DEATH
Kinship
affinity is seen at its peak in funerals and other occasions
of social gathering. In all these ceremonies, there are fixed rights
and duties for the maternal relations example, a widow's white
dress has to be presented by the head of; her mother's family. They have to bear a small part of the funeral
expense either in cash or
kind as a token of sympathy.
Tamil
tradition avoids saying that a person is dead. Instead it is stated that
the person has attained a position in heaven, the world of Lord Shiva or that he
has reached 'Paramapadham', the abode of Vishnu or 'Pallipadi Yethinam'
i.e. reached the land of dead.
It
is considered a boon to die on Margazhi Thiruvadharai day in December-January or on an Ekadasi day. Death during a festival period in
the village is considered unlucky for the dying person since
no music can be played before funeral houses; at such periods
and so the person has to die 'unsung'.
Death
on a Saturday is believed to lead to another death in the same household. The
saying is 'Sanip-ponam Thaniye pokathu' i.e. a dead body does not go singly
on Saturdays. To circumvent the effects of a death on a Saturday, a portion of the house where death has
occurred is dismantled
or a new exit gate created to remove corpse. Sometimes; a fowl;
is tied to the bier and buried or cremated along with the corpse .
When
a person dies, the chief mourner is his wife. She breaks her bangles,
loosens her hair and laments his death. The period of mourning; is about 12 to16 days among the well-to-do castes and lesser duration in castes
which earn their bread through daily labour. The traditional periods are observed
only in the rural areas and more rigidly by the leisured classes. In towns,
there is a race against time and the mourning period last a week and
sometimes even less than that. Attendance at the house of the dead is a compulsory social
duty.
Every
person visiting the house of the dead person during the mourning period is
believed to suffer from pollution. The first thing; he is expected to do on
leaving the house of the dead person is to have purificatory bath. Only after
this bath, he is entitled by custom and usage to have a drink of even a
glass of water or to eat and enter the main parts of his own house.
After
the kith and kin have assembled and had a last look at the departed, the corpse
is bathed, perfumed and attired in new clothes. The widow is brought
near the dead body of her husband; and given white garments to wear
ever-after. Kith and kin go round the dead body thrice and then
the body is placed; in a decorative bier for the march of the
funeral procession; to the cremation ground. As per custom, the
prescribed kith; and kin; act as 'pall-bearers'. The women do
not; go the cremation ground.
All
along the funeral procession, the funeral music is played in a monotonous
rhythm. At cross-roads, the bearers of the dead body circle the
place thrice. This is done to misguide; the spirits; and
prevent further calamities to the village. Funeral music
is not played before the temples and temple services are suspended
till the removal of the dead body, if the house of the dead person is adjacent
to the temple.
In
the case of those who choose to cremate the body, it is taken to a place near
the lake or river and put on a funeral pyre; and burnt. Ashes; are
gathered; on the second day; and dissolved in the river; or lake. In the case of those who prefer to bury the body, the body is taken to
the out
skirts of the village and buried at the village
cemetery. If an unmarried person dies, saplings are attached to the bier to
mark the unmarried status. Dead bodies of babies are carried in a cradle
of new cloth; prepared after dipping it in turmeric, babies and children
are buried and only the adults are cremated.
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