The Coconino sun., 1925-04-17

SlOIl VIC lletl pttSScu COlHlIlS GiOIS GIlC
street a few blocks back arrived, the
wood merchants started a howling
bargain much in the manner of auc-
ioneers, pricing the quality and guam
tity of wood they would furnish. do
not know the exact ethics of these
undertakers, but none of the proceed
ings struck me as laughable or anus
ing. | do not know how the transac-
tion panned out but suppose some
deal was made, as the body was laid
down alongside one of the small hol-
low bitches made in the earth.
The interior of the burning CHAT
was merely a space of ground walled
in from the river and street with steps
leading down to the river, where the
ashes Of the burned body were Dump
ed after being scooped up out of the
shallow hole in which it had been
placed to burn. An attendant took
one end of the gunny sack containing
The ashes, wood and dirt, and the
nearest relative, the oldest son, or If
none, the wife or best FRIEND took
the other and carried it to the river
TO dump.
The bodies are clothed in white if
male and red if female. If wealthy
the corpse is dipped in the river first,
then, if in the sacred Ganges river,
the eyelids are pulled open that he
may for the last time see the sacred
river. With the proper amount OF
wealth, not only plenty of wood IS
furnished, but also special wood and
grease to expedite the cremation. If
the wood runs out before complete
cremation the spirit of the diseased
is supposed to have hard road to
travel.
The rich put flowers and rice on
the body and a gold piece in the
mouth of the dead, that his spirit may
be refreshed and also have money to
pay its way From private sources |
understand that few of these gold
pieces get away. The burning priests
acquired the habit of sitting the ashes
| for the gold after the cremation,
which shows much thrift on their
part. The body is usually consumed
within an hour.
The "yogis," or holy men, are not
burned and it is said that those who
die from smallpox and kindred con-
| tagious diseases are not burned. They
are placed in concrete receptacles and
put into the river. Probably some
wise gink figured that plaques and
diseases that could become epidemic
| if given half chance, might help the
! local situation. | merely throw this
! in as suggestion, since there seems
to be a much greater need for brains
| than increased population.
There are several kinds Of "ghats.
] The burning CHAT, the bathing CHAT
and others for boats, but the next
most famous CHAT is the Kali CHAT,
where in years gone by human victims
were brought and offered up as sac
rifices to the Hindu God. The VIC
TINS head was laid on a block and
| chopped off. The fanatics dipped
/ their fingers in his blood and daubed
it on their foreheads and bodies. Now,
this proceeding might help the re-
ligious standing of those who did the
dipping, but it was most fatal and
permanently ruined the fellow who
was offered as the sacrifice Some
years ago the British government
concluded the natives we're carrying
their enthusiasm too far and issued
an edict prohibiting. it. This started q
revolution and the natives grumbled
long at this restriction of their re-
ligious freedom. | was unable to as
certain just how the victim of the sac
rifice was selected, but from the moi
saw to choose from, one could do il
blindfolded and not make much of 9
mistake.
o1 &c c,cJo faH a
times an OK is brought in and behead
ed. OF course, not one of the sacred
kind. You will notice possibly thai
the sacred COW" is always mentioned
which would indicate to the casua
reader that the male animal ISM
sacred. Fhere was no goat blood or
tap when we visited the place and were
escorted through by a native Hindl
who spoke very good English. HI
explained the red spot of paint tn,
size of finger print on his forehead
by saying he belonged to the "mea
eaters caste. Some are vegetarians
either from force of habit or neces
sity.
While we did not take the trip Il
Benares, the Holy city par excel
lence, as it is termed, where 1893 Y
people exist on the annual influx O.
tourists, we were given to understand
from returning tourists that it wa
hardly worth the price, since til,
burning CHATS there were no more re
voting than those right in Calcutta
The Hindu priests up there, however
have things more their own way an'
fleece the tourist along with the "a
natics who head for that mecca from
all parts of India to get skinned
die and get ghated on a sacred WOO,
pile.
Some mathematical maniac has es
timated from all figures at hand tina
100000 gods and 1000 temples witt
10000 Brahmin priests are perman
emily located around Benares, whicl
denotes considerable financial enter
prise. These Benares proprietors 0
stone gods are much onto their jol
with propaganda and advertising
They have convinced the befuddle,
Hindu that he is going to be pluml
out of luck if he should make the ia
tai mistake of passing out on the op
posite side of the Ganges river fror
Benares. Whatever caste he wa