The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-31

1t was dark when 1 reached Benares with it's 2000 temples, it's 500.000 idols and it's 5000 priests and as I knew that 1 would have to rise up on the morrow be- fore sunup l retired immediately after dinned. l arose in time and it is as inn possible to describe as 1t is to forget the wierd scene that the River Ganges in my ride of seven miles in boat pre- sented To reach the water one must descend broad flight of stairs called that ghats and during the hour of wor- ship each ghat is rendezvous for those desiring to be cured of a certain dis ease. If Is declared that there Is never sunrise that at least 5O.0O0 people are not gathered at the rk CT, some stand- ing waist deep In the water and others crouchfng upon platforms built out over the stream. All were absorbed as If in a hypnotic trance and from my chair upon the flatboat l had an excellent opportunity to observe them while they, to all appearances, were oblivious to my presence. Just as the sun rose Il niurmer of voices or general chant arose as the hum of nyriads of bees after which the abutions began. They drank the riv- CT water from the palms of their hands. they rinsed their mouths with 1t, filled water jars. and emptied the contents over their heads and bodies. All faced the east and went through the bathing ceremony as a purifying process not withstanding the fact that in their im- mediate vicinity the sanitary sewers of the city were discharging into the stream the filth of the community. The water was even bottled and carried home for domestic use.
 The manner of praying was provocative of smile despite their intense devotion for many of them prayed through their noses. When they wished to pray with the right nostril they held the left one closed and vice versa. The burning ghat was both interesting and repulsive for the domri, who correspond to the man agers of our crematores. begin at an early hour to heap funeral piles for the days anticipated work and carry the ashes sof the previous day to the waters edge where they are washed In sieves and flat pans. Soon the cadavers com menced to arrive and some of them were placed with their feet resting in the tid awaiting the arrival of the>mourners and the preparation of the funeral fire. When the relatives of the deceased arrived they sprinkled the dead body with the river water after which 1t was placed upon pyre and the nearest kinsman applied tho fagot amid watling and beating of the breast. The domri poked the fire with Hong iron implements and fed the flames ''by the pouring of oil upon the funeral pyre- The bereaved family waited until the entire body was incinerated.
 There are some 50 ghats along the rivers edge, but the principal and most sacred one Is the Mankaranika, where during solar eclipse a million pilgrims are said to have congregated. It derives It's name and It's sanctity from the ac- credited legend that Dcvi once dropped m earring into the tank at the top of the flight of steps and into this tank are thrown as votive offerings flowers. milk and swkeetmeats which soon become putrfd and produce a most tntolerable odor. Here is also charana- -paduka. g stone pedestal set in the pavement and 1earing upon . superiSnposed slab the im-