Lonari
Encyclopedia
LonariS, numbering 19,222 (1901), including 9,672 male and 9,550 females, are found chiefly in Khandesh
, Nasik, Poona, Satara
, Sholapur, the Satara agency, and the southern Maratha country. They are upper caste of cement –makers and lime burners who seem once to have been Marathas but to have formed themselves into
a separate class by adopting the occupation of lime and charcoal burners. In Belgaum district
they are divided into Mith (Salt) and Chuna (Lime) Lonaris, who eat together but do not intermarry. In Ahmednagar, Poona, and Sholapur district they are divided into Lonari proper and Kadu, Akaramashe, or Bastard Lonaris, who eat together but do not intermarry. In the Jativivek they are described as the progeny of a man of the mallat caste and of a woman of the avart caste.
Their Sanskrit name is Saumik, and their occupation appears at one time to have been that of preparing Salt
. In the Mulstambha they are described as Kshatriyas, possibly on account of their Maratha origin. The Lonaris of Poona district relate that they came into the district from Mandesh near Phaltan in Satara district. They say that they were once Lingayats, when their religious ceremonies were conducted by Jangams. There is little evidence of their former connection with Lingayatism
.A mention of the caste name occurs in the Mahabharata
when Dhritirashtra is advised by Vidur to act like a Mali who grows trees and eats fruits, instead of a like a Lonari who burns trees and prepares charcoal
.(Note: There is no evidence of existence of Lonari caste during earlier periods as lonaris are known to have separated from their original Maratha caste just a few centuries back.) This indicates charcoal burning as the Bombay Gazetteer the Lonaris are Marathas and eat and marry with them. But evidence of such intermarriages is not forthcoming. In Sholapur district, when child is born about a year old, a Dhangar cuts the hair, and is presented with copper coins, five pieces of dry cocoa-kernel and betel packets, for this trouble. Lonaris have a caste-council, and their social disputes are settled at meetings of the caste-men. The commonest surnames among them are Limgire, Chorge, Dhone, Dangekar, Rakshe, Limite, Bondre, Karche, Tambe, Zadge, Kolarkar etc.
s in Poona district:
Lonari kunbies are also found in Betul district of M.P. the surnames are as follows
Marriage
with a mother's sister's daughter or father's sister's daughter is not allowed. It is allowed with a maternal uncle’s daughter. Marriage with a wife’s sister is allowed. Two brothers may marry two sisters. There is not limit of age for marriage of boys. Sexual license before marriage is neither allowed nor tolerated. If a girl commits sexual indiscretions before marriage with a man of her caste, she is married to him. The man is compelled to undergo certain purifications and to pay a fine and give a dinner to his caste-men. They are then classed as Kadu, Akaramashe or Bastard, and treated as being of an inferior division. If a girl commits sexual indiscretions with an outsiders she is excommunicated, and cannot be readmitted into her caste either by paying fine or giving a dinner to her caste-men. Polygamy
is permitted, but Polyandry
is unknown. A man marries another wife when his first wife is barren or is physically defective. There is no limit to the number of wives.Lonaris have been known to keep family records with the 'Bhaats' who are the record keepers in service of the lonaris. Lord Khanoba of Jejuri is known to be the 'Kul'daivat or the Community deity of the Lonaris.Marriages between the same 'gotra' is not permitted.
priest fixes an auspicious date for the marriage and also conducts the service. When an offer is received, two men of both the sides go to an astrologer
with the bride and bridegroom’s horoscope
s and ause them to be compared, when the horoscopes not are not available, the marriage is settled by the religious names of the bride and bridegroom. Twenty-seven heaps of rice
corresponding to the twenty-seven stars are prepared. Over each heap a betel nut
and a pice is placed. Red and turmeric
powders are offered to these heaps, and a small girl is asked to pick up a betel nut. From the number of the betel nut the bridegroom’s star is marked. Similarly, the bride’s star is marked, and then the astrologer decides whether the proposed match will be happy and prosperous. The principal ceremonies are Kunku-lavne or Betrothal, Lagna-chithi or fixing the date of marriage, turmeric rubbing, Devkarya or the ceremony of enshrining the marriage guardian deity which consists of Panchpavli, i.e. leaves of the Mango
(---), Jambul
(Eugenia jambolana), Shami (Prosopis spicigera), Umber (Ficus glomerata), and Rui (Caltropis gigantea), Vardha or taking the bridegroom to the bride’s house, Sumant-pujan or the reception of the bridegroom by the bridge’s father, Kanyadan or the bride-giving ceremony, Rukhwat or offering food articles to the bridge groom’s party. Their marriage ceremonies do not differ materially from those of the Marathas except that at the time of marriage the bride and bridegroom are made to stand on the bamboo
baskets, or the bride on a grindstone
and the bridegroom on a coil of rope. The Saptapadi, or taking seven steps by the bride and bridegroom, or the throwing of rice over the bride and bridegroom’s heads, is the binding portion of the ceremony.
