Darling:
This will be a brief sermon on Indian religions, so try not to go to sleep. The country has about 100 million Mohammedans and than twice that many Hindus.
The Muslims are concentrated, for the most part, in the north and in the larger cities. Of more warlike race (their ancestors invaded India in the 11th Century), they are also more aggressive than the Hindus in the business field. Five times daily they kneel for prayer facing Mecca. They eat curry (goat meat) and bread.
When you begin discussing the Hindus you run into endless complications. Brahma is their supreme being, but always worshipped indirectly. Broadly Hindus may be divided in two classes -- devotees of Vishnu and followers of Shiva the Destroyer. After visiting Vishnu's shrine, a sectarian draws vertical white and red lines on his forehead, or a three-pronged fork. Worshippers of Shiva smear the forehead with a horizontal smudge of ashes.
Many Hindus display a holy lock of hair at the back of the head (a miniature pigtail) but Mohammedans say there is no symbolism in the tassel they display in theirs.
In greeting, a Hindu joins his fingers in a praying gesture sometimes though usually a salute greets foreigners. I was amused the other night when one bowed greatly and said, "Good morning."
The Parsis are the ones who formerly practiced "suttee", in which widows were compelled to leap into their husband's funeral pyres or burning ghats. Of Persian descent, they follow Zoroaster and are perhaps India's big business men.
As for me, I'm still a Congregationalist, if anything. I hardly expect to change my faith, although both Hinduism and Mohammedanism have good points. Mentally I bow down five times a day -- facing Fremont!
All my love,
S.
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