OBSEQUIES, 30 7 
doubt a remnant of that custom left to the Siamese by their northern 
ancestors. The stages of life are four.* 
The poor, like the Parsees , expose the bodies of their relatives to 
be devoured by vultures and wild beasts. 
The plaee where bodies are interred is called Pacha p,heedeep, and 
that where cremation takes place Pachaa, and the place where a ce¬ 
notaph or other monument or statue is raised to the memory of the 
dead is termed Sant,hep,harak. 
When a Siamese passes a Sant,hep,harak, he invokes the manes of 
of those who have been there buried, to assist him in the exigencies 
of life. The invocation is in Bali, and runs thus, Sookk,hee hontoo 
ayoo wanno sookk,hang b,halang, which may be rendered, “ grant 
“ me peace and quietness, long life, happiness and prosperity, and 
41 strength and exemption from evil.” 
The Malays, and the Mussulmans in general, use the usual short 
prayer on passing cemeteries, viz., 
4!\SW1J. jS\ *111 jJ\ illl jJ) aIII 
Allah is great, [thrice repeated] there is no god but God, the un¬ 
boundedly merciful and beneficent. 
Those places where murders have been committed, where very pi¬ 
ous persons have died, or where monuments have been raised to their 
memories, are all called Sant,hep,harak, and the spirits they are sa¬ 
cred to are invoked on proper occasions. The Siamese invoke the 
manes of parents and ancestors at various times, especially when visit¬ 
ing their tombs or monuments. Priests attend to read the Bali ritual. 
The tomb is not always closely approached by them. 
But rice* dressed, and other viands, nosegays of flowers, lighted in¬ 
cense, and waxen tapers, are placed close to the tomb to refresh the 
spirits of the dead. 
The Malayan Mussulmans (and 1 believe those of India) practise 
a similar formality. Amongst the former, it is termed K,hunduri 
lSjjA an ^ Ina y be gone through at any period subsequent to the 
* As described under the title Lak,hana roopa in the Bali Work Milee- 
t,hara (Milinda}, viz., Roopasa ootcbaiyo, infancy $ Santatee, youth and 
manhood Charata, declining life $ Aneechata, age and decrepitude. 
