Our journey around the world; an illustrated record of a year's travel of forty thousand . ng, forthey have anointed themselveswith oil from top to toe, andhave then besmeared themselveswith the ashes. A singularlygray and grizzly look is given tothem by this operation. Stillothers have gone down to thewaters of the sacred streamwhich flows near by, and havecovered themselves over, fromthe crowns of their heads tothe soles of their feet, with theslime and mud from the riversbanks. By the side of the roadare numberless beggars withlittle piles of rice before has been given the
Our journey around the world; an illustrated record of a year's travel of forty thousand . ng, forthey have anointed themselveswith oil from top to toe, andhave then besmeared themselveswith the ashes. A singularlygray and grizzly look is given tothem by this operation. Stillothers have gone down to thewaters of the sacred streamwhich flows near by, and havecovered themselves over, fromthe crowns of their heads tothe soles of their feet, with theslime and mud from the riversbanks. By the side of the roadare numberless beggars withlittle piles of rice before has been given them bythe devotees who have justbathed in the Ganges, for it isconsidered a peculiarly meritorious act to give something incharity after the morning bath in the holy waters. Ofcourse beggars take advantage of such generosity, and swarmin almost innumerable throngs to this spot, which may beconsidered the very paradise of tramps and mendicants. It also goes without saying that the superstition of thepeople is taken full advantage of by the religious parasiteswho live on the fears of the A HINDU FAKIR. 340 HOW TO OFFER A GIFT TO THE GANGES. Here is an old fakir with long, ropy hair and a thickcrust of dirt on legs and arms, and hairy breast, who has alittle shrine in which are three brass gods. We try to buyone of the gods to take home to our friends as a sample ofwhat is actually worshiped on the banks of the Ganges, butthe wily old fellow tells us that these gods have been conse-crated and that they are not for sale,but that if we will go to the bazaarwe can get images just like them fora few annas apiece. He furtherintimates that if we wish to makean offering to the gods, he will notobject. But what would you do with arupee, if we should give it to you % we asked. Why, I would makean offering of it to the Ganges, hereplied. But you do not meanthat you would throw good silverinto that muddy river? No, hereplied, I would buy rice with itand eat the rice, but I would thr
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade189, booksubjectvoyagesaroundtheworld
