The "Sati," The Burning Of The Widows, Is Abolished,
But Brahmans Are Clever Managers, And The Widows Often Long For
The Sati.
At last, having examined the family chapel, full of idols, flowers,
rich vases with burning incense, lamps hanging from its ceiling,
and aromatic herbs covering its floor, we decided to get ready
for dinner.
We carefully washed ourselves, but this was not enough,
we were requested to take off our shoes. This was a somewhat
disagreeable surprise, but a real Brahmanical supper was worth
the trouble.
However, a truly amazing surprise was still in store for us.
On entering the dining-room we stopped short at the entrance - both
our European companions were dressed, or rather undressed, exactly
like Hindus! For the sake of decency they kept on a kind of
sleeveless knitted vest, but they were barefooted, wore the snow-white
Hindu dhutis (a piece of muslin wrapped round to the waist and
forming a petticoat), and looked like something between white
Hindus and Constantinople garcons de bains. Both were indescribably
funny, I never saw anything funnier. To the great discomfiture
of the men, and the scandal of the grave ladies of the house, I
could not restrain myself, but burst out laughing. Miss X - -
blushed violently and followed my example.
A quarter of an hour before the evening meal every Hindu, old or
young, has to perform a "puja" before the gods. He does not change
his clothes, as we do in Europe, but takes off the few things he
wore during the day.
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