Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-09
CREMATION IN INDIA.
vERr soIKxS cgRExoNY.


lSan Francisco CALL
To every traveller in Hindoostan u
familiar the terrible call OF " Ram,
Ram. Such Hal" which, being trans
lated into English. means literally;
God. God Is truth :" The cry Is
fearful ont---s cry which, once heard
fingers with peculiar rhythm in the
hearers ear. for never Is u ncsra
from the lips Of single man.
hut from many. sometimes rom
the lips OF hundreds, and when borne
with that terrible distinc,ness OF the
well-accentuased many upon stu ar
It's effect us peculiarly awe-striking.
Sill morn so when at rapid trot upon
the shoulders Of four whitc-robcd men
Is seen a whitc.sheeied corps laid upon
a light bier. So tightly has been drawn
the ,aroudipg over the dead figure that
every outline Of the body is distinctly
visible and thus at quick pace hurry
the body-bearcrs, followed by an i'm
mense thropg. to the burning CHAT
there 10 burn the body Of the deceased.
Since the advent of the British into
power in India the fearful rite OF suit
Zee. which condemned TO be burnt along
with her husband his widows. has been
prevented and though, even at th's
day. a Ilindostani burning is sight
by no means pleasant. II was much
more fearful when, along with the burn
ING eead husband, were burned one or
more OF his late wives.
The first time when that sacrifice was
clearly brought home to Englishmen
was when job Charnock, half-pirate-
balEadyenturer. saved the life Of beau
tiful Bengalee widow as she was being
thrust upon the burning pyre OF her
husband. job Charnock laid the foun-
daiion Of the present capital oil India
Calcutta, and il was at its present site
where the gallant sailor performed TINS
hazardous saving feat. Charnock had
penetrated up the IIoogly in quest oil ad.
ventures. and seeing from his vessel
preparation for the burning Of a iiindoo
he watched the process with curious
excitement; but when it came TO cremat-
ing living people, and above all young
woman, all the generous impulses OF
the sailors heart were stirred, and call
ing to his comrades he leaped ashore,
and with the aid Of their knives he soon
dispersed the heathens, and attorward
merried the woman and founded Call
cGtta.
There are few more afiecting sights
than Tindoo cremation. There is so
much Of solemnity and so much of bar
barrie pomp attending the ceremonial.
such a general gathering of clansmen.
and so much paid loud weeping and
silent agony, that it may be well said
that not to lie present at burning is to
lose one Of the most interesting
entertainments that llindostan can
offer. No Hindoo is ever per-
mitied TO die within four walls.
Out in the open air must the last
gasp he bresthed, and the last look OF
the dying man must be upon that which
is not made by hands. The measure
is not wholly one Of religion, but more
Of a sanitary precsution. DecompoSl-
ton sets in so rapidly that it is reckless
TO leave body in close and confined
rooms lorger than an hour at the very
most. No sooner does death appear
inevitable tben the friends prepare 20
meet it in the most philosophical manner.
The dying man is borne out into the
open air, the hired mourners are sent
for, aud tit on each side of the Intel
and wall in heartrending manner.
These mourners are women, old and
ugly, dressed in the conventional green,
red. and white dusty garments. with
hair dishevelled, barn-yard sweepings on
their head. and all the accomplishments
of woe imaginable. From constant y
engaging in such business their faces
appear TO have attained the expression
most betting such occasions.
About the amounting Of the corpse
the Hindoo is most particular. 1t is
rubbed all over with the essence OF
roses. The hair is oiled. the cheeks
and lips are painted a bright vermilion,
and the body swathed in white linen
manufactured for that purpose, and so
shrouded as only to disclose the
face and hands. The bier differs
according to the caste. With the Brah'
Minis simplicity is observable. b.
the lower the caste, and consequently
the lower the general intelligence ant
status in society, the more gaudily de
corated the bier. For instance, the
grooms affect the liyelicst colors, au'
convert their funerals into ludicrou!
farces, and are more than pleased wheI
their efforts meet with laughing shouts
Of approval. 1t is a popularity of thu
class that they are NEST jovial race
and have ever song or joke OF
their lips. With other castles prefer
natural gloom seems ever upon thel
minds. A groom, on the other hand
seizes with avidity the occasion OF
funeral, and looks upon it as mos
fortunate circumstance-an occasio
upon which TO be merry, to laugh du
care away, and defy tyrant death wit
the cup that more than inehriates; Il
drunkenness is besctting vice wit
him. though it is a drunkenness tn
takes amiable form. rarely ever permi
ting him to do more harm than to bi
oil the nose Of one Of his reiractol
wives.
A light mating forms the bed of Il
pyre, which is attached to bamb'
poles, covered with strips Of red, whit
blue, green, yellow-~in fact, all colors-
Of cotton cloth. A canopy is form'
overhead, also covered with vario
colored cloth. The body is placed i
side and smothered with flowers, d
whis, chsmmalee being preferred.
has strong odor, and is pu
white. -Four Of the stoutest re
tives Of the deceased then lift {
litter, and before them are runner
who lay on the ground red and VIII
strips Of cloth, so as not to permit
carriers 20 tread the bare earth. WI
the funeral procession comes TO
limit Of one Of these strips the fune
eortege has to wait till other strips hi
been spread. In advance Of these
the fighting men Of the party, v
braudish spears, sticks, and occasions