Pickaxes of the Thuggee

[Jim McDougall]

A short time ago in the 'unusual katar' thread, a five bladed katar was posted, and there was mention of the cult known as the 'thuggee'.This dreaded cult preyed upon travellers as they carried out robbing and murders according to 'ritual' and worship of the Hindu goddess Kali (to them she was known as Bhowanee). While the cults origins are vague, and extend to early times, they were little known until thier depradations caught the attention of occupying British forces about the end of the 18th century.

A primary instrument in these 'rituals' was to bury the bodies of the victim, using a ritually consecrated pickaxe, which became virtually a hallmark of this strange cult. As far as I know, none of these pickaxes have ever been seen or illustrated, and I have only vague recollection of the scene in "Gunga Din" where the British commander held an axe and pronounced that it was a 'thuggee' axe. Naturally there is little hope for even remote accuracy from a movie scene, but it certainly aroused my curiosity.

I am hoping that perhaps someone might have thoughts on what one of these carefully fashioned pickaxes might have looked like. The narratives do not tell particulars in shape or dimension, however they do detail the methods in which these were received and carried, and that a great deal of ceremony surrounded them. One item noted that seven red spots were to be placed on the axe, from 'head to point'.

Best regards,
Jim