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.
Its good to read. Would have never know it myself. But i have got one suggestion.
ReplyDeleteMake the post short and also maybe post some pics.
If you have many to write, break it into parts and post. People will hardly read a long post as many really don't have time or get scared at the sight of a long post.
Just saying :)