Graves are always dug from north to south. Some people say that heaven
is to the north, being situated in the Himalayas, and others that
In the Satyug or Golden Age the sun rose to the north. The digging
of the grave only commences on the arrival of the funeral party, so
there is of necessity a delay of several hours at the site, and all
who attend a funeral are supposed to help in digging. It is considered
to be meritorious to assist at a burial, and there is a saying that a
man who has himself conducted a hundred funerals will become a Raja in
his next birth. When the grave has been filled in and a mound raised
to mark the spot, each person present makes five small balls of earth
and places them in a heap at the head of the grave. This custom is also
known as _Panch lakariya_, and must therefore be an imitation of the
placing of the five sticks on the pyre; its original meaning in the
latter case may have been that the mourners should assist the family
by bringing a contribution of wood to the pyre. As adopted in burial
it seems to have no special significance, but somewhat resembles the
European custom of the mourners throwing a little dust into the grave.