The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 139

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER. . 139

the garden planted. What had been an arid waste
- became a spot of beauty. Then the couple conceived
the idea of wedding the temple and well, so that
their name might be transmitted to later genera-

tions, even though the desired blessing of children
would not be theirs. No sooner was the thought
conceived than it was carried out. The customary
wedding processions were arranged. Bands were
engaged which played at all hours of the day and
night. Fireworks were displayed in great abun-
dance during the night. Very elaborate religious
ceremonies were performed by the priests. All the
relatives were sumptuously feasted, and sweetmeats
were distributed in great abundance among the
friends in the city. All this lasted for a period of
three days and, naturally, cost not a little money.
-The praises of the couple were sung by everybody.
All without exception paid high
tributes to the public spirit of the
merchant and his wife, and genera-
tions upon generations have lauded
the benevolence of this couple which
bestowed such a benefaction upon its
fellow-townsmen.

The pinnacle of the temple is
crowned with the symbol of the
Hindu triad, Brahma, Vishnu, and
Shiva. Over the entrance is a small
image of Ganesh, the god with the
elephant head, the son of Shiva
and the god of wisdom. On the
threshold stands a marble bull, the-
symbol of Shiva. In the temple itself stands the
stone statue of Shiva, and here every day hundreds
of people may be seen going through the forms of
worship. After bathing and performing their ablu-
tions at the well, the worshipers enter the temple,
bow before the sacred image, pour water over it,

sprinkle flowers over it, burn their incense and
prostrate themselves before it. Again and again
they bow till their foreheads touch the ground to
show their humble submission to the dread Shiva
and gain his favor. At the end of the worship the
temple bells are rung.

A vessel full of water is fixed a few inches above
the head of Shiva during the hot season and
through a small hole in the bottom of this vessel
a tiny stream of water is continually trickling over
the head of the god for his comfort. In some
temples, it is said, they have pookhas, or fans,
suspended over the image of the idol, which are
pulled by the devout worshipers for the comfort
of the god.

How sad, this mixture of religious fervor and
devotion with idolatrous superstition! Hands grop-
ing blindly for the unknown God, misguided re-
ligious devotion! Should we not willingly lend
a hand to help win India’s deluded millions for
Christ? F.J.L.

> -___.

Indians Build a Church by Themselves.

For many years the small Indian congregation
at San Andreas, Mexico, was content to hold its
own without making any headway. Then came one
of the many revolutions, and in it their church was
destroyed. This calamity woke up the congrega-
tion. At first despair filled their hearts as they
looked at the ruins of their house of worship, but
out of this despair arose the desire to build a larger

The Hindu Triad, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

and better church than the one that had been de-
stroyed. Their number was quite small, but they
counted on new members coming in, and so they.
began to build a large church. Then, too, it was
decided that the new church must be fire-proof to

prevent its being destroyed in some future reyolu- —