Ahar Cenotaphs

Our next stop was at the Ahar Cenotaphs, 250 marble cenotaphs belonging to the royal family and noblemen. The area is closed to the general public, but Salim stopped outside the gates to explain the horrific custom of suttee, a historical Hindu practice in India where a widow immolated herself on her husband's funeral pyre, embodying extreme wifely devotion, though often involving coercion or societal pressure. It was outlawed by the British in 1829 but continued to happen until around 100 years ago. The cenotaphs are marked to show how many women (wives and their maids) sacrificed themselves when their husband died. The most is 17!

Although, the royal enclosure is off limits, another part of the graveyard is open to the public, so Salim dropped me off there to have a look around.Read more