Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-28

4 ton, IN this strange land OF ocult wis.
| dom, mysticism and superstition.
The ceremony Of bowling down 10
| this rather commonplace receptacle
| took place on the Nat roof Of the huge
| pile OF buildings in Calcutta which are
occupied by the secretaries Of the GOV
| eminent, The worshipers, some %
| IN number, most OF them native order.
Hes from the hills around Simla who
! every year accompany the government
officials from Simla TO Calcutta, en-.
gagged as their priest Punjabi Brah-
MIN. Taking one OF the large packing
cases which are used to convey Office
records they draped It's rough wood
work with plantain leaves and branches
| or the sacred pipa trees, On this
foundation they placed q dispatch box
winch served as n species Of altar. on
top OF It, az the principal fetish, was
installed a common English glass Ink.
pot with a screw ton and around this
were arranged penholders and pen
nibs, red, blue and black pencils pen
knives, Ink erasers, foolscap and letter
pAper' envelopes postage stamps, blot.
ting paper sealing wax-in short all
the clerkly parophernalia with which
the government OF India carries ON rs
work with an unconscious touch Of
humor the whole was festooncd with
abundant coils OF red tape.
oBEIsANCE rs MADE.
When all the preparations had been
completed each worshiper made
reVerential obeisance 10 the inkpot and
lald before II his offerings, consisting
or grains Of rice, spices and varINls
fruits. and some copper fartbings tho
latter constituting the perquisitcs of
me oficiating priest. The Brnhmlu
then rccitcd various cabalistlc formula,
supposed 70 be texts from tho Vedas,
After the conclusion OF the religious
rltes inc Votaries feasted themselves on
sWeetmeats, for the purchase Of which
each man had contributed "a rupee. and
then went their several ways licking
their lips and rejoicing IN their faith
that the lnkpot deity would see to IL
that they prospercd IN the government
employ.
PART OF A FESTIVAL.
The ceremony is part OF a general
fetish festival, called Sri Panchami and
observed at the time of the spring
equinox. when II Is Incumbent on every
religious minded person to worship the
implements or insignia OF the vocation
by which he lives. The soldier worships
MS sword, the farmer his plough, III
money lender his ledger and the oper'
aiives In the tute mills near Calcutta
bow down before the engines which
drive their looms. Even the thugs,
who combine plety and murder, In.
dulge In n gruesome ritual IN which
the plckaXes with which they dig The
graves OF their victims play a pro
minent part.
MEDLEY OF CREEDs,
In the strange medley Of creeds @.
which the numerous religions Of lpdn
are compounded the doctrine Of tha
transmigration OF souls finds a prom
lnent place. There Is "A popular heller
In some places that when man DIES
the nature Of his next existence can be
ascertoined by placing ashes from
potter's kiln In shallow vessel ana
carefully smoothing them. Next morn
Ing, II Is alleged, the ashes VIII pc
found marked with human footprints
II the soul OF the dead man is 10 be re,
born as human being with claws u
q bird; wayy lines II tree, and 80 on
A man and his wife battle IN the Gan,
ges with their clothes lied together 70
ensure their being married to one W.
other In their next state OF existence
LOOT AND PRAY"
The actual practses and bollois ~
the Mohammedans In India dilier co''
and the uneducated are Geep,
ly infected with Hinduism, Aigaani
and Baloohs hre equally ignorant W
everything connected with their re.s s
ion beyond its most elementary u ,So
trlnes. While devout believers ID G
OF prayer, the populnr n',N In.
OF the Afghans, Loot and pray ia
dlcates how little their picty ai'''"