The bodies of children dying before they are named, or before the
tonsure ceremony is performed on them, are buried, and those of other
persons are burnt. In the grave of a small child some of its mother's
milk, or, if this is not available, cow's milk in a leaf-cup or earthen
vessel, is placed. Before a body is burnt cakes of wheat-flour are put
on the face, breast and both shoulders, and a coin is always deposited
for the purchase of the site. Mourning or impurity is observed for
varying periods, according to the nearness of relationship. For a
child, relatives other than the parents have only to take a bath to
remove the impurity caused by the death. In a small town or village all
Brahmans of the same subcaste living in the place are impure from the
time of the death until cremation has taken place. After the funeral
the chief mourner performs the _shraddh_ ceremony, offering _pindas_
or cakes of rice, with libations of water, to the dead. Presents are
made to Brahmans for the use of the dead man in the other world, and
these are sometimes very valuable, as it is thought that the spirit
will thereby be profited. Such presents are taken by the Maha-Brahman,
who is much despised. When a late zamindar of Khariar died, Rs. 2000
were given to the Maha-Brahman for the use of his soul in the next
world. The funeral rites are performed by an ordinary Brahman, known
as Malai, who may receive presents after the period of impurity has
expired. Formerly a calf was let loose in the name of the deceased
after being branded with the mark of a trident to dedicate it to Siva,
and allowed to wander free thenceforth. Sometimes it was formally
married to three or four female calves, and these latter were presented
to Brahmans. Sometimes the calf was brought to stand over the dying
man and water poured down its tail into his mouth. The practice of
letting loose a male calf is now declining, as these animals are a
great nuisance to the crops, and cultivators put them in the pound. The
calf is therefore also presented to a Brahman. It is believed that the
_shraddh_ ceremony is necessary to unite the dead man's spirit with
the Pitris or ancestors, and without this it wanders homeless. Some
think that the ancestors dwell on the under or dark side of the
moon. Those descendants who can offer the _pindas_ or funeral cakes
to the same ancestor are called Sapindas or relatives, and the man
who fills the office of chief mourner thereby becomes the dead man's
heir. Persons who have died a violent death or have been executed are
not entitled to the ordinary funeral oblations, and cannot at once be
united with the ancestors. But one year after the death an effigy of
the deceased person is made in _kusha_ grass and burnt, with all the
ordinary funeral rites, and offerings are made to his spirit as if
he had died on this occasion. If the death was caused by snake-bite
a gold snake is made and presented to a Brahman before this ceremony
is begun. This is held to be the proper funeral ceremony which unites
his spirit with the ancestors. Formerly in Madras if a man died during
the last five days of the waning of the moon it was considered very
unlucky. In order to escape evil effects to the relatives a special
opening was made in the wall of the house, through which the body
was carried, and the house itself was afterwards abandoned for three
to six months. [412] A similar superstition prevails in the Central
Provinces about a man dying in the Mul Nakshatra or lunar asterism,
which is perhaps the same or some similar period. In this case it is
thought that the deaths of four other members of the household are
portended, and to avert this four human figures are made of flour or
grass and burnt with the corpse. According to the Abbé Dubois if a
man died on a Saturday it was thought that another death would occur
in the family, and to avert this a living animal, such as a ram,
goat or fowl, was offered with the corpse. [413]