Funeral Procession (standard:non fiction, 1487 words)
Author: Juggernaut	Added: Nov 20 2010	Views/Reads: 3137/1925	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A short story on funerals

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

the body and position themselves to catch coins. During the procession, 
these beggars would constantly fight among themselves to catch the 
coins in the air just like spectators at base- ball stadium trying to 
catch a flying ball. 

The women folk including the wife and daughters of the deceased
generally do not participate in the funeral procession nor attend the 
funeral but women from certain castes would participate.  If a funeral 
procession takes place on Wednesdays, a live fowl is tied hanging from 
the bamboo frame, and the bird is donated to one of the beggars on 
reaching the cremation grounds.  Some Hindus practice this custom with 
a belief that an unaccompanied body cremated on Wednesdays would result 
in another death in the family of the deceased.  Therefore, a fowl (an 
inexpensive life to accompany the dead) was sacrificed to prevent 
possible death in the family. 

Some funeral processions were more elaborate than others. Generally, a
Brahmin's (priest caste) funeral procession is simple with the eldest 
son carrying smoldering fire in an earthen pot in front of the 
procession. The burning coal is used to set fire to the firewood placed 
on the body for cremation. A fowl is not used nor coins are thrown.  In 
funeral processions of other Hindu castes, people sing bajans 
(religious songs) or some times live musical band accompanying the 
procession plays sorrowful tunes. 

“Kamsaale,” a caste known for making jewelry follows a peculiar custom
of carrying their dead. The deceased is placed in a sitting position in 
a small tent-like structure built with fine white cloth over bamboo 
frame. A funeral procession of a “kamsalee” can be recognized from a 
far distance for its unique drumbeat that is characteristic of that 
particular caste. The drummer is generally a “mangali' or a person 
belonging to the barber caste.  As a youngster, I was fascinated to 
watch a funeral procession of a deceased “kamsaale” for the drumbeat 
and the dead person in a sitting position. Sometimes, the deceased's 
head would move back and forth as the body was carried in the sitting 
position. On occasions, I dreamt of funeral processions particularly if 
the dead were very young or a “kamsaale.” 

On the pavement in front of a well-known restaurant located on the main
road in our town priests who officiate final rites would gather from 
early morning for customers; namely relatives of deceased,  to perform 
the funeral rites according to Hindu custom. These priests occupy a 
position at the bottom of the social ladder among the Brahmins. The 
priests squabble among themselves to grab the customers (like car 
salesmen). 

Unfortunately I had to visit the designated location to find a priest to
provide funeral rites for a deceased relative. The priests crowded 
around me like vendors in a daily open market trying to grab a 
customer.  There was this old priest who immediately recognized me and 
jumped in front pushing the others away. 

“What a misfortune, god couldn't be more cruel to take away a kind and
generous person like your father,” lamented the old priest. 

While I was trying to tell him that it wasn't my father who died but
somebody in our extended family, the old man started sobbing holding my 
shoulder and pulled me away from his competitors.  The business of 
officiating funeral rites is a competitive business. Unless the 
deceased is a top national figure or a celebrity, the deceased is 
cremated within a few hours due to lack of decent morgue facilities. 
For a fee, the priest would chant a few verses from the Hindu 
scriptures at the beginning of the funeral procession at the deceased 
home and again before the pyre is lit at the cremation grounds. The 
priest will not touch the dead body. 

Shunned by the people of other castes in the society, people in charge
of cremation grounds with the responsibility of placing fire wood on 
the body and complete the cremation process formed their own caste, a 
special caste. This allowed them to feel secure among themselves, free 
from discrimination from others. 

In Hindu society, the only position that is incorruptible is that of an
undertaker at the cremation grounds. From whom could he take bribes? 
Certainly not from the dead. According to Hindu mythology, King 
Harishchandra accepts an appointment as an under taker at the cremation 
grounds as a last resort to support himself rather than succumb to 
telling lies to overcome difficult situations, a testimony that the job 
of an under taker is incorruptible though considered menial and pushed 
to the bottom of social standing. 


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