Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-09
LAND OF THE S|KHS
Close View by an American of
an Interesting Race.
FAMOUS GOLDEN TEMPLE
Structure of White Marble With
Gilded Interior.
THE POOL OF IMMORTALITY
Endless Procession Of Pilgrims Who
Come to Test the Efficacy Of
the Sacred Waters.
HE POOL OF IMMORTALITY

In the unrest that pervades the natives
of India and the occasional evidences that
the Hindus ard the Mohammedans of the
north may sink their antipathies and join
together in political agitation disagreeable
to the British officials, inquiry is made
about the hitherto always loyal Sikhs. The
Sikhs are Hindus, but they are distinguish
ed from the pantheists and the idolatrous
worshipers of innumerable gods by their
monotheism, which is as distinct and sharp
ly defined as the Mohammedan faith in the
one God.
Physically, too, they different from
the great mass of the Hindus. They are
the finest men in India and are the pride
of the British officers who command in the
native army They were with the relief
column at Peking and they today form part
Of the Shanghai police corps.
The sikhs are militant, warlike race,
and, since the defeat Of the Khalsa or ma
tive Sikh army by the English in the for
ties, the loyalty which was attested by their
fidelity in the Sepoy mutiny has not been
doubted. Because of their splendid physi-
cal qualities and their natural military in
stincts they have been the mainstay of the
British rule in northern India. If the I'M
rest is pervading them the situation I'M
doubtedly will become a serious one for the
government, though it may be some years
before the manifestations are apparent.
An Interesting Race.
But it is on their distinctive religious side
and their maintenance of their distinguish
ing characteristics that the Sikhs become
so interesting among the race masses and
the multtudinous religions which compose
India. They are best seen and known at
Amritsar, where the Golden Temple and
the Pool of Immortality are situated. There
are really several golden temples among the
shrines at Amritsar and also one at Tanta-
ran, fifteen miles distant, which also has
its pool Of Immortality, but by the Golden
Temple is always understood the one
known as Hari Mandar.
learned something of the Sikhs during
a fortnight's stay at Amritsar. It waAAas
the time of the great animal fair ~
northern India, when the mules, horses
and camels are marketed and all classes
is very interesting, but its counterpart may
be seen elsewhere in India and its only
novelty is that 1t draws in many of the
sikhs from the outlying country | divided
my spare time in the company of British
officers between the fair and the temple
The buying of camels and mules was busi-
for the officers and the Sikhs and
their shrines were no novelty, yet the
Golden Temple had a fascination and a
chance suggestion of an intention to visit
it always insured companionship. This
personal, but was instructive, because the
officers spoke the language of the sikhs.
The Temple Disappointing.
Visitors who come to Amritzar wonder
seeing from the Tai Mahal at Agra. The
Palace of Tombs'' and literally the most
beautiful tomb in the world, and from the
ancient Mogul capital of Delhi, with its
mosques and other magnificent memorials,
are said to be disappointed at the COM
parativesmallness of the Golden Temple.
/ happened to visit Amritsar first and
therefore was not superintendent at
the bad taste which had caused a Gothic
clock tower, very beautiful in itself, to be
placed in juxtapositon to the holy edifice.
With the Congressional Library in Wash
ington as a basis of comparison l was
able to judge the relative effects of gilt
gorgeousness. Unlike the library the Golden
Temple is not limited to a gilded dome or
to gilded interior decorations 1t is of
white marble, the entire exterior of beaten
copper and the roof covered with a thin
layer of gold leaf. 1t stands in the middle
of a large tank or pool. marble cause
way leads to 1t and a marble pavement
borders the tank. At the entrance of the
causeway are ivory doors 400 years old,
while the entrance to the temple itself Is
stairs, but the inlay work and the mosaics
of the interior really fine, notwithstand-
ing that cenSorioaS art critics find fault
with them. The marble mosaics are mostly
blue and white. On the walls, both without
and within, are the figures of birds, fishes
and flowers, while the pavement entrance
is also figured.
A Fascinating Spectacle.
But the human spectacle is the one OF
never-ending fascination dozen times
or more l went to watch the pilgrims and
devotees moving in endless procession
along the marble causeway or bathing in
the Pool of Immortality. Some of the
takers or wandering priests with their
scant loin cloths. their bodies smeared
with ashes and their hair matted and
braided, usually were to be found among
the throng Yet the Sikhs while tolerant
to their Hindu brethren of polytheistic be-
hefs, did not seem to care for the presence
of the takers.
The view any day was a symphony of
dazzling hues, for like all the natives of
India the Sikhs are intensely fond of vivid
contrasts in colors-brilliant yellow, ma
genta and purple predominating in their
garments.
All visitors to the temple are required to
remove their shoes and put on the slippers
which are provided, the same as In the
Mohammedan mosques. On my first visit
the devotees seemed to take little notice OF
me, but in some way 1 found myself trail
ing along after an attendant. He piloted
me into the temple by side door. The
goats are separated from the sheep, that
is. the non-Hindus are kept from falling IN
with the procession of devotees who enter
through the main door.
Before the Altar.
Elderly priests were sitting in a group
before a sllk-covered, rose and flower-laden
silver altar or table under golden can
opy The Choir" was beating on
startling variety Of drums and other in
struments the universal tum-tum, without
which the orient would not be the orient,
| and chanting the sacred hymns. The vo-
taries, male and female, as they passed
around the altar, would drop their floral
| offerings and their cash contributions, the
| latter being silver coins and shells. Of
| course, the visitor tossed several rupees
| and secured friendly recognition from
the priests.
Under the embroidered canopy on the
| table was the Granth Sikh Bible. The
| original is said to be kept locked in a re-
pository of the temple, but there are vari-
] Gus copies, and one of these Is brought in
| at o'clock in the morning and is guarded
! by relays of priests until II at night, when
| it is returned to its place. So 1t may be
| said that there are only four hours out of