Sati Partha: Meaning, History, Evolution its ...

Sati Partha: Meaning, History, Evolution its Form and Prohibition

Author Name : Narender Kumar

Sati Partha:

Sati Pratha was a Hindu custom. Sati word derived from the Sanskrit term which means pure or chaste. (Sarkar and Sarkar 2007) The idea of Sati was as much the pride and glory of Brahmanical Customs as the inhumane custom of self-immolation of sati. Pietro Della Valle who visited in 1623 gives an eye witness account of Sati, (Chitnis 2009) Bernier, a French physician explained sati in details with many live examples of widow with age of mature and premature. (Gupta 2006)  Similarly, William Carey (A Christian Missionary)and Ibanbtootuta(a Morocco visitor) were also the eye witness of Sati practice in Bengal and Ajodhan (Punjab) respectively. William Carey called this sati practice a Murderous Pyre. (Smith 1885) The oldest account of Sati available by Diodorus of Sicily explained an event that happened in 316 BC. Many foreign visitors came in India time to time in which Alberuni, Marco polo, Nicolo Conti, Fernao Nuniz, Barbosa, Pelsaert, some English visitors William Hawkins, Edward Terry, William Metwoldetc. and maximum of them explained practice of Sati in their written note or books. (Jain 2016) Inscription sources also confirm the practice of Sati. For examples Eran inscription, Jodhpur inscription, Patiala inscription etc.