Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s3.t3.70

c7.s3.t3.70

The most remarkable exhibition, however, was what is popularly known as the ‘Rope-Trick’ which has engaged and baffled many minds until now. We have very good evidence from reliable sources of the fact of its performance and the attitude of utter amazement and puzzle it created.¹ The trick was carried out in open in the following way--an acrobat appeared before the audience with a woman whom he addressed as his wife. He jokingly suggested for himself a journey into the heavens to look into the records of good and bad deeds of his audience. Nobody disagreeing with his proposal, the acrobat took out a knotted rope from his pocket and holding one end in his hand threw the other into the air, which ascended and to all appearance, disappeared above. He climbed up this suspended rope as one does a ladder and soon vanished out of sight. After a while the various limbs of his body began to drop down one after another. The wife collected them together and cremated them in the Hindu fashion, burning herself with them like a Sati. Some time after this the acrobat suddenly appeared and asked for his wife. The whole story was repeated to him, which he pretended not to believe. He accused his host or the distinguished man under whose patronage the trick was performed, of confining his wife wrongfully in his house and proceeded to call her from his female apartments whence she came beaming with smiles.²