The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1932, Page 55

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

-——

19)

when only one hundred and fifty come to see the
athletic events and over fifteen hundred attend a
church service, knowing there is to be an offering
lifted for Foreign Missions! It is quite plain that
it will take some time to train Africans to the high
athletic standard prevailing among us here in
America! Possibly, however, the Bulu Christians
at Elat might give some American churches a hint
on how to awaken enthusiasm for missions.
F. J. L.

A Hindu Mela, or Fair.

Allahabad is in North Central India. It is one
of the oldest and, to the Hindus, most sacred cities
in all India. It is largely built of mud houses on
the wedge of land formed by the confluence of the
Jumna and the Ganges. It has for centuries been
one of the chief resorts for Hindu pilgrims; for the
Hindus believe that to bathe in the Ganges at the
point where its waters mingle with those of the
Jumna will wash away their sins and make them
holy. For this reason thousands upon thousands
of pilgrims come from all parts of India to the
great fair held here every year in January, the
Magh Mela, to bathe in the Ganges, make their
offerings to the sacred stream, and perform such
other religious rites as they may deem meritorious.

_ Before the days of automobiles and railroads
the wealthier pilgrims came to the Magh Mela on
camels, elephants, or in palanquins; but to-day they
make use of trains and autos. However, most of
the pilgrims come on foot, just as they have done
for hundreds of years before. Our readers will not
find it strange to hear that the highways leading to
Allahabad are crowded with people for days before
the opening of the Mela. Some of these have been
on the way for weeks and have come hundreds of
miles to be able to wash in the sacred waters of
Mother Ganges. Among these pilgrims are people
of all ages: men and women bent with old age
and little babies carried by their mothers.

Along the road to Allahabad as well as along
the highways leading to other holy places, rest-
houses have been erected by pious Hindus, where
the religious wayfarers may lodge free of charge.
Of course, these rest-houses — they call them dhara-
masalas — are not furnished in any way, but only
afford shelter. Every pilgrim carries his own water-
bowl and a small bundle of food and possibly a few
articles of clothing. At night he builds a fire near
one of these rest-houses, if he is near one at the

end of his day’s journey, prepares his simple meal,
and after eating lies down for the night on the
floor of a rest-house, if one is at hand, or-on the
ground, covers his face with a part of his clothing,
and sleeps till the next morning. As the pilgrims
near Allahabad, they may find, seated by the road-
side, groups of natives dressed to represent Hindu

gods; and to these the pious pilgrims will present

Brahmin and Boy.

their thank-offerings and prayers. They may also
have religious feelings stirred by the sight of a yogi,
a Hindu ascetic, who is seeking to get away from
the world and come nearer to the spiritual by starv-
ing his body, maintaining some difficult posture of
the body, or by exercising, at least apparently, men-
tal concentration. It may be that the yogi is lying
on his back and holding his arms extended for
hours; or he may be hanging suspended, with his
head downward, over a fire, while some attendant
may be turning him about with a guide-rope, so