Part 5 - Death ceremonies of the Tharus of Dang

As death is universal, all human beings must come to terms with the fact of death. Tharus believe in rebirth; but their ideas concerning the other world are quite vague. Most of the Tharus believe that there is a shadowy world where people go after death. , They also believe that people are rewarded or punished in that world on the basis of their deeds in this world. According to their beliefs there is a continuing wheel of reincarnation. However, for some individuals, the wheel may come to a final stop when the dead is reborn in the form

218/ Kaiiash of a rock as will be described below. into two sorts: Tharus classify death (a) Natural death (kalgati muna) and (b) Unnatural or Accidental death (akalgati muna). Unnatural death is thought to happen when a person dies of an epidemic disease, in a natural disaster or in an accident, such as falling from a tree, drowing, burning in a fire or being killed by wild animals etc. Persons dying an unnatural death, as well as the unmarried, are not given full funeral rites after their death. Such persons are always buried, whereas others may be or may not be buried. In Sukhrwar, the Sukhrorya Gurwa clan always cremates its members who die a natural death and bury the others. Other clans generally bury their dead but occasionally they cremate them, if the person had expressed this wish during his life time. Due to the scarcity of fire wood too, generally the poorer Tharus prefer to bury their dead. The funeral rites are performed for two reasons: 1) for the purification of the living who are thought to be polluted by the death of their relative and 2) to better the otherworld existence of the dead. According to their beliefs those who do not have proper funeral rites, may return to haunt the surviving family members. The funeral rites among Tharus do not manifest much variety and the description of these rites, which follows, is applicable to both sexes unless otherwise specified. Unlike the Hindus, the Tharus let a person take his last breath inside the house. But once the person is dead, they do not keep him there any longer. If a person dies before

Tharus of Dang 1 219 4 or 5 p.m. and there is sufficient time to bury or cremate him or her, they take the dead body out the same day; if he dies later, they do so the next morning, as it is not convenient to perform the funeral rites in the dark. When a person dies, messengers are sent abroad at once to inform men of the lineage. Elders and adults from each house of the village assemble at the dead person's house and help to perform the funeral ceremonies, as well as console the family. The dead body is brought to the bahari section of the house and kept flat on its back on a mat, in a north-south direction, 19 the head towards the north. The dead body is at first covered with the cadri and again wrapped in a new white cloth (kaffan). Except for precious and brand new clothes all the belongings of the dead person are tied in a bundle Meanwhile a few persons (generally the women of the family) help in collecting one or two handfulls of every sort of foodgrain and little bits of most of the edible vegetables. Any cereal or vegetable lacking in the house can be collected from the standing crops in the fields. The grains thus collected are called satbihi (=seeds of seven sorts). Some small toy-like earthen vessels are also brought there to be taken to the funeral site. One of these vessels contains mustard oil (which is the common cooking oil) and the other contains ghee. 20 19. Keeping one's head towards north while sleeping or lying down is inauspicious for a living man as it is the posture of a dead person. 20. Satbihi is supposed to contain seven sorts of cereals. But in fact it contains the grains of all varieties of rice available as well as potatoes, taro, onions, garlic, a few greenbean pods, little bits of several varieties of green and dried (not commion to that season) vegetables, tobacco leaves (if the dead person used tobacco), some salt; turmeric powder and a few chillies.

220 / Kailash The rest of the vessels, which are empty, are used in the culha (kitchen) ceremony to be performed during the funeral rites. A few elderly men from the village help in making a macan (stretcher to carry the dead). A macan is a ladder-like frame made of pieces of bamboo. It is made of seven or nine (always an odd number) cross-pieces attached to two long sidepieces. If the dead person was a married man, his widow breaks her lac-bangles, takes off her anklets and all of her ear ornaments and bead-necklaces and lays them all (apart from the precious ones) on the dead body. One male lineage member dresses the dead man's head with a white turban, starting from the left side (reverse to the usual manner). No turban is given to a dead female. Hiran Khawaina Ceremony By now male representatives from all lineage families have assembled. In case of the lineage-households, in the village, the women also assemble there. Households of the same clan or sub-clan living in the village whose lineal relationship with the dead person's family is not sure, are also expected to send one male representative to the dead person's house. Now the hiran khawaina ceremony is celebrated. Hiran is a mixture of rice with some water, turmeric powder and a nominal quantity of gold-dust obtained by scraping the natthya' of the widow (if the deceased was a married man) or of the deceased herself. First of all the chief mourner (kirrya baithuiya) puts a little of the mixture in the mouth of the 21. 22 Big nose-ring. 22. The kirrya baithuiya or chief mourner is usually the eldest son of the deceased, though other sons may also take this role. In the absence of direct descendants, the sons of male collaterals may also serve as kirrya baithuiya.

Tharus of Dang / 221 I dead person. Next he dips his right hand in a lota of water and lets water drop in the dead person's mouth. After he has completed this ritual, all other male members do the same in order of their closeness to the deceased: members of the joint-family, first; members of the same lineage, second; and finally members of the clan. Even the small boys of the joint-family of the deceased are also helped by their fathers to do this. After that the chief mourner once again feeds hiran to the dead person on behalf of those male members of the joint-family who could not attend. Now comes the turn of the women, starting with the widow (if the deceased was a male), then affinal women of the joint-family and followed by the affinal women of the same lineage living in the village. Finally the first woman offers hiran once again on behalf of the affinal women who could not attend. 23 Ujri Darna Ceremony After the hiran khawaina, the ujri darma ceremony is performed. Ujri means the cup-shape formed by joining the two hands; and darna means to drop or to pour. For this ritual the performer has to take about one handful of rice in his cupped hands from a basket and drop it over the dead body three times. As in hiran khawaina, the first to inaugurate the rite is the chief mourner, followed by the members of the joint-family, then the lineage-men and again the chief mourner on behalf of the absentee men. Later, the women do as before. Now, before taking out the dead body from the house, some of his very personal belongings like the batua (purse) containing the sulpha (a terracotta pipe for smoking) some tobacco, the 23. Daughters or sisters of the joint-family whether married or unmarried are not considered as bonafide members of a family. Thus they are not allowed to participate in a ritual concerned with their natal family.

222 | Kailash chewing tobacco-set, the set of tooth-pick and ear-cleaner (Nep.- kankarno), also the medicines and acheta, kept when the owner was ill prior to his death, and his stick etc. are put by the side of his head. His shoes or slippers too are put near his feet. Now the broken beads, bangles, the anklets and other ornaments are put on the other side of his head. levelling the rice, an oil-lamp with its wick towards the dead person's head is kept lit. But no such lamp is lit if the person left no male child. After that all the male lineage After members jointly leave the mat carrying the dead body and take it out head-first and put it over the macan. The voices of the weeping persons become louder as the dead body is taken out.