Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-09
the twenty-four in which the Golden Tenn
pie is closed to the worshipers.
Feast Of the Lights.

The best opportunity for seeing the Sikhs
at their shrine was afforded me on the oc-
casion of the Diwali or Feast of the Lights
This is Hindu national celebration, but 1t
is especially a Sikh festival. In the day
time there were surging crowds with little
that was dstinguishable in the mass of
color. AT night were the Examinations and
fireworks: Myriads of small cup-shaped
lamps filled with sweet oil were placed
along the balconies and roofs of the build
ings surrounding the temple and when the
wicks were lit the effect while that of SUBJ
dued briliancy, was very fine.
The living picture as viewed from the
Gothic tower platform was of the massed
Sikhs sitting on the marble pavement
around the lakes or packing the roofs. The
towers and caves of all the temples were
lighted with arabesques and other fretwork
designs. These arabesques, intertwined
along the marble causeway, gave a beau
tiful effect of yellow light. while the bur
brought out subdued and clear without gilt
ter. The reflection of lights in the Pool of
Immortality was exquisite. The fireworks
were ordinary.
had been told that the day following the
Feast of the Lights was really the best oc-
casion for seeing the Sikhs. The throng
was very dense and the pool at times ap,
peared as solid mass of bathers. Par
TALLY secluded Enclosures. are provided for
the women, but there was much promis-
cuous bathing with considerably less i'm
modesty than may be witnessed on the
beach of the New Jersey coast. Bathing in
the tank of Immortality is religious rather
than sanitary observance.
A Noisy Celebration.
A terrific beating of the tum-tums at
tracted my attention. A group of votaries
in brown surtouts and full helmets were
gathered round a priest who was harangu-
ing them. This was part of the celebra-
ton.
Along the bank of the pool were scores
of petty dealers selling baubles, bangles,
symbols and various embems of the faith.
I watched the steady march of the pill
grims along the marble causeway till they
reached the temple door and Frustrated
themselves before entering Among them
was group of high-class Sikh women in
loose white warehouses, the trousers grace
fully wound in loose folds from the hips to
the ankles. They were noticeable for their
finely chiseled features and their modera
ton in nose rings and earrings, as COM
pared with most Hindu women, who are
loaded down with these adornments. In
the sea of turbaned Sikh men white pre-
dominated, but where the sexes mingled
there was Maypole maze of flashing color
orange and saffron, yellow, red, crimson,
pink, violet, blue and purple. There was
much tinsel trimming and flimsy dotted Gale
icoes, but also many fine silks and satins.
Beggars were stationed all along the line,
yet they were not obtrusiVe. There We're
many pima NOLdfleS with tnelr SldIlS, some
with guides and some making their way
alone, and to the latter helping hands al
ways were stretched out.
Vanity of Man.
When within the temple noticed a num-
Der of panel looking glasses, and It was
somewhat humorous to see the magnifi-
Gently proportioned Sikhs pausing before
them and stroking their splendid boards
with the satisfaction that a woman shows
over an Easter bonnet, when the mirror
tells a f1attering tale.
But what about the creed Of the Sikhs?
They form a religious brotherhood number
ing more than 2,0O0, 600, and when aroused
a fierce fanaticism impels them.
The formal features of the creed can be
and students of religions. but l doubt
whether any European really has got to
the depths of their faith My frequent
visits to the temple and the regularity with
which tossed my tribute of rupees on the
altar made me a welcome visitor, placing
me on good terms with the priests and
enabling me to gather such information as
l desired One fine black-bearded priest
was especially friendly. and would give me
a nod of recognition in the streets, though
at the temple it was not good form for him
to appear to take notice of the visitors
Many of the priests, especially the
younger ones, are familiar with English,
and several have written books telling what
their creed really is. Some of this English
H.,
it conveys a much clearer Interpretation of
the Sikh doctrine than do the labored and
learned treatises Of the scholars who have
undertaken to interpret 1t from the Sikh
language into English. At any rate the
pamphlets which were placed in my pos
session helped me to a sympathetic under
standing.
"Far-Distant Sahib.''
On account of my frequent visits and my
inquiring disposition a distinctive name
was given me. One day at the temple the
group, which included some of the priests,
asked the English officer who was speaking
in their own language what my nationality
was. They knew l was not an Englishman.
He explained that l from America. "A
far-distant sahib, said one of the Sikhs
and thereafter l was always known as the
"far-distant sahib," though my presence
was very near. But the confusion of place
with person did not prevent them from the
and perhaps on this account they were
little more anxious that 1 should have
correct idea of their creed.
The history of the Sikhs and their stand
against the Mohammedan conquerors is
easily told. The wonder is that, holding
to the faith in one God, they did not ANAL
gamate with the Mohammedans. If they
had possibly there would have been less
of Hindu polytheism and idol worship to-
day But the Mohammedans came to In
dia as conquerors and the refusal of the
SikhS to be conquered may explain the
failure of the amalgamation of creeds.
Their version of their own history is that
they are. like the rest of the Hindus, of
Aryan origin, and with the mass of Hindus
they hold to the TRANSPORTATION of souls
until good deeds wash away all trans
gressions They also cremate their dead.
But they have none of the multitude of
gods or idols and they recognize no caste.
The First Teacher.
The Sikhs date their creed from the lat
ter part of the fifteenth century, when the
first Guru or holy teacher appeared in the
person of Nanak, the OF a shopkeeper
near Lahore. He claimed the Granth, or
sacred book, to be a revelation, and sue
ceeding Gurus guarded 1T such. The
Sikhs did not become distinctive reli-
gious commonwealth until the Mogul EN-
peror Aurangziz, in his desperate and fu-
tile efforts to unity all India a Moham-
mcdan country, tortured and murdered Tel
Bahadur. the ninth Guru. The latter's son,
Govind Singh, united the Sikhs into a mill
tary brotherhood and one Sikh histo-
rian puts it after that there were few con-
VertS on either side
Symbols of the Sikh creed are in keeping
with their martial instincts. These sym
bols are five. and in the Sikh language all