Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-17
THE HINDOO. SUTTEE.
Burning ON the Funeral Pyre Of Her
Deceased Husband.
From the Calcutta Beugalee.

DuI utuS Ou tuC uucTdI IyIc VI nef
Deceased Husband.
From the Calcutta Beugalee.
In the remote village of Gader De
hee, in the district of Banhurah,
there are to oe seen two small tombs
on the bank of small lake, contains
ing the holy ashes of yourg lady
who burnt herself alive on the fun>
eral pyre of her deceased husband.
The name of the husband of the lady
was Brahamand Gossain, and he died
of fever in the morning. She wept
not, but sat by the dead body of her
husband. How we wished that she
could give vent to her feelings and
relieve herself. But no, she sat and
uttered neither a sigh nor groan.
At last she rose and proceeded
straightway toward the Tkahoor
Baree to the image of the
gon Krishma There she went, fol-
lowed by many men and women, and
Frustrated herself before the god.
Then she stood, and began to divest
herself of tie ornaments that she
had on her psrson. One by one she
took them and placed them at the
foot of the god, for the first time
speaking: "Here, my lord, take
them, I need them no longer" And
then she slowly came back to where
the body of her husband was lying
covered. She then addressed her
brother-in law and she said: '.Pre>
pare for the ceremony of cremation,
and you know I can't live without
him. must accompany him."
Though her relations, friends and
neighbors had all suspected that
something serious was impend-
ing, the first announcement was
received with shock which
could not be described Then
followd discussions and her
friends, relations and neigh
bors all began to dissuade her to no
purpose. The uncle,in-law, the
mother,in-law, whom Hindoo lady
is bound to revere next to. her God,
commanded, and then earnestly
pleaded to her to forbear; but she
was not to be moved. Then came
the guroo, the purohit, whom, as her
spiritual guides, she was bound to
obey; they tried their best, but she
was determined. Time rolled on,
and she wavered not for a moment.
Then the last device was resorted to.
Her fears were appealed to; they
described to her the horrible and
painful sufierings of living man
upon a funeral pile. At first she
dIsdained to give replies to their app
peals to her fears, but at last when
obliged to say something she said:
"You need not be anxious; my soul
has fed with my lord. As for bodily
sufferings, shall show you that I
need not apprehend them"
There was lamp burning, under
the usual custom, by the corpse, and
she put one of her fingers upon the
slow fires of the lamp and burnt it
without wincing. Crowds had then
collected from all parts of the coun-
try. It was then about 4 p. M, and
the corpse was carried to a burning
CHAT on the bank of the small lake,
only about couple of hundred
yards from the house, and the lady
followed, followed by thousands of
men chanting ''Haribole." The
crowd then began to collect dry flag
gots, and heaps were gathered in a
moment. While the funeral pile
was in the process of being pres
pared, the corpse was bathed, and
the lady herself performed her alb
luton. She then put on vermillion
ON her forehead and dressed herself
in new Saree (cloth for ladies' and
then slowly entered the funeral
pile. Her hair was properly adjusted
by her friends, and they adorned her
with garlands and wreaths of flowers,
The crowd then, with fearful eyes.
begged of her blessings and some
| tokens from her to be kept in res
membrance of her self>sacrifce.
She was supplied with cowries, plan
tains, betelnuts, C., and she began
to throw handfuls of them among
the crowd. She then laid herself by
the corpse of her husband in the pos
ture of warm embrace. She gave
the order, and The pile was lighted
in several places, and at once there
was blazing fire. The Suffice rails
ed her right hand and began to utter
the name of Horee, turning her hand
round and round. She was dead be
fore the fire had reached her sacred
person.
Thus Hindoo widow ended her
life on the funeral pyre of her hus>
band. Her husband was dead, and
the world appeared to her dreary
waste. She was determined to fol
low her lord to the unknown world
undeterred by the solicitations of hel
friends and relations and the temp
tations of worldly pleasures. Hel
fears were appealed to, but in vain
She felt she could not live moment
without her lord; she must accom-
pany him, and under the ipfiuenc.
of this overwhelming impulse sht
entered the flames without the leas
display of fear and with an alactrit.
which surpasses all description. W.
ask who can contemplate this spirit
stirring scene, this wondrous spec
tacle, without feeling sort o
veneration for the lady who thu
offered herself as a sacrifice on tn
altar of connubial dutyY May he
spirit rest in peace and from it
place in the heavens, shed lightupel
her surviving brothers and sisters
and upon her countrymen, and in
, spire them with courage in the &C
on,n,,nirhnoonf Of fhoi,. or,ds IN 1ifa