Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-05-26
THE GAZETTE.
Funeral of nm East India Prince.
MONDAY EVENING, MAY 26.

Funeral of nm East India Prince
The following letter was written by an eye
witness of the remarkable scene that 1t por-
trays, the solemn burning of the body OF the
late Maharajah of Joudhpore
"JoUpupoRE- MARwAR, Feb. p, 1875
!. On the 18th inst, and at p. ~. the reignlDDg
Prince, his Highness Maharejah Takht Singh,
G. G.. S. l., departed this life at the age OF 81,
after brilliant reign of twenty-elght years and
six months. Immediately after his deaf prep
arations were made for performing the cere-
mony of cremation. Early in the morning his
corpse was dressed in the Royal robes OF bro
caded cloth, and decked out with jeweiry to the
value of one lahk and 81, 600 rupees (fl5,0U.
Placed on sedan char in o sitting posture,
the deceased Rajah was then carried out to the
appointed spot followed by the usual caValcadc
and band of musicians. 10 the trout OF the
procession were two elephants laden with gold
and silver coin to the amount OF one lahk and
5000 rupees (Gl2, 5O0), which were scattered
at every hundred PAGES among the spectators ;
in such dense crowd as was there assembled,
the struggle to obtain possession of the scram-
bied coins was something terrible to witness
Al distance of six miles from the capital the
corpse was brought to the Rajah's ancestral
place of cremation, where every preparation
had been made to receive it. A large funeral
pile had been constructed Of sandal wood, and
quantities of combustible materials, and upon
this the corpse, fully attircd with all the jewel
~, and wrapped in cashmere sha~ls' was rev.
erently laid.
Thursday. the Brahmins reciting their man
tras (prayers), set fire to the pile, and as the
flames darted up in the air such deafening
vail was uttered by the surrounding crowd
that for moment was fairly stunned. After
a short time tried to make my way near the
nile, but the heat was SO terrific that it was I'M
possible to approach within a thousand yards
Of it In the course Of few hours the corps
was entirely consumed not the slightest trace
Off remaining. The embers were left two
DAYS to cool, after which the ashes were brought
back to the palace, with great bomp and osten-
tation, and will in due time be carefully sent to
the holy place as Hurdwar, Benares, &C., with
large sums for distribution among the Brah-
MINIS and other religious mendicants. From
the time His Highness died to the present time
5,O0OBrahmins have regularly received food and
largess of rupee each at the palace gates BY
way of expressing their grief, and as sign OF
mourning, all the inhabitants, from the prince
to the lowest caste Hindoo, have clearly shaw,
ed off their boards, moustaches, and the hair
ofthcir head.
1.-THE deceased Rajah had a considerable
number Of wives and concubines, many whom
expressed strong desire to immediate them
selves on the funeral pile of their late lord;
some because they really grieved at his loss,
and others no doubt, because 1t was considered
respectable. Thanks, however, to the lnt1uen-
&C of the British rule and the interference OF
the Governor Generals agent, it was not prac-
ticablc to revive the barbarous custom OF hui
man sacrifice. ~On previous occasions as many
as dozen woman have been obliged to submit
to sclfimmolation; but on this occasion every
thing passed off quietly and without any injury
to human life. The successor to the throne,
Rajah Jaswant Singh Bahadoor, boldly refused
to countcnance any return to such lnhuman rite
and has solcmnIy sworn to nfict condign pun
ishmcnt on any one who encourages the prac-
tice His Highness appears to be most wor-
thy and accomplished Prince, and their seems
every prospect of his rule being an enlightened
and prosperous one.