Pueblo chieftain., 1922-02-12

water to IuEnlSh IeilSIoQS SOAASoAANANN-
to the devout.
The mems CHAT Is just at the east
end Of the bridge while the women's
CHAT Ii a block or more hlgner up
while the Burning CHAT is stu niener
up the river. Your readers are no
doubt already aware that bodies are
burned here Instead of being buried.
went to the Burning CHAT early
in the morning and saw nine bodles'
yes ten, for there was an unborn oaoe
in one CHAT and the attendant forkea
it out for my delectation after l had
refused to buy a little charred hand
which he had raked from another
pyre, for all of which he demanded
Backsheesh for himself and six feilow
laborers in their gruesome task me
Museum is most interesting IN l.s
archaeological exhibits and fairly
rood in its minerals but otherwise
very poor.
It is $50 miles via The East 1nd'a.
railway from Calcutta to Benares.
made the trip which TOOK ls hours
via the Punjab Mail, which IS one OIL
the De Luxe trains OF India
Benares is to the Hindu. the Jain
and the Buddhist what Jerusalem IA
to the Jew and Christian and Mecca
to the Mohammedan.
II Is on the banks of the sacren
Gsnges and IN the mile or more OF
river front there are only two OF
three places where the "Infidel' may
reach It through the city
Nearly all the river front is covered
with palaces and temples but where
the river banks are 10 Dc seen 'heS
are very steep.
Even Maharajah must have pal
ace on the river bank and must with
his family spend part or all OF tne
month Of September each year IN u:
The proper stunt and What all
ir'f fR n a
riare At the Central Stairs. then by
boat down the river and carriage TO
hoteI''
But that did not please mo. 70 l
went to the Mosque OF Auranezeo
which has two minarets, one OF whlcn
has 133 high steps which may be
climbed.
This is the only place to get = good
view Of Benares. which Is 1umpie
OF dirty white walls with flat roots,
all built without rule. line. compass
or transit and the streets are narrow
er and dirtier than Mozambique or
Damascus.
eacred cattle roam at will and their
litter is left In the streets toSetner
with ashes. bits of paper. dead flow
ers and other refuse.
No matter how narrow the s,.es'
the Sacred Bull has tho right OF way
The sunlight never reaches inc
ground in many OF tho narrow
streets and to get to some OF INC
shops one must climb dark. dir,y
stairs. over thresholds a root hign,
inky pa ssages. Shiny and foul smeli-
ing and then In dingy room you
will ftnd the precious stone mer.
chants sitting on the padded ana
sheeted floor with quarts or an
monds. rubies and pearls ana you are
li.h cut?" Then. folded In certain
way in paper they will display them;
A half hour spent with them VIII
convince you that precious stones
cannot be bought cheaply In Benarcs.
Ny guide is authority Tor saving
ehrines and one thousand mosques In
penares. Tho life's hope of every
Hindu IL to be able to spend his last
DAYS here. where no can bathe IN
and later be burned on tho banks
OF tho sacred Ganges river.
Bcnares proper is not tho most
eacrcd to the Buddhist. his most sac
red spot being Sarnoth. four miles
away II was An old city when Pom
peii was destroyed.
The great Budda himself here frs'
talked TO tho Deer. A great Stufn
now stands near the buried city
which has been partially excavatod by
British archaeoloEists and tho govern
ment has erected a museum where
tho things found arc kept. A statue
of a standing Budda. the stone un,
brsIla IL or moro feet in diameter
ana q four headed lion are the most
interesting relics in It.
pilgrims como from China, Japan
and Burmah to this Stufa as tho
most sacred. 1t was bull. with brick
and encased with very hard sand
etone and elaborately carved. but
most of this is gone now.
Tho government started TO replace
the casing, but when tho war came
the work was stopped.
Tho Sacred Tank on tho bank OF the
Canges has been nearly filed WIN
mud, yet q few people werc using 1t
hut not as many as when I was here
II years ago.
Tho Burning Chat is located near
by and tho smoke begins to ascend
very early every morning and does not
always cease with the going down OF
tho sun The death rate IL excessive
here because so many OF tho old ana
sick come here because Of their belief.
Great piles of wood are near al hand
and the stoker. are ever ready to gi'o
every facility to the tourist to get pic
tures OF the grucsome objects.
In this. their religious center I DID
my bcst to obtain from intcllisent.
we'll educated Hindus tho teachings OF
their sacred books. One thing when
impressed me most was tho tlmc
when the four sreat Rishics were
born without parents from tne &c"
water In Thibct 1875. 500. 900 years ago
and began to preach 70 the humans
When pressed TO answer obvious
questions suggested by his statement
he was an honest man and an Agnos-
tic.
WAS a real good Hindu myself for
nearly two hours for / followed close
" behind Parhita. her two sons and
two daughters, n buffalo out of whose
cory neck green giant sprang who
WAS being attacked by fierce lion
with but three legs while n large
cobra looked contemptuously on.
All these things we're on "A shrine
about 6h feet wide and rs feet high
with circular top. Parhita standing
nearly on tho lion'a back in tho con-