We anchored near Radschgaht, where coolies
and camels were ready to receive us.
Before taking leave of the Ganges, I must remark that, during the
whole journey of about a thousand miles, I did not meet with a
single spot remarkable for its especial beauty, or one picturesque
view. The banks are either flat or bounded by layers of earth ten
or twenty feet in height, and, further inland, sandy plains
alternate with plantations or dried-up meadows and miserable
jungles. There are, indeed, a great number of towns and villages,
but, with the exception of occasional handsome houses and the
ghauts, they are composed of a collection of huts. The river itself
is frequently divided into several branches, and is sometimes so
broad that it resembles a sea rather than a river, for the banks are
scarcely visible.
Benares is the most sacred town of India. It is to the Hindoos what
Mecca is to the Mahomedans, or Rome to the Catholics. The belief of
the Hindoos in its holiness is such that, according to their
opinion, every man will be saved who remains twenty-four hours in
the town, without reference to his religion. This noble toleration
is one of the finest features in the religion and character of this
people, and puts to shame the prejudices of many Christian sects.
The number of pilgrims amounts annually to 300,000 or 400,000, and
the town is one of the most wealthy in the country, through their
trading, sacrifices, and gifts.
This may not be an improper place to make some remarks upon the
religion of these interesting people, which I extract from
Zimmerman's "Handbook of Travels."
"The foundation of the Hindoo faith is the belief in a superior
primitive being, immortality, and a reward of virtue. The chief
idea of God is so great and beautiful, its moral so pure and
elevated, that its equal has not been found among any other people.
"Their creed is to worship the highest Being, to invoke their
guardian gods, to be well-disposed towards their fellow-men, to pity
the unfortunate and help them, to bear patiently the inconveniences
of life, not to lie or break their word, to read the sacred
histories and to give heed to them, not to talk much, to fast, pray,
and to bathe at stated periods. These are the general duties which
the sacred writings of the Hindoos enforce, without exception, upon
all castes or sects.
"Their true and only god is called 'Brahma,' which must not be
confounded with Brahma who was created by the former, who is the
true, eternal, holy, and unchangeable light of all time and space.
The wicked are punished and the good rewarded.
"Out of the Eternal Being proceeded the goddess Bhavani, i.e.,
Nature, and a host of 1,180 million spirits.
