Death Rites and Rituals Among the Chakmas

 DEATH RITE :

 The Chakmas burn their dead except in case of death due to cholera, small pox, leprosy etc and little children with no teeth. In such a case, a dead body is buried. It is customary that one should die in their own house or the house of own Gutthi (clan).  If one dies in other gutthi house, the family should bear the expenditure of Bur Para /Bola Kada rite to ward off the misfortune acquired.. As the Chakmas believe that one acquires Phee (misfortune) if one dies in other clan man house. A dead body is also never allowed to be brought inside others’ house except in the house of the dead person and sometimes in the house of own clansmen due to fear of Phee. Otherwise, the body is kept on the outskirt, at an open field or bank of a river/stream.

On the death of a person, every household of a village light an Alsia ( a paddy husk burning platform made with clay) and kept at the door. Drums were earlier beaten in Mara Taal literary Deas Beat. On hearing the sound of drums atleast one able person come to the dead house, and offer coin and money on the chest of the dead body. The dead body is first kept on a platform called Somreng Ghar or Bor Ghar . In making the Pallyeng Ghare three  bamboos each are bound together and cut to the measure of the dead body. At first three bundles are spread and five or seven bundles are cross bound (five for male and seven for female).Above it a bamboo mat is placed which should also be plaited with five to seven pairs of tapes. Above the mat seven to five layer of clothes are spread. The body is the laid on it after giving a bath with five to seven  bamboo tubes of water. Here rice and curry is also offered. Afterwards the relatives and visitors offer coin and money called Ghat Paro Poijhya (river crossing money) or Bugo Kurhee (coins of the chest) as the Chakmas believe that the soul of a dead person need to cross a river  to enter the next abode where he had to pay the fare. And if the soul cannot cross the ghat, it has to live the life of a spirit, ghost, preta,etc suffering years after years. The dead body is also offered flowers, scented material etc. It is also customary to place a silver coin on the mouth believing he/she will have silver white teeth in the next life. In the evening, the priest Luree used to chant religious discourses like Anija Tara, Arintama Tara etc, in the earlier days, during their existence.  Here rice betel nut  etc are also offered. But nowadays, the monks are invited instead of Luree and they also chant religious discourses.

The relatives and villagers stay awake the whole night beside the dead with various activities like reading from epics, holy books, Gozena Lama, etc also beating drums in a different rhythm called Mora Dhulo Taal (dead drum beat ) which sounds as Chotdheng  Chotdheng Dendreng.

The Chakmas usually dispose the bodies in the afternoon and carry off the body at about 1.00 PM from the house on the next day. But there is a custom that a dead body should not be cremated  on Wednesdays and Sundays. Wednesday being the day on which Lokkhi, the goddess of wealth arrived to  Earth. It is believed that if a dead is burnt on Wednesday, it is not good for the village and there is likelihood of facing famine in the village. Sunday is said to be the day on which the Buddha was burnt and a lay man should not be compared with the lord. However, burning on Sunday is nowadays practiced in some places. Sometimes if a near relative is not present, the bodies are kept for two to three days. Or if a rich or powerful person has died and the relatives want to cremate with a chariot called Gheela Ghar or Garhi Ghar. The body is kept for two three days for the making and preparation. There is also a custom to preserve a body hanging on a tree in a box or  a bamboo mat if the relatives are poor and cannot  afford the immediate expenditure  of after death rites performed on the seventh day called Saat Dinnhya or if family members like the son  is not present at home though they might have the capacity to bear the expenditure. Sometimes a body is also kept hung if the season is found unfavourable say a rainy season for doing the same in a good season like winter or spring.

The common practice at the burning place is  to make a Radha Ghar  and a funeral pyre for burning the body. But sometimes a Garhi Ghar or Gheela Ghar (chariot) is also built for a rich or royal family member in addition to a Radha Ghar. Before taking out the dead body from the house to the cremation place, the body is bathed with water carried from the river with a bundle of bamboo tubes consisting of five bamboo tubes for male dead body and seven tubes for female body. New clothes are worn and  rice, paan etc are also offered  to the dead body and the Luree  reads out the Agartara at the time of doing these. The younger relatives also pay homage vowing and the older relatives of the  dead person  also bless  the dead with rice and cotton  to get long and prosperous life in the next life. After everything is ready, the body is transferred to a stretcher called Along  or  Pallyang Ghar or Choddheng Ghar. The Pallyeng Ghar is made with four wooden posts and a lid which  is  decorated with colored papers, flowers etc and four  Kas (doves) and one Kolaththur  (banana flower) and a monkey which are made  by plaiting bamboo tapes and  wood. A Khadi (breast cloth) is also  placed as banner and the monkey is placed at the banner post. A chicken is also tied with the  Along and all the family members had to hold the thread  of the chicken. The exorcist or the Luree then asks from all present whether it is permitted to separate the dead and living, and all will answer in affirmation and the thread is cut off and chicken freed. This rite is called Morai-Jedai Pharok Hohna (separation of the dead and the living). The chicken so freed is required at the time of Saat Dhinnya, the funeral rite after seven days. Some Gozas (sept) have the practice to cut off seven string of threads at the time of taking out the dead body which symbolizes separation from the sept.

