DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5832#0250
218
SCENES IN INDIA.
bustibles underneath, his eyes the while directed
towards heaven, dropped the vessel of water on the
ground as soon as he heard the crackling of the flames,
then darted off as if he had been pursued by some
malignant spirit. The fire kindled with great rapi-
dity ; in a few moments the body was enveloped
in flames which burned so ardently that it was
shortly consumed. The pyre had been previously
strewed with unguents and other inflammable sub-
stances, in order to accelerate this solemn conclusion
of the funeral ceremony. Letting fall the water-vessel
is an ancient superstitious test never, I believe,
omitted on these melancholy occasions. The idea of
this credulous people is, that if it does not break
in falling, another of the family will die before the year
expires; but that if it breaks—and this seldom fails
to happen, from the violence with which they let it
fall—the family is secure from such a calamity.
The moment the torch is applied to the pile, the
party upon whom it devolves to perform this part of
the ceremony rushes from the spot to the nearest
tank, into which he instantly plunges, in order as
soon as possible to purify himself from the contamina-
tion which he is supposed to have imbibed from so
near a contact with a corpse. With somewhat less
celerity, but following close upon his steps, the rest of
the mourners on this occasion repaired to the same
tank, where they also underwent the customary puri-
fications. The body being consumed, the ashes were
carefully collected and deposited in a large earthen jar,
there to remain until an opportunity should offer of
casting them upon the sacred waters of the Ganges,
SCENES IN INDIA.
bustibles underneath, his eyes the while directed
towards heaven, dropped the vessel of water on the
ground as soon as he heard the crackling of the flames,
then darted off as if he had been pursued by some
malignant spirit. The fire kindled with great rapi-
dity ; in a few moments the body was enveloped
in flames which burned so ardently that it was
shortly consumed. The pyre had been previously
strewed with unguents and other inflammable sub-
stances, in order to accelerate this solemn conclusion
of the funeral ceremony. Letting fall the water-vessel
is an ancient superstitious test never, I believe,
omitted on these melancholy occasions. The idea of
this credulous people is, that if it does not break
in falling, another of the family will die before the year
expires; but that if it breaks—and this seldom fails
to happen, from the violence with which they let it
fall—the family is secure from such a calamity.
The moment the torch is applied to the pile, the
party upon whom it devolves to perform this part of
the ceremony rushes from the spot to the nearest
tank, into which he instantly plunges, in order as
soon as possible to purify himself from the contamina-
tion which he is supposed to have imbibed from so
near a contact with a corpse. With somewhat less
celerity, but following close upon his steps, the rest of
the mourners on this occasion repaired to the same
tank, where they also underwent the customary puri-
fications. The body being consumed, the ashes were
carefully collected and deposited in a large earthen jar,
there to remain until an opportunity should offer of
casting them upon the sacred waters of the Ganges,