Widow
remarriage is allowed. A widow is not allowed to marry her maternal or paternal aunt’s son, maternal uncle’s son, or any member of her deceased husband’s family. The ceremony takes place during the latter half of any month, or when the moon is not shining. The heads of the caste panchayat, a Brahman priest, and kinsmen of the both sides are present on this occasion. The widow and her new husband are seated on a square which the priest marks out with the grains of wheat. The priest worships a betelnut, Ganpati, and a metal water-pot –Varuna- of which the mouth is covered with betel leaves and a coconut
. The Varuna water-pot is applied to the brlow of widow thrice. Sandal-paste, flowers, turmeric and vermilion
powders and sweetmeats are laid before the betelnut and the water-pot, the hems of the pair’s garments are knotted together, and the lap of the widow is filled with rice, coconut, betel and fruit. She bows before the gods, and the priest marks her brow with vermilion, and leaves her. She is unlucky for three days after her remarriage, and must take care that no married women sees her face during that time. The widower gives a feast to his caste-men the next day. Bachelor
is not allowed to marry a widow.
Divorce
is allowed. A husband can divorce his wife on the ground of incompatibility of temper or when the wife bears a bad character, and the wife can divorce her husband when he is impotent. A divorce deed is passed with the permission of the headman of the caste, by whom the deed is attested. A woman divorced for adultery
with a man of her caste is allowed to marry a second time and the ceremony is conducted after the form of a widow remarriage.
s to Alandi, Jejuri, Pandharpur, Tulajapur, Benares, etc. They also worship animals such as the cobra
, bullock
, horse
, cow, and trees and plants like banyan tree, papal, apta, shami, and sweet basil, and their worship implements and religious and account books. Excluding Ekadashi, or Saturdays and Mondays a sacrifice of a goat is made to Khandoba and is partaken of by the offerer. They worship Muhammadan saints and make offerings of Khichadi, frankincense
, and sweetmeats for their propitiation. When cholera
and smallpox
are prevalent they worship the deities Mari and Shtala respectively. They employ Brahamans to conduct their religious ceremonies.
are buried. Children who have not cut their teeth and buried. At burial the deceased is put in the earth in a sitting position. The ashes and bones of the dead when burnt are sent to a holy place or are consigned to a river. As soon as a person has breathed his last, the body is washed with hot water and is laid on a bamboo bier covered with a new shroud. If the deceased be a woman whose husband is still living, the body is wrapped in a new robe and a bodice, and the brow is marked with turmeric and red powder. Wreaths of flowers are also offered, and the deceased is borne to the burial or burning ground by four men. The chief mourner walks ahead of the bier, taking fire in a porcelain
pot. The bier is put down half way to the burning or burial ground, and a sweet ball and a pice are thrown on the spot. A pyre of cow dung is prepared and the body placed upon it. The chief mourner shaves his mustache and head and bathes. Then he weats his over-garment and squeezes a few drops of water into the dead person’s mouth. The chief mourner then ignites the pyre. When it is half burnt, the chief mourner takes a porcelain pot filled with water upon his shoulder and walks thrice round the pyre. At the commencement of each round a hole is bored in the pot with a pebble. On completing the third round he throws the pot over his back, and striking his mouth with his hand, calls aloud. The relatives of the dead feed the mourners for three days. On the third day the ashes and bones are collected and cow’s urine and dung are sprinkled over the place of burning. Three small porcelain pots are placed in a line from north to south, and on the mouth of each pot a cake is placed. The food most fancied by the deceased is offered, and camphor
and frankincense are burnt. This is termed smashanbali. On the tenth day balls are offered to the dead. A crow must touch one of the balls, otherwise an artificial crow of darbha grass is prepared and the ball is touched thereby. The relatives of dead then pour sea… and water over the life-stone and it is then thrown into water. This is known as thedaspindi ceremony. On the thirteenth day the caste-men are feasted and some charity for the propitiation of the dead is distributed. On the fourteenth day a female or male, according to the sex of the deceased, is feasted, and articles of raw food are given to brahmans. For one year the same female or male is feasted every month. For the propitiation of ancestors in general they observe the shradhha ceremony during the latter half of the month of Bhradpad. When a person has died of violent death and the dead body is not found, an image of wheat flour representing the deceased is burnt with sticks of plates (Butea frondosa), funeral rites as on an ordinary death occasion are performed.
