Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-04

finally abandoned. Twelve years later. hay-
ing obtained permissiY1 from the author
of a buddhist priest, lsttirely Ignorant of
physics or engineering. ngged a rude con-
trfvance by which the huge bell was hoisted
from the mud to hatpoat. towed to the
bank. transported on rollers a distance of
four miles up the hill hung where i.
may be seen today under shed be side TIL,
pagoda. It's recovery and removal did not
cost farthing. 1t waf all done under the
direction of ignorant priests by volunteer
labor
1t is impossible for me or any one else
to describe the conglomerate assortment
of temples and shrirles that the crowded
together upon the terrace 1t would re-
quire a volume to do them Justice, and
their picturesqueness could not be por-
trayed In words. Nowhere else Is there
such a display Of teak wood carved and
gliding and fantastic forms of architecture
Artists say that the designs and decora-
ti0ns are barbaric which Is true, but they
are characteristic of the oriental races
they represent, and express in most vivid
manner their ideas Of beauty.
Scenes in the temples.
In many of the temples. may be found
priests reading the Buddhist scriptures or
preaching to throngs Of worshipers Hun
dreds of "punjees,' or young monks; with
naked legs. yellow robes and shaven heads,
wander about among the crowds or sit in
groups IN the SilaQe OF some fantastic Struc-
ture- Nuns in white robes, with rapt faces.
move silently among the merry throng, and
In shady corners may be found numerous
sayas (soothsayers ana fortune teIlers),
squatting on the ground with books of ref
erence and tablets before them, and never
out Of sight are the professional mendI-
cants, who poke their brass bowls toward
you for offerings. -
In conspicuous place near the main
entrance, from morning till night seven
days In the week, sits grotesque dwarf
with an enormous head and a small, mis-
shapen body. His hair is long and made
up into artificial curls and his face Is
covered with heavy black beard His
eyes are large, dark and piercing, and are
overhung with bushy black eyebrows He
has powerful voice and a loud-sounding
gong, which he pounds fncessantly. scream
ing at every person who passes for an
offering to assist him in building a shrine
that he may acquire merit in heaven. He
has sat continuously in that identical place
for more than five years. begging in the
same manner for the same purpose, and l
was told that he had accumulated several
thousand dollars, chiefly in gifts of pennies,
so that he Is about to commence the erec-
ton Of the shrine which is to give him a
high place In heaven
Merit Of Pagoda Building.
The hill upon which the pagoda stands is |
by numerous monasteries filled
with monks and priests and punjees, and |
large rest houses where pilgrims are enter
tanned during their stay In Rangoon. Thou
sands of smaller but similar pagodas are |
scattered all over Burma. In various stages |
of ruin and decay. Some Of them are SPLEEN
did structures, others are simple piles of /
brick heaped together at a nomi- |
nal cost, but equally effective in serving the |
purpose for which they are intended.
Building pagoda among the Burmese is |
the same as a pilgrimage to Mecca by a |
Moslem. 1t removes all doubt of eternal |
happiness. Hence every man who can get |
money enough erects little tapering spire |
of cheap brickwork and cement, smeaTs 1t |
over with stucco and. II he can pay the bill. |
covers 1t with gold leaf. AS merit at |
taches only to building, It IS not necessary
for him to keep the pagoda In repair. Hence |
the most of them are In a State of decay.
The only ones carefully kept are found I'M
large cities or have some sacred association
or possess relics OF Budiha. At Syrian is
the oldest pagoda in Burma and one of the
most important. for II was built I'm the year
$50 B. c. to hold two hairs. from the beard
of Buddha. A bone and a tooth of 1.-The en-
lightened" were added $50 years later. Sew
eral similar relics, a tooth, four hairs and
a number of pieces of bone at the Shwe-
Dagon Pagoda give it it's peculiar sanctity.
The most important relics of Buddha how
ever. are in Siam. s5S H.