In Ongole, near the great pagodas, the people used to be very idolatrous, having many idols in their houses as well as in their temples. But even here they are rapidly losing their faith in their idols. Recently, in a single year, 20,000 people in this district became Christians, and in one week they brought to the missionaries a thousand idols which they had ceased to worship. [Illustration: DISUSED IDOLS AND SACRED ARTICLES FROM ONGOLE, INDIA.] [Illustration: BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF PAGODAS AND TEMPLE GROUNDS. This view is taken from Eagle Hill, in the Madras Presidency, India. It looks toward the east, and when combined with its counterpart, looking toward the west, it shows the extent and grandeur of these sacred grounds and buildings.] [Illustration: BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF PAGODAS AND TEMPLE GROUNDS. This view is taken from Eagle Hill, in the Madras Presidency, India. It looks toward the west, and when combined with its counterpart, looking toward the east, it shows the extent and grandeur of these sacred grounds and buildings.] HINDU WASHINGS FOR SIN. A writer for young people thus describes the custom of the Hindus resorting to the Ganges, and the reasons for it: “The heathen know well that sin needs to be washed away, but as to how this can be done they have very strange ideas. Some will walk through fire, as if that would burn away all impurities; some will cover their bodies with filth, as if that would cleanse the soul; others still fancy that the water of certain streams has power to remove all taint of sin. The Hindus believe that there is wonderful cleansing power in the water of the Ganges, so that whoever can bathe in that river is freed from guilt. From all parts of India pilgrims go to the Ganges, and they believe that whoever dies in that stream is sure of future bliss. But India is a vast country, and comparatively few of the poor people who live in the southern portion can travel the thousand miles or more to reach the Ganges. Hence they have their own sacred streams and fountains, which, though not regarded as so sacred as the Ganges, are yet supposed to have power to cleanse from sin. [Illustration: HINDUS WASHING IN THE SACRED RIVER GANGES AT BENARES.]