Khandesh
Khandesh is a region of central India, which forms the northwestern portion of Maharashtra state.Khandesh was the terminal territorial part under the rule of Mughals. The Start of Deccan region demarcated by the boundary of Khandesh....
, Nasik, Poona, Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
, Sholapur, the Satara agency, and the southern Maratha country. They are upper caste of cement –makers and lime burners who seem once to have been Marathas but to have formed themselves into
a separate class by adopting the occupation of lime and charcoal burners. In Belgaum district
Belgaum district
Belgaum district is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The city of Belgaum is the district headquarters in North Karnataka. By the 2011 Census of India, it had a population of 4778439...
they are divided into Mith (Salt) and Chuna (Lime) Lonaris, who eat together but do not intermarry. In Ahmednagar, Poona, and Sholapur district they are divided into Lonari proper and Kadu, Akaramashe, or Bastard Lonaris, who eat together but do not intermarry. In the Jativivek they are described as the progeny of a man of the mallat caste and of a woman of the avart caste.
Their Sanskrit name is Saumik, and their occupation appears at one time to have been that of preparing Salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
. In the Mulstambha they are described as Kshatriyas, possibly on account of their Maratha origin. The Lonaris of Poona district relate that they came into the district from Mandesh near Phaltan in Satara district. They say that they were once Lingayats, when their religious ceremonies were conducted by Jangams. There is little evidence of their former connection with Lingayatism
Lingayatism
Lingayatism, also known as Veerashaivism, is a distinct Shaivite denomination in India. It makes several departures from mainstream Hinduism and propounds monotheism through worship centered on Lord Shiva. It also rejects the authority of the Vedas and the caste system. The adherents of this faith...
.A mention of the caste name occurs in the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
when Dhritirashtra is advised by Vidur to act like a Mali who grows trees and eats fruits, instead of a like a Lonari who burns trees and prepares charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
.(Note: There is no evidence of existence of Lonari caste during earlier periods as lonaris are known to have separated from their original Maratha caste just a few centuries back.) This indicates charcoal burning as the Bombay Gazetteer the Lonaris are Marathas and eat and marry with them. But evidence of such intermarriages is not forthcoming. In Sholapur district, when child is born about a year old, a Dhangar cuts the hair, and is presented with copper coins, five pieces of dry cocoa-kernel and betel packets, for this trouble. Lonaris have a caste-council, and their social disputes are settled at meetings of the caste-men. The commonest surnames among them are Limgire, Chorge, Dhone, Dangekar, Rakshe, Limite, Bondre, Karche, Tambe, Zadge, Kolarkar etc.
Exogamous Divisions
Except in Poona district, persons with the same surname cannot intermarry. The following are some of the exogamous groupExogamous group
Exogamous group is a section of society within which marriages are prohibited. A marriage within an exogamous group is regarded as incestuous.Examples of exogamous groups are:* Gotras and Clans in the castes in India.* "Fis" among the Albanians...
