New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-12-17

Gangooly, the ohriatianized Brahmin, says in his


Gangooly, the Christanized Brahmin says in his
work just published :
The very day agirI becomesa widow, her eolored
clothes, silver and golden ornaments, are all taken
off, and mark OF red powder, which every mar
ried woman wears on the forehead, is rubbed out
Heneeforth she is to dress in white, and wear no
ornament of any kind whatever during her lifetime.
Her daily meals are reduced to one and that is
prepared in the simplest way possible. She is
strictly prohibited the use of any sort Of animal
food. This restriction has been carried to sueh
extreme, that if scale of fish be found in the
plate OF a widow, she must Immediately stop eat
ing and go without food the same day. Each
widow is required to cook her own food, and to
abstain entirely from food and drink two days,
okatlatSly, in every month. There are other fast
ing days for this class of wretehed women, but The
young ones feel satisfied with observing the two
fixed ones.
Who can witness the suferings, the signs of the
Bengalee widow of thirteen or fourteen years, on
the fast days, without pity In the warm days of
April, when the burning sun dries up the ponds Of
their water scorches the leaves of the trees these
poor victims TO the rgidness of superstition, faint
and pant in hunger and thirst. If they dying
on the dkqt3usly days, a little water will be put
to the lips, merely to wet them In order to escape
these continued sufIerings it has been the practice
of many widows to burn themselves with the
corpse of their husband, and though the subtitle
Brahmins incnlcate various rewards for the burn
ing of the Suffice, yet cannot see anything more
weighty than the putting an end at once to all
!
have no hope of ever cheering their Widowhood in
the world.
| A learned Brahmin, the principal of Calcutta
Sanscrt College, is earnestly engaged in redeem
ing the condition of the widows, by introducing the
| system Of widow marriage. Having deep know
ledge of the national literature, also the scriptures
of the country he traced back its customs and i'll
| situations and wrote pamphlet, in which he sue
ceeded in proving that widow marriage had been
known to the Hindoos of old His reference to the
aneients, his able arguments and pathetic dis
| courses in behalf Of the wretched millions, were
| met by the people with the feroeity Of lions.
| Nearly sixty pamphlets were published by the
enemies of the widows against this great reformer.
| Amid the heavy showers and thunders Of repfoach
from his blind countrymen, this noble child OF God
with few friends by his side with the love OF hui
mainly in his heart and the smile of his Father
upon his head, stood firmly, and, summoning AL
| his forces, maintained the honor and superiority in
the field.
| With an elaborate work he answered his oppo-
naHts confuted their mistaken reasenngs, and 10
| their great modification married yanng Erahmn
| widow of sixteen to a suitable bridegroom. May
he be nstituting his wished for system
| which will save the females of Bengal from mani
4 fold sutferings and sins
| It ought to be observed in this place, that no
widow is asked or forced to die with her husband
She who voluntarily takes up her cross and follows
! after her beloved husband of life, is welcome
Every preparation will be made to help her in this
| act Of mistaken devotion. have heard of some
4 widows who made all the necessary arrangements
| for this mode Of suicide while their husbands vert
living.
As it would be disgrace to the family in case
of her failure, the people ask her to consider the
matter we'll, and finding her firm in her position
bind her and her dead husband together with some
cords and lay them both on the Csita or funeral
4 pile where she is burned alive amid the praises o
A the spectators. In many instances the devoted
widows, forsaking their little ones and committing
them to the care of Others, have followed afte
their husbands. It's heartrending scene, to be
n hold the wretched children, who, with horror IN
speakable, witness the death Of their two dearest
relatives on earth--the one taken away by the
natural death, the other yea, the sweeter the ten
derer Of the two, victim to superstition. mar
tyr TO her conviction of mistaken precepts Of he
priests.