In an earlier post I showed some images from the Indian Christian Cemetery at Nehru Bazar, Pahar Ganj, new Delhi. These earlier images were taken on our arrival in India. After our experiences at the Mela it may be interesting to show images from the same cemetery on our last day in India. Having endured the rites and rituals of the Mela it strikes me how important fire was, both in the everyday life of people camping there for food and warmth but also with regard to rituals and puja. Millions of fire offerings must have been made to mother Ganga over the timescale of the festival, Sadhus sat endlessly in front of their Dhunis, there is even a god of fire, Agni, in the Hindu pantheon. Fire almost equates to the expression or presence of God within Hindu worship.
The photographs here show that fire is used equally within Christian worship. The first image portrays a memorial lit simply by candles in the early evening, with rose petals scattered over the top of the tomb.
The second image shows the funeral of a local musician whose coffin has been placed into the ground, covered in flowers and surrounded by a ring of candles and incense sticks.
