Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-07-11
IDOLS OF THE H|NDOOS
There Are Hundreds OF Millions
OF Them In India.
THE FAME OF JUGGERNAUT.
This Idol Has Been Worshipcd About
Two Thousand Years. and His Ma
tionaI Temple Is on the Sands Of
Puri-The Three Monster Cars.

first remark that would spring from
my lips would he. 1T is hand OF
idols" Ii would lie impossible 10 com
pute the number of idols that there
The Hludoos pretend To have 533. 900
600 gods. and these are represented by
innumerable idols. so that we are quite
bewildered with the thought of taking
the census of the idols oil India. The
population of the whole Indian empire
is now about 3OO00oOO0, and possibly
the country contains ten times MS many
idols as people.
Benares Is the great center of the
idol making business though in all
parts Of India the trade iiourishes
l'otters the day through may be seen
IN the sacred city molding images OF
clay Tor temporary use. Sculptors also
may he found producing representa-.
tivcs of the gods in stone or marble
Carpenters. moreover. make great
wooden idols for the temples. and
workers in metal godsmiths. copper.
HlilitliN anu hlaANc NbiAfAH tNl II NAlA
more or less highly finished specimens
ia their respective metals.
When speaking Of idols II should he
borne in mind that the images turned
out by the potter. sculptor carver or
manufactures are not considered 81.
cred or tit 10 be- worshipcd until Ger.
tain mystic words have been uttered
over them hy Il priest The ceremony
~ the giving of life as 1t is called.
To the image Is very solemn affair.
aud when il is done the idol is regard
ed as holy and must ever nftcrward be
approachc aud treated with the Ut.
most reverence,
out Of the many millions of So called
gods IN India. all Of whom are counted
worthy OF worship three are REGARDED
as specially sacred aud form the Hin.
doc triad or trinity. They are re-.
aperti,cly Erahma. Nishnu and silva.
or those Il Is stated the second per
son OF the trinity only has been rep
resented on this ea-th by human in.
carnations. Through one or all Of these
gods the lIindoos believe they may oh
tain salvation. Brahma represents the
way OF salvation by wisdom. Vishnu
by faith and silva 10y works. 1t Is
immntcrial which method is adopted,
us they all lead Ia the same goal
Juggcrnaut is perhaps the most IA
nous name among all the Hindoo idols.
inasmuch as his fame has gone forth
into every land. Ills temple IS situal.
cd on the sandy shores of OriSsn wash.
cd by the wild waves of the bay OF
Bengal The worship of Iugeernaut
dates back nearly 1000 years. and
Orissa has been the holy land Of the
IIiudoos from that time TIL the present
day.
Sir William Hunter. who was one OF
the greatest authorities OH things East
Indian, says in wonderfully graphic
description ~ the tempe of LuRger
naut: ION the inhoSpitablc sands Of
Puri. a place OF swamps and inunda
tionS. the Iiindoo religion and IIndoo
superstlution have stood ut bay for
eighteen centuries against the world
Here is the national temple whittier
the people dock 10 worship from every
province Of India. There Is the gate
Of heaven whittier thousands OF pill
GrimS come 10 die. ulcd 10 this last
sleep by the roar of the eternal ocean y"
Well. saw on one occasion that
marvellous sight. the dragging OF jug
gernaut's car and the cars OF his
brother and sister The three idols
are inseparahe. and ugly things they
are, being nothing but huge logs of
wood coarsely fashioned into human
shape. but without arms or legs.
Juggernauts car stands forty-one
feet high and has fourteen enormous
wheels The other two ears are just
n little smaller. The great ears have
TO he dragged a certain distance half
n mile or more from the temple and
the god will not allow horses or ele
plants TO undertake the work, but
calls upon his faithful worshipers to
do II themselves. Immense ropes. or.
rather. cables. are attached 10 the cars.
and nj the word OF command from the
priests thousands OF men and even
seize the ropes and range themselves
In order and the next moment are
stralning aud pulling AT the cumher-
some conveyances. which NJ length
move with heavy. creaking noise
Never shall | forget the sight The
road was filed with tens Of thousands
OF lookers-on. all Wild with excitement.
and the fanatics who held the ropes
Were dragging the cars along with
frcnzled zeal. Every now and then
there would be stop that the men
might rest | supposed. but instead OF
resting they took to jumping In the
air and TO whirling themselves arour
like dancing dervishcs and shouting
at the top of their breath Victory,
Victory to Juggernaut"'
Once on time infatuated woGhip
ers would throw themselves under the
wheels OF the mighty car that they
might he crushed 10 death counting It
privilege and JOY thus 10 perish