Thursday, March 28, 2024
Tamilnadu

People

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.