Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1907-06-01
THE SACRED GANCES,
Bathing at Sunrise Of the Hindoo
Worshipers.
A MOST CURIOUS SPECTACLE.
Tens of Thousands Of Religious zealots
Lave Themselves In the Frigid Wa
ters of the Polluted Stream-The
Ghouls at the Crematory.

One of the greatest human spectacles
In the world-a most amazing and COM
plete exhibition of religious zeal-is the
sunrise gathering Of Gauges worship |
ers along the river bank at Benares, In
dia. Eliza r. Skidmore, foreign secre
tary of the National Geographic socie-
ty, made a study of these religious OBJ
servances of believers of Hindooism
at Benares and wrote a comprehensive
article for the National Geographic
Magazine.
The author in recounting her expert
ences says: Sightseeing begins at
Benares before daybreak, and one
drives through two miles of uninterest-
ing streets In the starlight and gray
cleaning across to the boats at the riv-
er bank In midwinter, the cold wealth
Ell months of Indian travel, 1t is bitter
ly cold at that hour-hoarfrost on the
ground, blue and lilac frost haze in the
air. One needs all the fur wraps and
rugs one can get to drive down to the
river, yet is glad for the shelter of
sun umbrella before noon.
Every one at that hour was hurry
ing In the one direction, and when we
had raced down the great steps and
the houseboat was poled off from the
bank all the river front was before
us like theater stage lighted by the
rising sun striking full upon it.
"As the sun shone red, orange and
yellow through the thick frost haze
great murmur of voices rose from the
length of the CHATS, the tens of thou
sands of fervent worshipers, standing
on platforms built over the water and
standing waist deep In the water, re-
peating In muttered chant the ancient
Vedic hymn.
"They dipped themselves beneath the
swirlng mud food; they lifted the wa
ter in Jars and poured 1t over their
heads; they lifted 1t In their hands and
let 1t trickle through their fingers or
run down their arms, and they dipped
tufts of sacred grass in the water and
sprinkled themselves; they pressed
their nostrils, they twisted their fin
gers and did all manner of motions as
they chanted and muttered to them
selves, each one rapt intent, absorbed
"At the woman's CHAT every woman
carries brass lota, or water jar, or a
still larger and heavier jar of red pot
terry, and the unending procession OF
gracefully draped figures going up
and down the broad CHAT Is an unend-
ing delight. Swathed head and all In
their winding saris, they wade into
the river and pray, one is sure, to ev-
cry Hindoo deity which the ten fingers
represent to let them come into the
. world again in some human form less
ignoble than a woman's.
",They go back to shore and deftly
envelop themselves in fresh sarfs and
drop the wet ones to the steps without
once uncovering the face or exposing
| more than the feet and hands. They
scour their brass lotas with Gauges
mud, they wash their hair with sacred
z muck and fill the jars to take home a
J the very mouths Of the city sewers.
1.-THE devotees show no fastidiou'
, choice In dipping the water they drink
All is Ganges water, and all is sacred
; even when the surface is af1oat witt
city refuse discharging from the drain
pipes at their very elbows.
1.-THE cremation ground is only
waste space of grfmy sand and grave
between two stone terraces, neglect
ed bank quilted by rains, with pyres
building and half consumed, scattere'
irregularly, and ghouls pokjng amon
s the ashes for coins or jewels. Nor
s systematic ghouls carry pans of ashe
ox,1 oh, III
: pay dirt like any placer miner.
> Alongside this revolving sequel t
= yesterdays burnings lie fresh bodies
wrapped in white sheets and garland
of marigolds. The bodies are dipped |
the Ganges and laid in rows, with tn
y sacred stream having their feet an
e profnne ghouls washing pay dirt fror
yesterdays pyres between and besid
e them, shaking CRIME and cinders owe
q the hapless flower wreathed bundles.
l. "This crude open air crematory
re the monopoly Of the domri, lowe:
caste Of all peoples. who charge e,
Is travagnntly for their services, for I'll
III wood, the oil and the fame whic
et lights the funeral torch for touchin
II off the pyre.
y "The earlier in the morning the burr
d ing occurs the greater merit and ce
8, tainty OF paradise for the dead one, an
he the domri's charges run from extrav
IN CANT sums for burning the rich al
o. noble at sunrise and decrease towal
as noon and afternoon, when the vel
re poor and the Jail criminals are hu
or riedly burned or half burned for fe
ly annas and the rubbish and bones shO