In the cremation ground, which is always at the down stream of the village, some villagers already makes a funeral pyre directing east-west. Above which a white clothe called Channwa is also spread binding in the four corners with the tips of four bamboo poles. The pyre is made with five layers of wood  for a male body and seven layers for a female body. A  male body is laid head eastward and a female body head westward. The wooden posts which supports the firewood is called Kung Gach.

As already stated, a well to do or for a member of royal family member  a Gheela Ghar or Garhee is made with four wooden wheels in square shape. Ropes are bound from two sides. It is usually done on a field or a flat ground of a river bank.

The Radha Ghar is also constructed of timbers and bamboo and decorated with flowers and colored papers and many design of decoration with bamboo chips. It is also square in shape and may be single or double. The Radha Ghar is in lieu of Gheela Ghar and sometimes ressembles an elephant.

After taking out of the body, it is carried in a procession beating drums and other instruments. Sometimes fire crackers are also burnt on the way. Fire and a portion from the house is also brought with the dead body from the house. On reaching the cremation grounds, the body is placed on the Radha Ghar and is carried and rounded around the pyre for five or seven times jerking till it is broken. Afterwards it is put on the pyre. Where again rice, betel nut and other things are offered and the Lurees chants religious discourses. In case of Garhee or Gheela Ghar, the cart is drawn by two party like between two villagers, married and unmarried , between different septs, symbolizing Hell and Heaven . It is draw drawn till it is broken and later the body is put on the pyre. If there is no Gheela Ghar or Radha Ghar, the Pallyang is put on the pyre after making five or seven rounds. The post which was brought from the house is already split into chips and distributed among family members and relatives and they have already made torches of fire. First the son or father sets fire and later others. It is customary that a blood relative should first set fire. It is to note that a pregnant woman is never burnt with the foetus inside the womb. In such a case the foetus is first taken out and burnt or buried and afterwards the mother. For any death due to suspected black magic or unidentified disease, the stomach or chest of the dead body is also sometimes examined on the request of the family.

After burning a dead body all the processional members must take bath in the river and come home without looking back. On reaching home they are offered bitter things to eat say bitter gourd curry or bitter gourd leaves curry.

In the evening rice is kept cooked on the  oven for the dead person soul in the dead person’s house usually of one measure rice with one boiled egg. The Chakmas believe that the soul of the dead visit the house at night in search of food. It is reported that they still find marks of the soul’s visit on the rice and egg, like bitten mark, finger mark etc. The tradition for cocking such rice is  to only cook in a pot without stirring. The egg is also shelled after boiling and kept with the rice. It is covered with plantain leaves and kept on the oven. The rule is to open and examine it the next morning.

For all the above customs like making of Somreng Ghar, Radha Ghar and Gheela Ghar etc there is a traditional story that –

 Once,  king Sadhengiri’s queen purchased a bird and requested the king to search for the pair. But after sending his men in different directions the pair could not be found out. So, one day the king himself went to search for the bird with his men but after searching in different jungles he could not find it . While in search of the bird, one day he happened to come across a hut where a Yogi lived. He then became the disciple of the Yogi and learnt religion and Brahma yoga and other knowledge. After six months of learning he returned to his kingdom and introduced pujas and yajnas like Purush Uddhar Yajna (salvation of forefathers), worship of Shiva etc. When he became old, he renounced family, leaving the kingdom to his son,Dharma Sukh   with the instruction to visit him after twelve years on a certain mountain. He went to the jungle living on   meditation and yoga. After twelve years, his son Dharma Sukh went to meet him with his men on the mountain. On reaching the mountain they reportedly found him meditating, but after sometimes he was suddenly gutted by a huge fire from nowhere and Sadhengiri was burnt to ashes. But within no time they also observed a carriage with elephant, monkey, birds and on top a flag under a spider net on the same spot, which flew up in a charming  fashion , drawn by four doves and gone up. Sadhengiri was  seen seated on the chariot . So it is believed that Sadhengiri has attained highest abode and went to heaven alive. Therefore, in symbolizing the Sadhengiri’s  attainment of Heaven the Chakmas make a chariot for a dead. The story of Sadhengiri was also read out in the form of Sadhengiri Tara by the Lurees in the olden days.

