Excerpt from The Holy City: Benares
"Never resort to the argument: 'I do not know this, therefore it is false'.
"We must study to know, know to comprehend, and comprehend to judge".
-Narada.
I Had little idea while paying a flying visit to Benares for the first time during the X'mas recess in 1909 that I should have to put my fugitive recollections into writing. I feel conscious however that a sketch like this may be of interest to those who proceed to that ancient place with an open mind and who have no definite notion as to what in reality to expect to find there. Random rambles, I believe, are neither much illuminating nor very edifying in their effects in the absence of a capacity in the wanderer for taking an intelligent interest in what is observed, owing to the want of requisite equipment in the shape of needful informations. I felt this myself, and hence a hope that this little sketch of the holy city might be of some use to tourists like me is my only apology for bringing it to the light of day in spite of the diffidence I feel in doing so.
"In wealth, population, dignity and sanctity," this city, writes Macaulay, "was among the foremost of Asia."
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