DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.641#0106
THE HINDOO MYTHOLOGY. 99
body, where she sits down. The barber then paints the
sides of her feet red; after which she bathes, and puts on
new clothes. During these preparations, the drum beats
a certain sound, by which it is known, that a widow is
about to be burnt with the corpse of her husband. On
hearing this all the village assembles. The son, or if there
be no son, a relation, or the head man of the village, pro-
vides the articles necessary for the ceremony. A hole is
first dug in the ground, round which stakes are driven into
the earth, and thick green stakes laid across to form a kind
of bed; and upon these are laid, in abundance, dry faggots,
hemp, clarified butter, pitch, &c. The officiating bramhun
now causes the widow to repeat the formulas, in which she
prays, that' as long as fourteen Indrtis reign, or as many
years as there are hairs on her head, she may abide in hea-
ven with her husband; that the heavenly dancers during
this time may wait on her* and her husband; and that by
this act of merit all the ancestors of her father, mother, and
husband, may ascend to heaven.' She now presents her
ornaments to her friends, ties some red cotton on both
wrists, puts two new combs in her hair, paints her forehead,
and takes into the end of the cloth that she wears some
parched rice and kourees. While this is going forward,
the dead body is anointed with clarified butter and bathed,
prayers are repeated over it, and it is dressed iu new clothes.
The son next takes a handful of boiled rice, prepared for
the purpose, and, repeating an incantation, offers it in the
name of his deceased father. Ropes and another piece of
cloth are spread upon the wood, and the dead body is then
laid upon the pile. The widow next walks round the
funeral pile seven times, strewing parched rice and kourees
as she goes, which some of the spectators endeavour to
catch, under the idea that they will cure diseases s. The
s Mothers hang the kourees round the necks of sick children.
o2
body, where she sits down. The barber then paints the
sides of her feet red; after which she bathes, and puts on
new clothes. During these preparations, the drum beats
a certain sound, by which it is known, that a widow is
about to be burnt with the corpse of her husband. On
hearing this all the village assembles. The son, or if there
be no son, a relation, or the head man of the village, pro-
vides the articles necessary for the ceremony. A hole is
first dug in the ground, round which stakes are driven into
the earth, and thick green stakes laid across to form a kind
of bed; and upon these are laid, in abundance, dry faggots,
hemp, clarified butter, pitch, &c. The officiating bramhun
now causes the widow to repeat the formulas, in which she
prays, that' as long as fourteen Indrtis reign, or as many
years as there are hairs on her head, she may abide in hea-
ven with her husband; that the heavenly dancers during
this time may wait on her* and her husband; and that by
this act of merit all the ancestors of her father, mother, and
husband, may ascend to heaven.' She now presents her
ornaments to her friends, ties some red cotton on both
wrists, puts two new combs in her hair, paints her forehead,
and takes into the end of the cloth that she wears some
parched rice and kourees. While this is going forward,
the dead body is anointed with clarified butter and bathed,
prayers are repeated over it, and it is dressed iu new clothes.
The son next takes a handful of boiled rice, prepared for
the purpose, and, repeating an incantation, offers it in the
name of his deceased father. Ropes and another piece of
cloth are spread upon the wood, and the dead body is then
laid upon the pile. The widow next walks round the
funeral pile seven times, strewing parched rice and kourees
as she goes, which some of the spectators endeavour to
catch, under the idea that they will cure diseases s. The
s Mothers hang the kourees round the necks of sick children.
o2