In Kali's Country: Tales from Sunny India

li

hen the sun rises next upon the festiva

the last day of his self-imposed sacrifices and that the next day he would be free from all restraints to do-what? Over and over had the thought repeated itself in the man's

sat here at the ghat, the most honoured and revered of all the holy men this

conscious, and, looking up at his interrogator, he seemed slowly to comp

ping his eyes and poking the little

answer a question for me," he added sl

was being religious by talking with a holy man, dropped lazily to the pavement beside the fakir's rude shelter of a bit of tha

the opposite bank where a few people were bathing in the water, and beyond to where were crowded close together the small mud houses of the native section of a great Indian city. While he gazed thus, the young priest took several puffs at the long pipe, leering lazily the while at two prett

so many of them brought their offerings of fruit and pice to him that his begging cloth was almost overflowing. Nor did he notice the presence of an American tourist who had stepped into the square and who, with a Murray under one arm and an umbrella under the other, was endeavouring to keep an immense sola, topi, from falling over on his nose while he took a picture of the "freak"; for how else

arm by a dip in its holy waters. The old woman, too, who, scarcely able to hobble along, had placed a little brass bowl of the dirty, foul water beside him (for the piece of water near Kali's

and upon his heart and his eyes were heavy. "On the day of the great feast five years ago, on this very spot, after having made my offering to Jaganauth and to Haunamon and the other gods there," and he indicated with his dirty hand a little stone building at his left which contained a shrine to the legless, armless, hideous god, Jaganauth, and to the red, shapeless figure known as Haunamon, "I came to t

f with ashes from the fire which the holy man had kindled but the day before. Leaving my clothes on the ground underneath this little roof near the heap of ashes, as a sign that the dead man's place had been taken, to warn off other possible devotees from the spot, immediately I passed down the

catch the precious blood in my brass bowl. I daubed it upon my forehead. I touched the sacred slaughter posts with it. I gladly stepped where it had flowed upon the pavement and reddened my feet in the sacred flood. Then, as the priest carried the carcass away and other sacrificers thronged in, I took my bowl and, mounting the steps of the holy place where no unclean foot has ever trod, I saw the door of the shrine open and before me stood the Goddess Kali in her black majesty, with human skulls for a necklace and

t recognize me. Now they mourn me as dead. Here I have sat for five years upon this skin. See my legs, how withered they are! See my body; there is not a clean spot on it! See, I have drunk nothing but this water," and he held up the jar of muddy liquid which the old wom

es as he looked at the priest and his voice

s and importunity. Lazily he pulled himself to his feet, after a last long suck at the pipe. "Come and be a priest of Kali," was his only answer as he turned down the lane towards

sthood of Kali; in his five years at the Kalighat he had heard and seen strange things which as a Hindu he could not condemn, but which he knew would not bring peace to hi

en book in his hand, not reading, but listening to the words of the fakir. "I heard thy conversation. Hast thou ever tried the p

at the young man. "Son, what means the sad look in

n, I have not found peace yet. I have not found happiness yet, but I am only a student. I am seeking. I study and read at all times-but even while I read my heart is

I have tried it. I was a Hindu scholar of note before I became th

y, holding out her hand towards him, "Holy man, most holy man! Give me th

re before him, with a mumbled prayer, dropped them into her hand. "Put these upon his

money! I have no money! My son will d

ith a quick glance about him he leaned forward. He swept up the pile of coins on the offering

ckly, wiping her e

et feeling was peace! Blessed peace! Is this the

ney to the goddess. I promised in my vow that every anna, above the

s head upon

day of the five years I have broke

wever, was overcast, for all the joy went out of his face again as he said, "It must be that I have not denied myself enough, have not made enough sacrifices. And I have been unholy! Surely there is peace for the truly holy. I will try again.-I will swear another vow. Take me to Kali!" He call

ave gone to the temple without having planned what new form of self-torture he mu

claiming in a loud voice: "For the next five years I will have no fire at night, nor will I put more clothing about my body; but I will have a fire by day when the sun is hot. Moreover I will eat but once a day and but once a day will I drink water, no matter how parching the heat. And-and-I will hold

wards a beggar shivering on a step near by; and with his eyes turned towards the waters of