Sati, the Blessing and the Curse: The Burning of Wives in India

by John Stratton Hawley

Book Overview

Several years ago in Rajasthan, an eighteen-year-old woman was burned on her husband's funeral pyre and thus became sati. Before ascending the pyre, she was expected to deliver both blessings and curses: blessings to guard her family and clan for many generations, and curses to prevent anyone from thwarting her desire to die. Sati also means blessing and curse in a broader sense. To those who revere it, sati symbolizes ultimate loyalty and self-sacrifice...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195077741
• ISBN13: 9780195077742
• Release Date: September 1994
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.3"