The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-26

ing into the shops and crowding hui
man beings out of the way. Now and
then they visit fruit stand or veEe-
table sellers and take a bite OF such
food as they fancy. The people do not
strike them or Ill treat them in any
way. They will not eat beef and to
slaughter cattle would not only lose
them their caste in this world. but
doom them to punishment for all time
TO come
Outside the Golden Temple stood men
peddling flowers for the bulls. and also
necklaces, anklets and other jewelry
for women and men. There were a
score of beggars, and the lame. halt and
blind were jostled by the bulls and
cows. One poor fellow, all skin and
bones and naked except for beech
cloth, had lost his arms at the biceps,
and he wagged the red stumps at me
as he nodded his head to the brass
plate on his knee. He was delighted
with the one-fourth of a cent which /
gave him.
On the Holy Gnnges.
Benares is molly largely because 1t
lies on the Gauges. That river is mere
to the Indian than the Jordan is to the
rchristian. If a Hindoo prays within
one hundred miles Of it's banks. that
past generations, and If he has his head
,, shaved he will have a million years
in Paradise for every hair that floats
off on the stream. Bathing in the
Ganges washes off sin, and this Is SO
from its source, where the river flows
out of the toe OF the god Vishnu. high
UP in the Himalayas, to where it emp
ties at last In the Bay of Bengal. There
are hundreds Of places along the Gan
ges which are especially holy. Two
hundred thousand pilgrims annually
visit the mouth of the river. and saw
thousands bathing in 1t at Calcutta.
Some pilgrims make Journeys almost
from the source to the mouth, being
coming to the holy places by railroad.
and the pilgrimage traffic to Benares
is enormous. The city is now filled
with pilgrims. In some respects the
place makes me think of camp meet
ing, a great Hindoo watering place
where the people come to rest their
bodies while saving their souls. 1t is
in sense the Ocean Grove or Chautau-
qua of Hindustan. The town has more
than 100000 people. and poor and rich
visit it from religious motives. Many
OF the rajahs and princes have villas
here. and the river is walled with tenn
pies. rest houses and beehives OF hui
mainly belonging to- clubs. These
buildings wall the river for three miles,
and they have steps going down under
the water far out into the stream,
which are filled with bathers washing
away their sins.
Among the Bnthers.
If you have any doubt that the Hin
docs believe their sins are washed away
by the Ganges, come with me to the
river We shall take a launch and ride
down among the bathers and see
whether their actions prove their be-
lief. The mornings here are cold
and raw. We put on our overcoats and
shiver as we sit on the deck 1t is
the duty Of the Hlndoo worshiper to
take a bath before breakfast The sun
Is just rising. but we find the stream
full. The steps are crowded with wor-
shippers clad In the thinnest of cotton,
There are shriveled old men and women,
wrapped in a single breadth Of dirty
White stuff, standing waist deep in the
water and holding up their long, thin,
bony arms, while With chattering
teeth they mutter prayers to their gods.
Now and then they duck down into the
water, coming up gasping and looking
colder than ever Such bathing for
you and me would mean death 1t may
mean death to4them. but death here Is
salvation.
There are also plump girls and
young men. The nut brown skins OF
the maiden shine as the water triclle:
over them. and their bright eyes f1ast
at us as they whisper their prayers
They raise their arms toward heaven
showing gold and silver bracelets. ant
some have gold rings from thei
wrists to their elbows and thence t.
their shoulders. Some wear gold nos
rings, and Others have ear ornament
which hang to their shoulders Not
few hide their faces. They may b
high caste Hindoo maidens. Women
as a rule. do not battle With the 1ner
They are huddled off in groups b.
i themselves, They come down In par
ties. each carrying q brass jar to tax
back some water to aid them In, thei
worship at the temples.
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