| Funeral Ceremonies
Among Hill-Tribes
The Kotas of the Nilgiri's : Among them the dead body is carried in 'kudigat'-
a chariot like bier. On the day of death the community provides all the
services to the family of the dead. Everyone touches the dead person's
feet with his or her forehead in what is called the ' Dhavamoot' ceremony
and prayer is offered that the soul may rest in peace. The
collected ashes or bones are placed in the locality called ' Vardavtalam'
where the ceremony is conducted once a year on one day for all the
dead of that year. After this ceremony the widows are free to give
up widowed life and re-marry.
The Todas of the Nilgiris :- Regulations and practices
are complicated and they centre around the dispatch of the dead
person to the next world, with a good complement of buffaloes which
are killed, so that they may accompany him on his last journey. The chase
and capture of buffaloes is an opportunity for men to show their
prowess and the funeral is an occasion for great gatherings in colorful
clothes and for festivity and dancing. |
