A Mystery!!!

[Ian_L]

Whilst chugging up and down the Paddington Arm of the GU yesterday I spotted lots of coconuts floating in the water. Not all in one place, but dotted around singularly for a few miles. My son, who commutes between Northolt and Paddington by NB every week says he sees them constantly.

Any clues anyone?

Cheers

Ian

[Supermalc]

I too wondered about these until enlightened......funerals......think? they contain the ashes.

[sueb]

I too wondered about these until enlightened......funerals......think? they contain the ashes.

First part correct but not to contain ashes. They are an offering to a god.Sue

[Supermalc]

Thanks....wasn't sure what they contained.

 

Luckily when I went with Fuzzy we didn't find any, but it's common at one of the locks in particular in Leicester to get Sariis (spelling grrr) etc. around the prop, as they are dropped in as offerings as well.

[Ian_L]

Thanks....wasn't sure what they contained.

 

Luckily when I went with Fuzzy we didn't find any, but it's common at one of the locks in particular in Leicester to get Sariis (spelling grrr) etc. around the prop, as they are dropped in as offerings as well.

 

Thanks... but this has raised more questions. Offerings? To a God? On what basis? Which ethnic group or religion? We now have references Leicestershire as well, any other areas?

 

More please anyone.............

 

cheers

Ian

[honey ryder]

I wondered why there was so many coconuts too as we passed through london.

 

thought it must have been some sort of party of cocnut drinkers down by the edge of the water on day, people chucking them in...

 

never thought about them being offerings from a funeral.

 

at first i thoght they were bloated dead animals that had fallen in and couldnt get out

[WJM]

Definitely funeral offerings from Southall - I have had to portage my canoe around funerals there while they placed their offerings on the water.

 

If you hang about below Eel Pie Island (Teddington to Richmond) you will see ashes among the flowers - a small blue and white boat usually moored at the bottom of the island with a funeral party on board.

[Grasshopper]

They are an offering to a god.Sue

 

A god called Sue? Reminds me of the Johnny Cash song............

[Stroudwater Boy]

Thanks... but this has raised more questions. Offerings? To a God? On what basis? Which ethnic group or religion? We now have references Leicestershire as well, any other areas?

 

More please anyone.............

 

cheers

Ian

 

I understand this is part of the Hindu faith

[John Orentas]

It's all a result of global warming.

[tomsk]

The canal offers a Ganges substitute

Edited October 22, 2007 by tomsk

[Machpoint005]

The canal offers a Ganges substitute

But less polluted

[tomsk]

But less polluted

 

Highly debatable

[RLWP]

I can confirm regular coconut spotting in Birmingham too.

 

Richard

 

Thinks.. Greater spotted coconut, lesser spotted coconut......

[magnetman]

Judging by the number of carrier bags the canal also seems to offer a landfill substitute.

[Keeping Up]

You'll find a lot of coconuts floating n the Soar below Leicester. The Soar has been officially declared to be a tributary of the Ganges (on the somewhat flimsy basis that it flows into the sea and so does the Ganges, hence their waters must mix eventually), in order that religious ceremonial duties my be completed without the need for a trip to India.

 

There's a trip boat that runs regular funeral trips down there, but the EA were having problems last year because some families were taking too literally the concept of throwing the deceased person's posessions into the river by dumping old furniture, washing machines, etc in the Soar.

 

Allan

[adam1uk]

Coconuts can also be seen on the approach to Coventry, and there's even an information board explaining why.

[jeb]

With so many free coconuts about how come theres nothing in the recipes section ?

[SteveE]

Coconuts can also be seen on the approach to Coventry, and there's even an information board explaining why.

 

We've just left Hawkesworth and only seen one coconut - on the North Oxford. It was a big one, possibly as big as yer 'ead. Where's the information board Adam?

SteveE

[fender]

at least BW seems to have some success in getting more people to use the canal!

 

any chance of ensuring each coconut is licensed?

 

PS if I float boat on coconuts I will be able to escape licensing fees?

[fuzzyduck]

http://www.nchtuk.org/content.php?id=368

 

related story above.

 

I've seen these funerals 1st hand on the Mountsorrell / Barrow section of the soar, but what I don't understand is the coconuts you find upstream. (are they like salmon??)

 

I've seen one of the local urchins fish out, and break into one of these as they apparently contain money as an offering to the gods, the contents appeared to be some kind of fine cloth and some substance that I took to be ashes (oh, and money). From the expression of said urchin the smell must have been vile, i didn't get a chance to investigate more as the whole lot (minus money) including the now prop worthy cloth were kicked back into the river.

 

I think the whole idea of a river funeral is great, and I think i might have myself disposed of in the same way.

 

However .... It wasn't that long ago that i fouled my prop on a sari just opposite a weir in rising water conditions, and it was bloody scary.

Edited October 22, 2007 by fuzzyduck

[adam1uk]

We've just left Hawkesworth and only seen one coconut - on the North Oxford. It was a big one, possibly as big as yer 'ead. Where's the information board Adam?

SteveE

 

It's one of the series of boards between Hawkesbury Junction and Coventry basin. Don't remember exactly where the Hindu funeral one was.

[Windjammer]

No, that probably was someones head -

 

 

We've just left Hawkesworth and only seen one coconut - on the North Oxford. It was a big one, possibly as big as yer 'ead. Where's the information board Adam?

SteveE

[Supermalc]

The topic - sol-ved (as a certain dectective once said)

[Hairy-Neil]

Radio 4's Afternoon Play today covered the subject of Hindu funerals, though no coconuts involved. I recall the ashes were contained in an envelope thrown off a London bridge into the Thames. The play's subject matter was then the guilt trip caused by not properly carrying out the deceased's wishes of being laid to rest in the Ganges.....