-
cess of worldly goods.
For them he has clean earth taken
from field of growing grain and
plates made in some pottery not far
from the city. There is no set rule re-
speeding the earth. 1t may be laid in
the coffin beneath the head of the dead
man, and so form the pillow, which is
usually provided by nature herself.
Or it may be the filing of a linen or
silken case on which is inscribed a line
from the Torah or a figure of King
SOlomOn's seal.
/ How he breaks the plate is a secret
which has come down to him through
many generations. 1t formerly was
done by a sword, afterwards by a tro-
wei, but today by a small hammer.
| When the blow is struck the fractur-
ed pieces should not be of the same
, size. Two should be small and some
what circular in outline, so as to COW
err the optic orbit, while the third
should be rather long and reach at
least from the eyebrows to the end of
the nose. The first part of the cere-
mony is easily understood. 1t express
es the traditional saying, TRY pillow
shall be earth" but what the meaning
or origin of the three pieces of plate
is is not known to the official himself.
! He says, 1T is the law of our fathers,
! and l follow the law"
According to one of their scholars,
| there was superstition once that the
pieces of earthenware protected the
soul when it made it's final exit from
the body, which was supposed to occur
within a short period after physical
death, but there seems more reason
for believing that the custom was of
the same nature as the practice still
eXtant among some people of laying
| coins upon dead mans eyes.
The jams, like the Hindus suffered
severely from famine in Bombay and
its native states, and in Rajputana,
where (and in Central India) they are
mainly located. Their numbers fell
from 1,417 900 to 1884 900. The Brahmo
Hindus (Brahmo Somai,) who have ex-
cited some interest in this country,