The next morning after cremating the dead, the family members perform the rite of Haar Bhaja (bone flowing) as the Chakmas flow the bone remnants  of a dead body in the river or stream.  The Haar Bhaja rite is usually performed by the relatives. In case of parents’ death, all the sons and in case of a son or daughter by the father or by a blood relative. On reaching the Choba Saal (burning place) first a finger bone is searched which is put in an earthen or any pot and sealed with plantain leaves. The remaining bones are carried to the river and flowed. The burning spot is then cleaned neatly and swept with clay. A fencing is also erected with four bamboo poles where plantain and esculents are planted. A pitcherful of water is also placed with a dao, a basket, some even put comb and other provisions. A shade is also made with a piece of white clothe called Channwa which is bound on the poles of the four corner of the fence. On a parent’s death, the sons tonsure their head near the burning place. The earthen pot where the finger bone is kept is then taken to the river  either by the eldest son or by the youngest son in case of the death of both parents, by the father in case of the death of son or daughter, by a brother in case of death of a brother, in case of no close relative by a clansman - and he  has to go to waist deep water with the pot and pour water by  fingers facing up stream and throw the pot  at the back with the prayer not to face any death in future. The throwing should be above the head if of an older person and between the legs for a younger person. The thrower also should come out bare from the river flowing his worn clothes by the river and wear new clothes from the bank. The other accomplice also take dips in the river and come home without looking back.

On reaching home, another rite called Mora Bur is performed to evade further death in the family. Which is usually performed by an Ojha (exorcist) in the traditional way. When lunch is ready, lunch is offered at the cremation ground and the soul is asked to wait  at the spot for seven  more days for Saatdhinnya. Lamps are also lighted every evening  for the dead at the spot  for six nights and on the seventh day-  the Saatdhinnya rite is performed. Untill the seventh day no fresh meat or fish or wine will be taken by any  members of the family, which is called Sadhang Dharana (observing purity for the departed).

SAATDHINNYA :

After the death of a family member it is the duty of the living members to perform a rite called Karma or Saatdhinnya on the seventh day of burning of the dead for the Utdhar (salvation) of the departed soul.  Generally the day is counted from the day of flowing away of the bones and ashes in the river/stream ie. from the next day after cremation. However the Phema gozas (sept) counts it from the day of burning as of the Tripuris. (They are therefore sometimes teased as Tibira (Tripuris) and it is reported that their forefathers were actually Tripuris and came to the Chakma kingdom as a dowry gift after a Chakma prince had married Tripuri Princess and they were meant to look after that princess. Later when they grew in number and became powerful, they were granted a separate gozea in the name of their leader Phema Chandra and they did not abandon the culture of burning their dead after six days). So, preparation begins from the day of Haar Bhaja to collect  for offering of feast to general public on the day, also collection of every possible food, drinks and other items for dedication. Religious dedication like Hajar Batti (thousand lamps), Phanach ( hot balloons), Tangon (banners) etc are also arranged for the purpose. Some unmarried girls also weave  the banner called Phorha with floral design. It is customary that once a girl had woven a flower for a Phorha ,  she will never weave the same design again in her lifetime since she had dedicated it. Other provisions for dedication like useful materials for the monks are also arranged. All available food, drinks, sweetmeat, milk, curd, ghee, sweets, mishri (rock sugar), sugar, brown sugar, banana, sugarcane, meat, fish, and any other available  items are also collected. On the evening of  the seventh day all relatives and atleast one able member from a family gather in the dead’s house and help in the preparation for the Saatdhinnya like preparation of food, making of balloons, banners etc are done.  On the seventh day everything are arranged like food , materials for dedication are kept ready . The departed is also invited to come to the feast and offering. First three plates of foods are readied on three plates one for the Gongei, one for the monks and the third for the departed. Every available items like rice, binee rice (sticky rice), sweets, rice cakes, etc are prepared . On the arrival of the monks, the five precepts are administered and religious discourses are chanted. Afterwards all the provisions are dedicated to the monks with the prayer to bestow all the virtues to the departed soul . The Gongei and the monks are  offered food. In the meantime, the plate meant for the departed is opened by vowing and sprinkling sandalwood water or wine by any member of the family. Fly and insects are observed. If any fly or insect is found to have sat on the food plate it is understood that the soul has arrived in the form of fly or insect. And after that all are given a feast.