What makes a procession?
Have you ever been a part of a procession? Did you feel excitement and a sense of solidarity? A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. Processions have been a way of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony.
History of processions
Religious and ceremonial processions were common in days of yore and held to this day. Also rulers went to war in the form of a military arrangement which represented the procession.
History of processions
Processions have at all times been a natural form of public celebration; the religious processions of Egypt, those illustrated by the rock-carvings of Boghaz-Keui, the many representations of processions in Greek art, the great Panathenaic procession of the Parthenon frieze.
History of processions
The durbar processions of India, and modern reviewing of the troops by generals and heads of state was for display of power. Processions play an important role in coronations, such as that of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1953 and the Shah of Iran in 1967,
Processions with purpose
Processions are used to mark the beginning or end of an event, such as parades at the beginning of county fairs or at the Olympic Games, or processions that begin and end funerals, graduations, and weddings.
Order in a procession
Even without showy display, a group of people walking forward may be said to form a procession if their order and placement clearly visualize a hierarchy. For instance, one's nearness to the king or others of high rank had important political connotations.
How a procession moves
During a procession a mode of transport, such as a ceremonial barge, elephant howdah, horse-drawn carriage, or a palanquin carried on the shoulders of others.. in modern times, mechanized vehicles are used as well. A procession has bearers of banners, fans, icons and symbols.
The dress codes
Every procession has special costumes: the costumes of footmen, ceremonial guards help show off the wealth of the person staging a procession. A weding procession has different dress for the to-be-weds, their relatives and people holding the lights.
The Salar Jung Museum Collection
The museum collection has images of different types of processions including royal processions, hunting groups going on expedition in the form of a procession, weddings and few others from different countries in different media and timelines. Let us see some of these cavalcades!
Nizam II on a Hunting Expedition (Late 18th century) by Rai VenkatachallamSalar Jung Museum
Nizam Ali Khan on a hunting expedition
Nizam Ali Khan, Nizam II of Hyderabad Deccan is out for a 'shikar' around Golconda Fort along with nobles and personal staff on horseback. The procession is led by the Nishan on elephant followed by French Infantry of Raymond, Deccani painting, circa 1794.
Procession scene (1700/1799)Salar Jung Museum
Procession scene
A Raja seated in a palanquin holding a shield in his hands, two men on either side carrying the palanquin. Three attendants standing at his right, first with a staff, second with chatter and the third with a fly-whisk, from Guler, 18th century.
RAJA AMARSINGH JI (1700/1799)Salar Jung Museum
Elephant procession of Raja Amar Singhji
Amar Singh Rathore ( 1613 - 1644) was the eldest son of Maharaja Gaj Singh of Marwar in seventeenth-century India. After he was disinherited and exiled by his family, he entered the Mughal service, painting from Udaipur, circa 1775.
Banaganapalli settee (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Settee with procession scene
Baiganpally wooden settee with Salar Jung (SJ) monogram on top from 19th century with high back and rectangular mirror. The lower panel of back depicts a procession consisting of four horsemen, ten soldiers with guns and one with a sword. The king and nobles on three elephants.
Procession scene (1700/1799)Salar Jung Museum
Procession scene
Painting showing a lady proceeding on a bullock drawn chariot with a driver, accompanied by two ladies behind, four men on horseback and three in front, painting having a red border, from Jodhpur, dated to the 18th century.
Scene of an elephant procession (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Elephant procession
Elephant procession of an Indian Raja seated on a howdah with canopy, followed by kings-men, two attendants are with him holding flywhisks, painting from Udaipur, circa 1825.
Marriage procession (1775/1799)Salar Jung Museum
Marriage procession
Marriage procession representing bridegroom being carried in a palanquin by four attendants. Angelic figure on top is depicted to show as blessing the procession, from Bikaner, dated to late 18th century.
Marriage procession scene (1973/1973) by Reddy, B. ASalar Jung Museum
Wedding procession scene
Painting showing a marriage procession B.A.Reddy. This modern water-colour has all elements of a marriage procession, dated to 1973.
Procession scene (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Procession scene
Illustrated manuscript leaf showing a procession on an elephant along with two horses, from Gujarat, dated to the 19th century.
