DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14729#0147
102
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST.
last fatal walk, which she took to her funeral pile, that I
could behold her. The funeral train, accompanied by many
thousands of spectators, was now proceeding; all were on foot,
their abode in the fortress not being far distant from the
place of the ceremony. The four ranees only were carried,
in open palanquins, behind the deceased, after them followed
the seven female slaves, barefooted ; some of them appeared
to be not more than fourteen or fifteen years of age. The
ranees, too, were barefooted, their silk dresses were simple,
and without any ornaments, and they appeared to be
indifferent to the awful though voluntary fate which awaited
them. Perhaps our hearts throbbed more at the view
of this dismal train than those of the poor victims them-
selves. The body of Runjeet Sing was placed on a boardr
to which it was probably fastened, and was carried on a
light and decorated bier constructed in the shape of a
ship ; the sails and flags of the vessel were made of rich
golden and silk stuff (kimkab), and of Cashmere shawls.
A number of people carried the bier from the interior
of the fortress up to the funeral-pile, there the board
with the body was taken out of it and deposited on the
ground, where, on what was a small garden, now stands a
summood, i, e., a tomb of the royal family Runjeet Sing,
Kurruck Sing and No-Nehal Sing, i. e., the father, son, and
grand-child, together with their wives and slaves. The
costly ornaments of the richly decorated bier were given
to the mob ; the Brahmins performed their prayers from
the Shaster, a book written in the Indian or Sanscrit
language ; the Gooroos, or priests of the Sikhs, did the same,
from their holy scripture called Grunthsaheb,* and the Mussel-
men accompanied them with their "Ya, Allah ! Ya, Allah !"
A slow, 'but not displeasing rumbling of the drums, and the
murmuring of the people, gave to the whole scene a
melancholy aspect, and was peculiar to the country. The
funeral pile which displayed itself before the eyes of the
spectators, was constructed of dry woods, amongst which
* Grunth is the holy book of Baba-Nanuk.
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST.
last fatal walk, which she took to her funeral pile, that I
could behold her. The funeral train, accompanied by many
thousands of spectators, was now proceeding; all were on foot,
their abode in the fortress not being far distant from the
place of the ceremony. The four ranees only were carried,
in open palanquins, behind the deceased, after them followed
the seven female slaves, barefooted ; some of them appeared
to be not more than fourteen or fifteen years of age. The
ranees, too, were barefooted, their silk dresses were simple,
and without any ornaments, and they appeared to be
indifferent to the awful though voluntary fate which awaited
them. Perhaps our hearts throbbed more at the view
of this dismal train than those of the poor victims them-
selves. The body of Runjeet Sing was placed on a boardr
to which it was probably fastened, and was carried on a
light and decorated bier constructed in the shape of a
ship ; the sails and flags of the vessel were made of rich
golden and silk stuff (kimkab), and of Cashmere shawls.
A number of people carried the bier from the interior
of the fortress up to the funeral-pile, there the board
with the body was taken out of it and deposited on the
ground, where, on what was a small garden, now stands a
summood, i, e., a tomb of the royal family Runjeet Sing,
Kurruck Sing and No-Nehal Sing, i. e., the father, son, and
grand-child, together with their wives and slaves. The
costly ornaments of the richly decorated bier were given
to the mob ; the Brahmins performed their prayers from
the Shaster, a book written in the Indian or Sanscrit
language ; the Gooroos, or priests of the Sikhs, did the same,
from their holy scripture called Grunthsaheb,* and the Mussel-
men accompanied them with their "Ya, Allah ! Ya, Allah !"
A slow, 'but not displeasing rumbling of the drums, and the
murmuring of the people, gave to the whole scene a
melancholy aspect, and was peculiar to the country. The
funeral pile which displayed itself before the eyes of the
spectators, was constructed of dry woods, amongst which
* Grunth is the holy book of Baba-Nanuk.