s in Poona district:
- Limgire
- Bajbalkar
- Dhone
- Dangekar
- Vasimkar
- Adne
- Kapse
- Koparkar
- Vagdare
- Soparkar
- Deulkar
- Narale
- Gherade
- Khot
- Khirsagar
- Karande
- Khandekar
- Muthekar
- Navthare
- Sadphalkar
- Thite
- Natkar
- Redekar
- kasavkar
- Borchate
- Milkhe
- Langde
- Khilare
Lonari kunbies are also found in Betul district of M.P. the surnames are as follows
- Adlak
- Baraskar
- Dhote
- Darwai
- Gawandhe
- Gawhade
- Gayakwad
- Geete
- Galfat
- Jhod
- Kapse
- Kale
- Kare
- Karole
- Kadu (Deshmukh)
- Kawadkar
- Kumbhare (Deshmukh)
- Likhitkar
- Lokhande
- Mathankar
- Mankar
- Makode (Deshmukh)
- Pandagre
- Panse
- Pande
- Patankar
- Padlak
- Potfode
- Sable
Marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
with a mother's sister's daughter or father's sister's daughter is not allowed. It is allowed with a maternal uncle’s daughter. Marriage with a wife’s sister is allowed. Two brothers may marry two sisters. There is not limit of age for marriage of boys. Sexual license before marriage is neither allowed nor tolerated. If a girl commits sexual indiscretions before marriage with a man of her caste, she is married to him. The man is compelled to undergo certain purifications and to pay a fine and give a dinner to his caste-men. They are then classed as Kadu, Akaramashe or Bastard, and treated as being of an inferior division. If a girl commits sexual indiscretions with an outsiders she is excommunicated, and cannot be readmitted into her caste either by paying fine or giving a dinner to her caste-men. Polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
is permitted, but Polyandry
Polyandry
Polyandry refers to a form of marriage in which a woman has two or more husbands at the same time. The form of polyandry in which a woman is married to two or more brothers is known as "fraternal polyandry", and it is believed by many anthropologists to be the most frequently encountered...
is unknown. A man marries another wife when his first wife is barren or is physically defective. There is no limit to the number of wives.Lonaris have been known to keep family records with the 'Bhaats' who are the record keepers in service of the lonaris. Lord Khanoba of Jejuri is known to be the 'Kul'daivat or the Community deity of the Lonaris.Marriages between the same 'gotra' is not permitted.
Marriage Ceremonies
The offer of marriage generally comes from the boy’s father. It is arranged through the mediation of four or five men of their caste, who termed Pudhait. A BrahmanBrahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
priest fixes an auspicious date for the marriage and also conducts the service. When an offer is received, two men of both the sides go to an astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
with the bride and bridegroom’s horoscope
Horoscope
In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning "a look at the hours" In...
s and ause them to be compared, when the horoscopes not are not available, the marriage is settled by the religious names of the bride and bridegroom. Twenty-seven heaps of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
corresponding to the twenty-seven stars are prepared. Over each heap a betel nut
Betel nut
The Areca nut is the seed of the Areca palm , which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as "betel nut" as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves.-Description:...
and a pice is placed. Red and turmeric
Turmeric
Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
powders are offered to these heaps, and a small girl is asked to pick up a betel nut. From the number of the betel nut the bridegroom’s star is marked. Similarly, the bride’s star is marked, and then the astrologer decides whether the proposed match will be happy and prosperous. The principal ceremonies are Kunku-lavne or Betrothal, Lagna-chithi or fixing the date of marriage, turmeric rubbing, Devkarya or the ceremony of enshrining the marriage guardian deity which consists of Panchpavli, i.e. leaves of the Mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
(---), Jambul
Jambul
Jambul is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae. Jambul is native to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia...
(Eugenia jambolana), Shami (Prosopis spicigera), Umber (Ficus glomerata), and Rui (Caltropis gigantea), Vardha or taking the bridegroom to the bride’s house, Sumant-pujan or the reception of the bridegroom by the bridge’s father, Kanyadan or the bride-giving ceremony, Rukhwat or offering food articles to the bridge groom’s party. Their marriage ceremonies do not differ materially from those of the Marathas except that at the time of marriage the bride and bridegroom are made to stand on the bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
baskets, or the bride on a grindstone
Grindstone
Grindstone may refer to:*Grindstone , a tool used for sharpening*Grindstone, a type of millstone used to grind grains such as wheat*Grindstone , 1996 Kentucky Derby winner and sire of the racehorse Birdstone...
and the bridegroom on a coil of rope. The Saptapadi, or taking seven steps by the bride and bridegroom, or the throwing of rice over the bride and bridegroom’s heads, is the binding portion of the ceremony.
Widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
remarriage is allowed. A widow is not allowed to marry her maternal or paternal aunt’s son, maternal uncle’s son, or any member of her deceased husband’s family. The ceremony takes place during the latter half of any month, or when the moon is not shining. The heads of the caste panchayat, a Brahman priest, and kinsmen of the both sides are present on this occasion. The widow and her new husband are seated on a square which the priest marks out with the grains of wheat. The priest worships a betelnut, Ganpati, and a metal water-pot –Varuna- of which the mouth is covered with betel leaves and a coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
. The Varuna water-pot is applied to the brlow of widow thrice. Sandal-paste, flowers, turmeric and vermilion
Vermilion
Vermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
powders and sweetmeats are laid before the betelnut and the water-pot, the hems of the pair’s garments are knotted together, and the lap of the widow is filled with rice, coconut, betel and fruit. She bows before the gods, and the priest marks her brow with vermilion, and leaves her. She is unlucky for three days after her remarriage, and must take care that no married women sees her face during that time. The widower gives a feast to his caste-men the next day. Bachelor
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
is not allowed to marry a widow.
Divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
is allowed. A husband can divorce his wife on the ground of incompatibility of temper or when the wife bears a bad character, and the wife can divorce her husband when he is impotent. A divorce deed is passed with the permission of the headman of the caste, by whom the deed is attested. A woman divorced for adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
with a man of her caste is allowed to marry a second time and the ceremony is conducted after the form of a widow remarriage.
Religion
Lonaris follow the Hindu law of inheritance, and belong to the Varkari, Shiva, Vaishnava sects. They worship all Brahmanic and local gods, observe all Hindu fests and feasts, and make pilgrimagePilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s to Alandi, Jejuri, Pandharpur, Tulajapur, Benares, etc. They also worship animals such as the cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
, bullock
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, cow, and trees and plants like banyan tree, papal, apta, shami, and sweet basil, and their worship implements and religious and account books. Excluding Ekadashi, or Saturdays and Mondays a sacrifice of a goat is made to Khandoba and is partaken of by the offerer. They worship Muhammadan saints and make offerings of Khichadi, frankincense
Frankincense
Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana...
, and sweetmeats for their propitiation. When cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
and smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
are prevalent they worship the deities Mari and Shtala respectively. They employ Brahamans to conduct their religious ceremonies.
Death Ceremonies
They burn their dead. Persons dying of small-pox and red leprosyLeprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
are buried. Children who have not cut their teeth and buried. At burial the deceased is put in the earth in a sitting position. The ashes and bones of the dead when burnt are sent to a holy place or are consigned to a river. As soon as a person has breathed his last, the body is washed with hot water and is laid on a bamboo bier covered with a new shroud. If the deceased be a woman whose husband is still living, the body is wrapped in a new robe and a bodice, and the brow is marked with turmeric and red powder. Wreaths of flowers are also offered, and the deceased is borne to the burial or burning ground by four men. The chief mourner walks ahead of the bier, taking fire in a porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
pot. The bier is put down half way to the burning or burial ground, and a sweet ball and a pice are thrown on the spot. A pyre of cow dung is prepared and the body placed upon it. The chief mourner shaves his mustache and head and bathes. Then he weats his over-garment and squeezes a few drops of water into the dead person’s mouth. The chief mourner then ignites the pyre. When it is half burnt, the chief mourner takes a porcelain pot filled with water upon his shoulder and walks thrice round the pyre. At the commencement of each round a hole is bored in the pot with a pebble. On completing the third round he throws the pot over his back, and striking his mouth with his hand, calls aloud. The relatives of the dead feed the mourners for three days. On the third day the ashes and bones are collected and cow’s urine and dung are sprinkled over the place of burning. Three small porcelain pots are placed in a line from north to south, and on the mouth of each pot a cake is placed. The food most fancied by the deceased is offered, and camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
and frankincense are burnt. This is termed smashanbali. On the tenth day balls are offered to the dead. A crow must touch one of the balls, otherwise an artificial crow of darbha grass is prepared and the ball is touched thereby. The relatives of dead then pour sea… and water over the life-stone and it is then thrown into water. This is known as thedaspindi ceremony. On the thirteenth day the caste-men are feasted and some charity for the propitiation of the dead is distributed. On the fourteenth day a female or male, according to the sex of the deceased, is feasted, and articles of raw food are given to brahmans. For one year the same female or male is feasted every month. For the propitiation of ancestors in general they observe the shradhha ceremony during the latter half of the month of Bhradpad. When a person has died of violent death and the dead body is not found, an image of wheat flour representing the deceased is burnt with sticks of plates (Butea frondosa), funeral rites as on an ordinary death occasion are performed.