Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 238, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1912 — INDIAN MARRIAGE AND BURIAL SERVICES [ARTICLE]

INDIAN MARRIAGE AND BURIAL SERVICES

Glen Wlshard, Missionary at Bombay, Writes Interestingly of Customs of People There. The following interesting description of Indian marriages and ceremonies as observed in India, is taken from a letter Rev. Glen Wlshard, a missionary in Y. M. C. A. work at Bombay, India, wrote to his mother, Mrs. Jennie Wishard, of Rendselaer: Indian funeral and marriage processions are most interesting. One day it happened that as I rode down I met a large wedding procession. Fortunately I had my camera along. Immediately I made ready to secure a picture at the most opportune moment. Imagine my surprise when the entire procession was stopped and the crowd made to stand aside in order that I might secure a good photograph. The bride and groom were being carried in a canopy covered platform draped with gorgeous tinsil covered cloth upon the shoulders of a dozen men. Hired attendants in bright red uniforms, bearing old swords, followed in the rear. There were others with long staffs mounted with pennants. Of course there was a kind of brass band which produced much noise but little music. The procession soon ended at the house of the groom. Both bride and groom were carried into the house upon the shoulders of their relatives. The groom was perhaps 16 years of age, the bride not more than 10. This was the close of the wedding ceremony which had lasted at least three days. For two evenings the groom is carried to the home of the bride in great state upon the canopy covered platform, the number of attendants bearing torches being limited only by the wealth of the groom. During the months of May and June these processions are nightly occurrences. If the groom is a prominent person and the procession a large one, the tramcars are likely to be blocked for some time. To see hundreds of brilliant aceteline gas torches being carried down the street, is a sight indeed. One evening the gentlemen friends of the groom are invited-to a Tamasha, as all large gatherings are called, at the bride’s house. The bride, of course, does not appear. The evening Is spent in inspecting the wedding presents, In watching theatricals and In eating sweets of various descriptions. On a second night the ladles only are invited to meet the bride. The third night the wedding ceremony proper takes place. Of course there are any number pf variations made in the wedding ceremonies, but in general they

follow the lines described. But I started out to describe a funeral ceremony which I witnessed the other day. A crowd gathered in the street before a house indicated that something unusual was taking place within. A wood and rope stretcher, covered with white cloth, lying at the side of the road left no doubt that preparations were being made to carry the dead to the burning ghat. I could see that, on the second floor of the house, the body was being sewed up in white cloth, the head only being left exposed. Meanwhile in front of the house musicians were beating drums and blowing flutes, while other men were dancing around in the most grotesque manner. If it had not been for this stretcher lying in the street, the dancing and music would have led me to believe that a wedding procession was about to begin. Finally, the body was brought down in the arms of two men and laid upon the stretcher. Sacred leaves and flowers were carefully placed all over the body, a red powder was sprinkled over the face and chest. Ropes were bound across from side to side to keep the flowers from blowing away; rosewater was sprinkled upon the face and body; and finally, after much loud, talking and quarreling, the procession was ready to start. Four men I raised the dot to their shoulders, the drums began to beat and the procession started down the street, the rela-' tives, neighbors and friends follow-1 ing in large numbers. As the body was.

borne past different houses, I noticed that water was poured upon the door steps for the purpose of purifying the threshold from any pollution that might be caused by a dead body. At the corner of a main street the procession stopped and again the men danced around in a strange fashion. The most remarkable thing about th® ceremony was the entire absence of sorrow and mourning. Not a tear shed, not a face showed the least indication of sorrow, There were no hushed voices. All was rattle, confusion and loud talking and laughing, as if the crowd were off upon a gay; festival. This apparently is the result of the belief that the soul is in a happier condition now that it has left the body. Life for this people is a-tem-porary and transient niatter. The soul comes and goes; death is such a frequent occurrence that it Is not taken seriously. Some other time I may be able to tell you about what takes place at the burning of the ghat Itself.