The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-06-13
HINDOO CREMATION.
HEY BURN THE BODIES OF THEIR
DEAD IN THE OPEN AIR.

| Been Practiced by Them Tor Thousands
of Years The Blessed State From the
Hindoo Standpoint.
Although we are beginning to believe
more and more every year in cremation
md think ourselves accordingly ad.
Tanced, the Hindoos have practiced it
or thousands of years. The funeral pile
If rajah sometimes costs laos Of rupees
Hindoo body is sometimes burned
Fhen 8 rupees cover the entire expenses
The rich Hindoo may be somewhat ex-
llusive The Hindoo masses do every.
hing simply and openly. They bathe
'ut of doors, they pray out of doors, they
iook out of doors, they die out of doors
md their bodies are burned out of doors,
there are three burning CHATS in Cal
;utta.
Awriter to the Pail Mall Budget tells
rery entertainingly of visit she made
% one of the cheapest and most print
i've of these three.
Just as she entered into the inclosure
where burning CHAT was in full ope-
alton there was crack-a sharp retort
ike pistol. The heat had just broken
through dead mans skull. 1t was the
asst human part to protest against the
,xtinguishment of death.
The funeral pile of poor Hindoo
ools like an ordinary kitchen yard
wood pile But if you go up close to it
Fou discover something very like hui
nan form, glowing, charred mass, dis
inguished from every other shape, ami
mate or inanimate. for the Hindoos lit
rally purify their dead by fire. The
body is burned until absolutely nothing
:emains but a handful of ashes, ashes
wholly free from any unclean or poison
Jus matter. As the writer was closely
observing the glowing pile new body
vas brought in and the rite begun
Two coolies carried the body upon
:ude litter, woven from coarse grasses
md held together by outlines of bamboo.
Two of the dead mans brothers follow
I'd, chatting pleasantly. -Four stout
sticks of wood were driven upright into
ihe ground, at the corners of an imagi-
aary parallelogram about six feet by
Two. Between these four posts were
loosely laid sticks of dry, cheap wood.
When the pile was little more than
three feet high, the body was laid upon
1t. A dirty piece of crash, of the quality
the coolies wear about their loins, partly
wrapped the dead. One of the brothers
Itepped up and poured about four ounces
IF oil over the body. This insured a
quicker cremation, but was something
pf a luxury and not universal practice
The oil must have cost about three pice
The other brother paid the coolies, who
houldered the light, empty litter and
marched gayly out.
More wood was piled upon the dead
4 thin stick was lighted at the other
funeral pile, which was now flaming
lnely, the second pile was lighted, and
he cremation of the newcomer was be-
gun. The two brothers appeared very
interested in the igniting and decidedly
Sleased when it was accomplished. They
quatted down upon the ground, just so
bar from the pile that they might feel
nat their scant, filthy garments were
'airly safe from the sparks, but near
snough to watch all the changing phases
II the cremation and to see easily when
% was consummated
They united dirty rag from about a
Crnall bundle one of them had brought
with them. They took out small earth
ia bowl. It was clean and shining, and
q was the brass chattee each lifted from
Ma filthy turbaned head. The chattees
1eA water. The bowl held curry and
ice. They fell to eating with gusto.
Aud, pray, why notf They were eating
10 live Their brother was burning to |
iTs-to live in Hlndoo paradise. From
ihe Hindoo point Of view this state was
ar more blessed.
The cremation which was in full blast |
when the writer arrived was finally |
completed. Two distinct kinds of ashes |
we're left. The human ashes were care
ully gathered into an old chattee. The |
do not allow those ashes to |
De thrown into the river, and they are
lever thrown there in the presence Of |
Europeans. The ashes of the wood were
swept swiftly away. The bits of wood
lot quite burned were fruga1ly collected !
q be utilized in the next pile.
The correspondent also tells of visit |
% burning CHAT after shutdown.
Night, 7" she goes on, sis the time of
aiK doc leisure, as indeed it is of most
,rilaitive peoples. The Enclosure was
;rowded with burning piles.
1--WE sailed down the Ganges The |
outlines of the attendants Of the dead
ma of the funeral pile were sharply |
against the black background |
If the dark night by the flames of the
death fires. And from thai |
oaEt of the shore sacred to Hindoo wor.
hip came the shrieking and the songs
If many thousand half mad deyotees.
In primitive part Of interior India
once saw maharajah's funeral pile.
Il had cost positive fortune. 1t was
1uilt of expensive spicy woods and sat-
lrated with costly oils 1t was richly
yilded, and the dead was wrapped in
silken sheets. For uiles
he air was sweet and pungent and thick
With the perfumed smoke. I remember
laying thought when child that the
iterally sweetest experience l eVsr had
vas the attending of high mass at st.
Peters in Rome. But now I must own
hat the sweetest smell ever smelled
vas the burning of o maharaish's fpr
isEal pilAu