Procession scene (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Procession scene
Handmade paper folio from an illustrated manuscript with writing in Hindi dialect in Devanagari script. 'Sitaram' on top of page; this painting depicts Rama and Lakshmana on horses going in procession for wedding accompanied by King Dasaratha, from Uttar Pradesh, 19th century.
Wall plaque of procession (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
Wall plaque of procession
An oval shaped Plaster of Paris wall plaque representing in relief a procession scene, from Germany, dated to the 20th century.
Lady Godiva Procession (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
The Lady Godiva Procession
The Godiva Procession is an annual event in the city of Coventry, England. It started in 17th century which celebrate and re-enact Lady Godiva's ride undertaken to persuade her husband to free people from burden of oppressive trolls, silk embroidery, dated to the 20th century.
Procession scene (copy) (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
Procession scene
Oil painting (copy) of a procession scene, in gilt wooden frame, painting represents Bacchus in a cart drawn by cheetahs, Ariadne, Satyr, are enjoying the journey from Italy, dated to the 20th century.
Marriage procession (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
Procession scene (baarat)
Bridegroom accompanied by 37 persons on a wooden plank. They represent the accompanying people of an Indian baarat as they proceed with great pomp to the bride’s house, made in clay, from India, dated to the 20th century.
Procession scene (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
Mughal procession
Procession showing Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, seated on a horse-drawn chariot, with an elephant on one side and musicians in the front. Inscription on top, water-colour painting, from Delhi, dated to the 20th century.
Mukhtar ul mulk in a procession (1800/1825)Salar Jung Museum
Mukhtar-ul mulk in procession
Miniature painting; painted to represent Nawab Mukhtar-ul-mulk, seated on a horse drawn chariot in a procession, a Deccani painting, 19th century.
Vase with procession scene (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Vase with procession scene
Vase representing in two panels a chariot procession and a pair of cockerels in a bamboo groove, Satsuma ware, Japan, from the 19th century.
Procession scene (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Procession scene
Image of a procession representing a princess with attendants around. Buildings in the background. Inscription on either side, woodcut from Japan, dated to the 19th century.
Procession scene (1825/1875)Salar Jung Museum
Procession scene
Painting representing a procession scene. Men armed on foot, on elephants and camels. A palanquin carried by men and chariot in the foreground. Shaded blue background representing the open sky, Deccani painting, mid-19th century.
Hunting expedition (1700/1725)Salar Jung Museum
Hunting expedition
A hunting expedition; Jogis on top left, a procession in the middle and top right. Below left, a king on horseback with men around him. Below right a jogi with bow and a jogin (ascetics) and deer are seen in this Deccani painting, from early 18th century.
Ceremonial procession of King Akbar Shah II (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
A ceremonial procession of King Akbar Shah II
The king in procession, seated on a litter smoking huqqa on elephant, with two men holding fly-whisks seated behind him. On the elephant a princess seated with an attendant holding a fly-whisk sitting behind him, a painting on ivory, from India, dated to the 20th century.
Procession comin out of Red Fort (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
A procession coming out of the Red-Fort
In the procession, on the 1st elephant, a man is beating drums, on 2nd a man is holding an emblem, on the 3rd in the litter is Shah Jahan seated with two men holding fly-whisks. Soldiers are following their chiefs on horseback, a painting on ivory, in Mughal style, 20th century.
Procession scene (1900/1925) by Y. ChoudharySalar Jung Museum
Procession scene
Water-colour painting showing a procession with six women led by five men of which three of them are having musical instruments. Two men on either side of the horse, on which a Raja or bridegroom is seated. Done is Rajput style by Y. Choudhary, dated to early 20th century.
Roopmati and Baz Bahadur's procession scene (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Roopmati and Baz Bahadur's procession scene
In the centre, the king Baz Bahadur holding his queen Roopmati with his right hand while the left holds the sword. The attendants and members of the procession with horses and elephants are seen in the surrounding country, floral border, from Rajasthan, dated to 19th century.
Procession scene (1700/1799)Salar Jung Museum
Text and Curation: Soma Ghosh
Photography: M. Krishnamurthy and Bahadur Ali
Research Assistance: Dinesh Singh and E. Rajesh
Special thanks to : Shri Ashish Goyal, IIS, Director, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India.
Dr. B. Naik, Curator, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India.
References –
1. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Procession (accessed on
4.01.2024)
2. McGrory, David (2003). A History of Coventry. Phillimore.
