Year: 1876

consumed Fire-An ExOrbitnut Priest.

 A correspondent of the Troy Tunes writes as follows We visited the Burn ing Ghaut by the rivers side in the old town, md witnessed the performance of cremation. The place is surrounded by a high brick wall the large front gate is open for all who wish to enter. The space within the inclosure is not much more than 8 quarter of an acre. There were three funeral pyres in full blaze when we entered, and coolies were cm- ployed tending the fires the skeletons of the burning bodies were visible through the spaces between the large sticks of wood laid lengthwise, with smaller sticksacro each end there was smoke from the combustion, but no offensive smell. While witnessing the process of cremation a corpse was borne to the ground upon a stretcher the husband of the deceased, with a few friends, accompanied it. All were coolies, and this was funeral of low life. The bereaved husband occupied some time in bargaining for wood at the place for it's sale close by, and further time was spent in arranging with the stokers " to do the necessary work. Finally the material for the fire was brought in and built up in sections as described to height of perhaps four feet; the coolie employed as chief mourner then uncovered the corpse, and arms, and handed them to the hus- band, anointed the body and head with some greasy substance, and then the 1N0l 0lx k,@ 1a1 placed lengthwise upon the pyre, the legs only being doubled upat the knees, so that the body should be circum- scribed to the length of the wood. The wood was heaped upon the body, space being left open for the exposure of the face. A Hindoo priest then presented himself the husband of the deceased threw at his feet several copper pieces known as pice, each valued at half 0 cent. The priest demanded more, and few more were thrown down by the husband. Then O basin containing a mixture of rice and millet, with goats milk, was placed ill the hands of the widower, together with two small sandal sticks. The priest blessed the articles, and the man repeated after him prayer. The mourner then placed the sandal wood by the sides of the face, aud the mixture ill the mouth and upon the neck of the deceased. Next, lighted fagot was handed by coolie to the bereaved husband; again the priests service was required, and more pice were thrown at his feet; again the priest demanded more, and the husband emptied his little bag containing, as he declared, his last pice the few pieces were picked up by the priest, who proceeded to bless the fagot and dictate another brief prayer, which was repeated as before. This &C., complished, the bereaved husband passed three times around the pyre, swinging his fagot thrice as he com pleted each circuit then he set fire to the pyre from kindlings underneath as we'll as above the body, and soon the whole pile was in flames. We looked on for time with sensations indescriba- ble. There was the poor husband, weighed down with grief yet, under religious injunction, he was required to set fro to combustibles for the burning of his wife's body to ashes. He was very poor; the Brahmin priest had stripped him of his last pice. His coun- tenance bore the expression of despair, as he watched the cracking, roaring flames of that funeral pyre. The "stokers," amid levity and merriment, were doing their work ; the priest had withdrawn the moment he picked up the pice for his blessing the chief mourner of the bereaved was clamoring for his pay-and this, too, while all that was mortal of the wife was being re- duced to ashes in the consuming pyre. We called the man one side, gave him a little money, received his fearful thanks, and withdrew from the sad and heart sickening spectacle. The Hindoos burn all their dead, and for sanitary reasons cremation is no doubt desirable in this densely populated country. Neither the gentleman who was with me at the burning ghaut nor myself could perceive the least offensive eff1uvia from the consuming fires. It is not true that the ashes of the subjects of cremation are preserved; they are mingled with the ashes of the wood, and separation of the two would be impossible.