44)008-152

10-8-44,. Took the following picture of a funeral procession in’
(Karachi, dnretia )

one of the streets of AFO 883. The few funerals I witnessed were attended with

a lot of ceremony. Did not have the chance to see ane au ite entirety but only

the transitional stage between the time the;leave the house and that time they

arrive at his burial or burning pyres« This particular one was accompanied

with a recital of sacred hymns and invocations and a good deal of crude but

effective drum music. This Indian music is certainly fitting for that mood

of a funeral occaision, weird arid mystical, The dead Hindu body inoplaced on

a litter like arrangement with poles sufficiently long to allow four.men to

bear the weight while walking along. Over these two long poles is a super

structure on the style of a covered wagon with a light almost trndsparent

cloth covering and ornately decorated with fine heads and chlored ribbins and

thread. The body outline could be seen thru this delicate cloth, The group

of mournerS all men, carried the casket on their shoulders and when one in-

dividual showed signs of fatigue another would step up and share the weight.

This funeral group moved slowly but progressively foreward without accompanying

music but avontier similiar group that followed had all the necessary accessories

including 5 tamboreens: and hand drums. This particular group had the orchestrat-—

ion leading the group with the men surrounding and following the casket the

woman and children and other curhous civiliam members. One man directly in

back of the casket had a bottle of pluid and would occaisionally sprinkle water

on the cloth of the float. ‘This group would mo¥e alowly foreward os approx

40 feet with an increase of volume of music and then come to a halt with the

group of chanters supe a huddle in conclusion. Then after a few minutes

pause would slowly begin their foreward movement, At each stop they seemed

to throw themselves into a climax of emotion. Some of these processions have

no apparnet leadership and as a result their are many moments of indecision as

to direction and procegdure. The police have no regard vor this type of

treffic hazard and hurry them across the intersection by forceful moves. I