The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-11-07
CREMATION IN INDIA.
Tho Solemn and Affecting Cofo.
mOny Performed by tho
HindoOa

mOny Performed BY tho
HindoOa
70 oyoy Traveller To- HIndosinn Is IA
mlliaf thr larnblo call ~ Ram Ram
Such Hal which. being translated nto
English. means literally God. God Is
truth. The cry Ia a fearful one. "a cry
which anee heard hngcfs With peculiar
rhythm 10 the heafef's car, fof never r.
Il heard from the lips n a single man.
bat from many. sometimes from The lips
IT hundrds. and which borne with that
terrible disiincincss " The well acceniu.
atcd many upon a sull air IL effect Is
peculiarly awc-striking Still more ~
when At rapid ifot upon the shout
ders Of four white.rObed men j. seen a
whiie.sheeicd corpse laid upon = light
bier So tightly bm been drawn the
shr0udlng over the dead figure that
every outline 81 the body u distinctly
visible, and thus NJ n quick pace hurry
the body. beprcrs, followed hy m I'M
mcnse ihrong, 10 the burning CHAT,
there TO burn the body u the decreased
Since the solvent Of the british into
power In India the fearful rite u suffice.
which condemned to be burnt along with
her husband his widows. has been pre-.
vented and though even At this day.
u Hindosiani burning is = sight by no
means pleasant, Il was much more fear.
ful when along with the burning dead
husband were burned oneor more Of bis
late wives.
The first time Vhen that sacrifice was
clearly brought home 10 Engiishmen
was when job Chornock. hAlf-piraie.
hAlf.adyenturer. saved the lie 81 8
beautiful BcngAlec widow a. she Wa
being thrust upon the burning pyre Of
her husband. Job ChApock laid the
foundation u the preseai capital II In
dia. Calcutta. and i vks a. IL preset
site wher the gallant sailor performed
this hazardous saving ieA, CNnact
had penetrated up the Hooriy n qucsi
Of adventures aud sueine iram his ves-
sci prepAuuonst or Tie hurn.ag 4 4 I'm
doc he watched the proress HiA carElus
sHeiiensnt bet shes 3 cane - c-t1uti-
Ing living peoyh and ta5rt Al . tpunr
wUman. al TIE rsos-uu, n rniaf. II ths
sA5iors bar ze.t taa-r.6 hDd calling
% be cozrk3as be ragged Hsiia-tl Nut
VIII he al q iAar ElerHs he ssa1 diL
psr.ss ibt ist=issns and K~iir-yn-t nnr.
T1a. lAs Ei1nrr unf tnundHt GLlruftL
Tbsrs trt irx MRS nfrrsius airitf
asa q EinaBt n-snintim Tnnyt D ~
.rnff u HuismIniit ant ~ muai "a iM1
iHrlf lamp intending itH e%arinimia.
surt . rsnHr1. rs.hnrmF n riHnlnal
and az mum lmit inut vrnpiur unr
f.saf nrmt ana II nEf iA wnl mnit
aial nm 30 ir n-is-sm a. > huruIur h ~
arse M II ris mtsE lnsi-ta.liT mrfr.
anaimlls aiIa AIntisrLi rEI afs- ~
Eniuuf y estr 1srnHrs.t g. &c v1ik.n
dnm vtlh lnr n "a. ass. 81 aust
diis iut rHn be- trssEshnA A. The last
inns 81 'tu rnng MIA zls !. upon
tina y'nnit y ir nmbs 81 kha1A The
ntsmnlr n mn vhil-r ses = religion
mt nnlr NJ . Htis-ET ~Frsctziinn. DE
mrnpmilrr Hi1t = ~ npdly that Il il
frHi sss - s1rs a body 10 close and
err1rs1 T,cl1s kuger than an hour at
ibs Tey most No sooner does death
appesr Inevitable than the friends pre-
pare to meet II In the most philosophy.
cal manner. The dying mar is borne
out into the open air. the hired mourn.
eH are sent for. and sit on each side Of
the Intel and wall In q h%eartrrndinR
manner These mourners are women,
old and ugly. dressed In the conycn.
tional green. red. and white dusty gar.
menis, with hair disheyeled. b~arn-yard
s~weeplngs on their head. and all the nc.
complishments Of woe imaginable.
From constantly engaging 10 such bust.
ness their faces appear to have attained
the expression most betting such coca.
si0ns.
About the amounting Of the corpse the
Hindoo Ia most particular. II Is rubbed
all over with the essence Of fuses. The
hair Is oiled. the cheeks aud lips arc
painted a bright yermillion. aud the body
swaihed In white linen. manufactured
Tor that purpose. aud M shruuded a'
only to disclose the face aud hands,
The bier differs according To the caste.
With the Brahmins simplicity Is obscry,
able. But the lower the caste, and con,
sc1uenily the lower the general intelli
gence and status In society, the NOR,
gaudily decorated the bier. lor In
stance, grooms Affect the l%iyellest colors
and CONVEX, their funerals into ludic
rons farces, and are more than please,
when their efforts meet with laughin,
shouts Of approval. II is = pecuiiarii'
Of this class that they are a most iowa
race, and have ever a song or Joke Of
their lips With other castles prefer
natural gloom seems ever upon thei
minds. A groom. on the other hand
scizes with avidity the occasion Of a Il
neral. and looks upon I, as a mos, 81,
tunaie circumstance an occasion upo
which 70 be merry. 10 laugh dull car
away, and defy tyrant death with N
cup that more than i~nshria,es. \,
drunkenness Il q bese,ting vice Wi
him. though II Is q drunkenness IN
takes smlable form. rarely ever perm
ting him 10 do more harm than to b
OF the nose Of one Of his refrac,o
wives.
A light mating forms the bed Of /
pyre, which Is attached 10 bamboo pol
covered with strips 81 red. white. bl,
green, yellow-in fact, all eolorL
cotton cloth. A canopy Is formed ov
head. also covered with various color
cloth. The body Is placed inside q
smothercd with flowers, the white cha
melee being preferred. II has a sire
odor. and 4 q pure white. -Four u
stoutest relatives Of the deceased II
LII the litter, and before them are r
ner-. who lay on the ground red
white strips Of cloth. 80 a. not TO per
the carriers 10 tread The bare eal
When the funeral procession comes
the limit Of one Of these strips the I
eral corfege has 10 wait I'LL other I'll
have been spread. In advance Of n
are the fighting men Of the party. '
brandish spesrs. sticks. and occasions
ere Of guns, besides going through
Ties ymbolicsl II fighting In mid.
hovsring demons who are Intent ~
earring Of the body. In most pici
-. PLACES Ars thess burning CHATS
Hard by IN 49, holy stream VII
.[n~ wstes eossrH-s beautifully "
esrk nnd glowing foliage Of