INDIAN PAGEANTS
Processions. Marriage ceremonies. People take little notice.
Funeral processions. Military display. Eagerness to see the
King. Military ardour of Christian boys. Hindu procession
diverted into the Church. Embarrassing result. Problems of
worship. Religious dancing. Father Benson's "War-Songs."
It is commonly imagined that we in India live in a perpetual state of
pageant, and that the Indian is constantly occupied with brilliant
display and stately processions, and that he cannot be happy without
them. In reality, most Indian processions are of a tawdry character,
somewhat of the nature of, but not nearly so imposing, as that of an
average circus in England. Nor as a rule do these processions excite
much interest, except amongst those who are actually taking part in
them, and even their interest is often languid.
The chief processions are in connection with marriages, and rich men
spend a great deal of money on that part of the ceremonial. Bands, and
horses, and carriages, and bands of artificial flowers borne on the
heads of women, and surrounding the bridegroom as he rides on
horseback, large fans of peacocks' feathers waving round him to keep off
evil influences and imaginary flies, torches at night, now supplanted by
modern incandescent lamps carried on men's heads, displays of fireworks,
and the exploding of harmless bombs--processions such as these abound in
Indian towns, and in a simpler form in villages, at seasons which have
been declared propitious for weddings. Some of these cavalcades are
attended by a multitude of people whose chief concern in the matter
probably centres in the feast which is to follow.
But even the most magnificent procession hardly excites the faintest
curiosity amongst the people of the streets along which it passes. The
shopkeeper does not rise from the pillows on the floor of his little
shop on which he is dozing; the brass-worker or silversmith will
scarcely lift up his eyes from his work; the women will hardly come
even to their house-door to look; the little boys busy playing marbles
down some side street are too much absorbed in their game to run and
see the show. This is a curious contrast to the rapidity with which a
crowd will gather on the smallest provocation in a European city. Even
a hearse, standing at a house-door in England, will draw a very
respectable crowd, merely in order to see the door open and the coffin
brought out. A funeral procession in India is of much greater possible
interest, because most Hindus are carried to the place of burning, or
burial, as the case may be, on a flat bamboo litter with the face
visible, so that you have the opportunity of recognising, or not, the
face of a friend in the passing corpse. Yet few use the opportunity,
and the sight does not appear to excite the slightest curiosity.
Nobody bestows any tokens of respect on the funeral procession, and
scarcely anybody gives it even a passing glance. This does not
apparently arise from superstitious shrinking from the sight of a
corpse.
Military display does not impress the ordinary Indian. When a governor
drives in state to hold a levee he is attended by a brilliant retinue,
and the Indian soldiers who form the chief part of his bodyguard are
picked men, looking magnificent in their superb uniform. This imposing
display is meant presumably to impress the native mind with the
dignity and authority of the representative of the ruling monarch. But
in reality it does not excite admiration, or interest, or any other
sentiment. The glittering cavalcade, which would bring out half London
to see it if only they had the opportunity, passes on its way, and the
chance passers-by hardly pause to look at it. This is not out of
disrespect to the powers that be, but merely because they see nothing
to interest or admire. The small body of the disaffected, of course,
look upon military display as part of the arrogance of the conqueror
towards his subjects. The multitudes who thronged the streets of the
great cities which the King visited, came together because they
wanted to see the King himself, and they would have been just as
pleased, and perhaps even more so, if he had ridden through the
streets in solitary majesty without any retinue. Some natives
complained that amongst the many English officers in gorgeous uniform
it was not always possible to distinguish for certain which was the
King.
Not unfrequently large bodies of troops come past the Mission compound
in Yerandawana village on their way to the hilly country beyond, which
provides an ideal area for military tactics. The boys of the Mission,
through education and drill, and contact with Englishmen, are filled
with military ardour, and are worked up to a pitch of intense
excitement by the sight of guns, and mules, and baggage-waggons, and
marching soldiers, and they spend every spare minute by the roadside.
But to the Hindu villagers it means nothing at all. Perhaps one or two
of the village boys who are attending the day-school will catch a
spark of enthusiasm from the Christian boys, and will join them by the
roadside; but the majority of the villagers will hardly turn their
heads, much less walk ten yards, to see the sight. Religious
processions to some sacred place or shrine are sometimes impressive
from the enormous number of pilgrims taking part in them. One day a
large procession of Hindus from a neighbouring village, on their way
to the temple at Yerandawana, passed alongside the Mission compound.
They had with them a god, which they were carrying in a palanquin.
One or two boys, seeing me standing at the church door, called out to
know whether I had any pictures to give away. I invited them instead
to come and see the church, and several boys left following the
palanquin and came towards me. The crowd seeing this, and moved with
curiosity, did the same, and in a few minutes the greater part of the
procession was diverted into the church. The result of this was the
unusual sight of the church crammed to the doors with eager Hindus in
holiday attire, and it gave an idea of what will be its aspect on some
great festival, after the conversion of the village has become an
accomplished fact.
The situation, however, soon became embarrassing. The Hindus appeared
rather pleased with their surroundings. Some of them had got with them
the heavy brass cymbals which they clash as a musical accompaniment in
their religious processions. They began to sound their cymbals and to
dance in the slow, sedate way, which they do in their temples on
festal occasions, or when having an outdoor procession. Meanwhile the
directors of the ceremonies had grasped the situation, and setting
down the palanquin hurried into church, and expressing their
indignation by words and blows, endeavoured to drive out the crowd.
But as the church has nineteen large double doors this was no easy
matter, because as fast as they were driven out at one door they came
in at another. At length the church was cleared, and the much
disorganised procession went on its way. On its return, after an hour
or so, a good many Hindus again visited the church, in order to get a
better view of it than they had been able to secure amidst the crowd.
The sight of the people, solemnly dancing and clashing their cymbals
in the church, set one thinking as to the difficulties and problems
which the conversion of the villagers will give rise to. It is
purgatory to an Indian to sit still for any length of time. Outdoor
preachers have to adapt themselves to a congregation which is
continually changing. Very few can keep their attention for ten
minutes. An ordinary Evensong, with little variety of posture, is a
dreary exercise for a Hindu, and if he comes he seldom sits it out to
the end. The Christian Indian gets accustomed to it and learns to
appreciate it, but he rejoices in a procession, or in any ceremonial
which involves motion. If the solemn dance and clashing of cymbals
during the Magnificat could be allowed, the rustic Indian would enjoy
Evensong.
Father Benson, in his "War-Songs of the Prince of Peace," thus happily
translates the fourth verse of Psalm 150--"Praise Him with timbrels
tost in timely dance." And that is what the Christian Indian would
delight to do.