The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1907-05-08
THE SACRED CANOES.
Bathing at Sunrise of the Hindoo
WorShipers.
A MOST CURIOUS SPECTACLE

Tens of Thousands of Religious Zealots
Lave Themselves In the Frgid Wa
ters of the Polluted Stream-The
GhouIs 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 Ganges Worship
ers along the river bunk ut Benares, In
dia. Eliza K Skidmorc foreign secre
tary of the National Geographic socie
ty made a study of these religious OBJ
servances of believers Of liindoolsnl
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 rlv-
er bank. In mldwlnter. the cold wealth
er months of Indian travel 1t Is bitter
ly cold mt That hour hoarfrost on the
ground blue and lilac frost hue In the
mir. one needs all the fur wraps and
rugs one can get to drive down 10 the
river. yet IL glad for the shelter Of Il
sun umbrella before noon.
Every one Mt that hour was hurry
ing In the one direction, and when We
had raced down the great steps and
the houseboat WIS poled off from the
bank all the river front was before
us like thcater 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 ferycnt worshipers standing
on platforms built over the water and
standing waist deep In the water. re
peatlng In muttered chant the ancient
Vedic hymn.
"They dipped themselves beneath the
swirling mud flood; they lifted the wa
ter In lars and poured II over their
heads; they lifted It In their hands and
let II trlcklc 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 ehantcd and muttered to them
selves. each one rnpt. intent. absorbed
entirely In the long religious recitals,
AT the womnn's ghnt every woman
carries II brass lota, or water jar, or
still larger and heavier jar of red pot
terry and the unendng procession of
gracefully draped figures going up
and down the brond CHAT Is mn unend
Ing delight Swathed head and all In
their winding sarls. they wade into
the river and pray, one is sure, TO ev-
cry Hndoo deity which the ten fingers
represent To let them come Into the
world again In some human form less
lgnoble than womans
"1hcy 20 back to shore and deity
envelop themselves in fresh saris and
drop the wei ones TO the steps without
once uncovcring the face or exposing
more than the feet and hands. They
seour their brass lotas with Ganges
mud. they wash their hair with sncrcd
muck and fill the Jars TO take home Mt
the very mouths Of the city sewers,
.'rhc devotccs show no fastidious
choice In dipping the water they drink.
All Is Ganges water. and all il sacred,
even when the surface IL atioat with
city refuse dischnrgng from the drain
pipes AT their very elbows.
THE cremation ground Is only II
waste space of griny sand and gravel
between two stone terraces. II neglect
ed bank quilted by rains, with pyres.
building and half consumed. scattered
irregularly, and ghouls poking among
the ashes for coins or Jewels. More
systematic ghouls carry pans of ashes
to the waters edge and wash this
pay dirt like any placer miner.
alongside this revolving sequel to
yesterdays burnlngs lie fresh bodies,
wrapped In white sheets and garlands
Of mnrigolds The bodies are dipped In
the Ganges and laid In rows. with the
sacred stream having their feet and
profanc ghouls washing pay dit from
Yesterdays pyrcs between and beside
them, shaking CRIME and cinders over
the haplcss flower wreathed bundles.
This crude open air crematory Is
the monopoly Of the domri, lowest
caste of all peoples, who charge ex-
travagantly for their services for the
wood, the oil and the flame which
lights the funeral torch for touching
off the pyre
''The earlier in the morning the burn
Ing occurs the greater merit and GER
tainty of paradise for the dead one. and
the domris charges run from eNtrava-
giant sulps for burning the rich and
noble nt sunrise and decrease toward
noon and afternoon when the very
poor and the iAil criminals are hur-
rledly burned or half burned for II few
annas and the rubbish and bones shov-
eled down the bauk"