"The foot sticking out over this man's shoulder is his own foot that he has twisted around. This is his idea of earning religious merit." Despite the caption for this picture, this man does not stick his foot over his shoulder. Instead, he sits cross-legged with both feet facing the sky. One of his arms is raised and the hand on that arm has very long fingernails. He is wearing a necklace. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
"This old man has held up his arm for a great many years. The muscles are withered and his elbow is stiff." A bearded man dressed in rags with a cloth headdress and necklace is holding his left arm above his head. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
"To do penance and gain merit this man has held up both arms and has become as helpless as a baby." A bald man dressed in rags sits on the floor with his knees bent up to his chest an his arms held above his head. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
"Another man who is trying to earn salvation by burying his head in the ground. The Hindu idea is that one has to earn salvation by self-torture." A man, with his head buried in the ground, raises his legs up in the air. There are people passing by him and watching him in the background. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
"A Hindu worshipping a god in the form of a small stone. It is placed near a pepul tree which is "sacred" to them." A man bends over and clasps his hands in prayer before a sacred stone. The stone is surrounded by flowers and there are two small jugs on the ground. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
"The same man in another attitude of worship. Garlands of flowers have been carefully spread around the god." A Hindu man stands with his hands clasped in front o fhim and one foot raised behind the ankle of the opposite leg. He is worshipping the god in a small stone at the base of a tree in front of him. Garlands of flowers and two small jugs surround the stone. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
"The same man in still another attitude of worship. In the brass lotah is Ganges water which he has just sprinkled on the god." A Hindu man squats on the ground with his hands clasped in front of him as he worships a god in a small stone in front of him at the base of a tree. The stone is surrounded by garlands of water and the two jugs, or lotahs, have the aforementioned sacred purpose. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
"Another Hindu "holy" man with one arm raised up over his head. The man sitting at his side counting the prayer beads is his disciple." Two men sit cross-legged on the ground next to each other. One is holding his hand above his head, while the other counts prayer beads. They are both wearing prayer beads. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
"Three "holy" men. The two in the foreground are lying on thorny cactus with the locks of their hair tied together." One man lies on a single wire stretched out and two other men lay on a thorny cactus beneath him. They have intertwined their hair. A few men stand in the bakcground, watching these men in their religious pursuits. This photograph is from an album prepared by W. K. Norton of The Pilgrims Mission, Benares [Vārānasi].
