The sun., 1907-03-28
BATHING AND BURNING CHATS
DAILY SCENES IN THE GANGES Al.
HOLY BEN.tRES.
The Greatest Human Spectacle la india
ceremonies in which 100. 900 People
Take Part burning OF the Dead-A
Picture OF Heathenlsm Triumphant.

FVture OF healnenkkm triumphant
The greatest spectacle in India is the
sunrise gathering Of Ganges worshippers
along the river bank at Benares.
Even when the tourist sees ii. which is
generally in the winter, there are from
10000 to $1,000 bathers along the city front.
At the summer festivals three times that
number take part in the ceremony
1t il the dream Of every pious Hindu
to die in Benares, to have his body cremated
at the edge of Mother Ganges' and the
ashes committed to her food. If he once
gets to Benares his dream is pretty sure to
be realized
The city stretches for three miles along
the left or west bank Of the Ganges, and
all the city's extent is sacred ground. Who
dies there on the left bank is sure of exalted
estate hereafter: while the right bank is
desolate and accursed, and whoever dies
on that stretch Of Ganges shore becomes
a donkey in the next incarnation, without
hope forever.
One bank Of the muddy stream is steep
and high crowded with palaces, temples
and hanging gardens, with the broad,
magnificent flights Of steps. called CHATS,
sweeping down between them to the rivers
edge.
The opposite shore is low and sandy.
The Maharajah Of Benares has white
marble palace on the right bank. far up
stream, but no one dies in this Ramnagar
palace, nor in the village behind it, if mortal
effort can prevent. The dying are bundled
into boats in panic haste, for il il as good
to give the death rattle on Mother Ganges
breast as on the Renares shore.
To see the sunrise bathing one starts
before daybreak when in the winter months
it is bitterly cold. even though one may be
glad of the shelter Of a sun umbrella before
noon.
Describing her experiences Eliza Scid-
more SAYS in the National Geographic
Magazine that when they had raced down
the great steps and the houseboat was
poled of from the bank a murmur Of voices
rose the length of the CHATS from the tens
of thousands on platforms built over the
water or standing waist deep in the water,
repeating in muttered chant the ancient
Vedic hymn.
swirling mud food; they lifted the water
in jars and poured il over their heads, they
lifted it in their hands and let il trickle
through their fingers or run down their
arms, and they dipped tufts of sacred grass
in the water and sprinkled themselves.
Each one was absorbed entirely in the
long religious TeCitals. They paid no heed
TO us, nor to any happenings, for the Hindu
ritual is so eXacting that II they should
make slip or omission they would have to
begin all over again.
For the priests and high caste Brahmans
the daily prayers are OF two hours duration
by the water side, and continue all day.
but the ordinary man gets his morning
ceremony done in far less time, wades back
TO shore and dry garments, spots and
stripes himself with fresh caste marks for
the day. He fills a brass jar with water
and strolls along the CHATS with the crowd,
stops for prayer or two, salaams to a cow
or two, pours his water Offering over some
greasy black image, and his religious work
is done.
Not every believer goes to the Ganges
each morning Tens and tens of thousands
must shirk their religious duties entirely,
for as the city has fixed population OF
222. 400 and a floating population of 10000
TO 30 600 il is only an eighth or tenth Of them
all that hail the sun across Ganges
All who do 90 are in evidence save the
few high caste and noble women who arrive
before daylight and are rowed out in cur
tained boats to battle and pray unseen IN
midstream. Ii must require physical cour-
as well as religious zeal 10 breast that
cold, muddy current on frosty morning,
especially as the majority of these people
have only a double cotton sheet for prone
made toilet.
At the women's CHAT every woman car
ries brass water jar OF still larger and
heavier jar Of red pottery, and the process
sion of gracefully daped figures going up
and down the broad CHAT is an unending
delight Swathed in their winding saris,
they wade into the river and pray, one is
sure, to every Hindu deity which the ten
fingers represent TO let them come into the
world again in some human form less lgno-
BILE than a womans.
They go back TO shore and deftly en-
velop themselves in fresh Sarls and drop
the wet ones TO the steps without once un-
covering the face or exposing more than the
feet and hands. They scour their brass
lotas with Ganges mud. they wash their hair
with sacred muck and fill the jars TO take
home at the mouths of the city sewers.
The devotees show no fastidous choice
in dipping the water they drink. All il
Ganges water and all is sacred.
The burning CHAT where human bodies
are cremated is a neglected bank quilted
by rains. Pyres. some new. others half
are scattered about. GhOulS
are pokng among the ashes for coins or
jewels. while the more systematic carry
bans of ashes 10 the waters edge and wash
I his pay dirt like any placer miner.
Along this revolving sequel to yesterdays
burninRs lie fresh bodies, wrapped in
white sheets and garlands Of marigOlds
The bodies are dipped in the Ganges and
laid in rows. with the sacred stream laving
their feet and profane ghouls washing pay
dirt from yesterdays pyres between and
beside them. shaking cinders over the
hapless. flower wreathed bundles.
fhis rude open air crematory il the
monopoly Of the domri, lowest caste bf
all Deoples, who charge extravagantly for
their services and for the wood, the oil and
the flame which lights the funeral torch
for touching OF the pyre.
The earlier in the morning the burning
occurs the greater certainty Of paradise
for the deceased. So the dOmri's charges
begin with extravagant sums for burning
the rich and noble at sunrise and decrease
until in the afternoon the very poor and
half burned-and the rubbish and bones
shovelled down the bank.
Only the highest caste priests and the holy
fakirs escape the torch. They are not sup
posed to need publication by fire. The
fAkirs are rowed TO midstream and COM
mitted TO Mother Ganges-and probably
to the alliRators.
As the morning warns TN all Benares
strOIls along the CHATS. as all Atlantic City
troops 10 the Boardwalk. Belated Brah-
mans keep on performing rites and prayers
while their next neighbor on the over
hanging platform shampoos his head or
brushes his teeth.
Sons Of the Gangee, n band Of robust
Brahmins whose specially is prayer for the
dead. below the merits OF their interceding
mowers; fakirs wall and hold their shrivelled
arms more cOnRpicuOusly in the ten year
poses Of rgidity or stretch themselves
more ostentatiously on the beds Of nails
and everywhere the sacred cows push
their way. nosing into grain sacks and
rice bowls unhindered, while stately Brah-
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