________________
OCTOBER, 1907.)
A REPORT ON THE PANJAB HILL TRIBES.
289
A REPORT ON THE PANJAB HILL TRIBES.
From the Native point of view.
BY MIAN DURGA SINGH. (Communicated by H. A. Rose.)
( Continued from p. 284.)
XXXI. - Puriflostion Coromontes,
The Brahmans are purified in ten days, the Kshatriyas in twelve days, the Vaisyas, i. e., Banias, Suds and Bôhras, in fifteen days, and all other tribes in one month. People neither eat nor drink in the house in which some one has died, during the period of impurity. Bat when the heirs of the deceased eat either meat or asafoetida, they are considered purified, even if it be done within the period of impurity and then people do not object to eating food prepared by them.
The Kshatriyas and Banias, etc., get their heads shaved at the death of a relation. But this is not a general custom: for to share the head it is necessary that the written permission of the Raja or the Râpå be obtained beforeband.
116. The shradhs are of two kinds :
(a) Thoso performed in the name of the deceased. A detailed account of such shradhe has been already given.
(6) Those which are performed in the pitri paksh (the dark half of the lanar month) in the month of Bhddon (about September). In this month all tribes, except the menials, perform shrúdhe. Some persons perform shradhs during the whole of the fortnight. Others perform only one shradh, in the name of all their dead, on the amdvas day (the last day of the lunar month). Every kind of food is cooked for the shradhs; fruits are put upon the table. The Brahmans are called on the eve of the shradh to feast at a certain person's house, all arriving in the morning. The owner of the house calls the family priest and offers funeral cakes. Sacrifice is also performed. After this he washes the feet of all the Brahmans, offers them sandal and flowers, and feeds them. In the end, money is given to the Brâhmang and they are dismissed. The family priest gets more than all the others.
17. The Brahman works as the priest in funeral ceremonies and also chants the hymns.
118. All the tribes in the hills have Brahmans to officiate in their faneral ceremonies. The nephew also receives some gifts.
119. The method of parification has been stated above. It is done by killing a goat and eating asafoetida.
120-121. Either in the case of death or birth, it is after the prescribed periods that purification is regained. During that period, provided the heirs of the deceased do not us meat or asafoetida, the impurity continues.
123. On the day appointed for eating asafoetida or killing the goat, all the relations and the Brahmans are called together, and all of them are required to eat asafoetida, while Brahmans are also led, The Brahman chants some hymns over a mixture of milk, Ganges water, and cow's urine (called the panoh gdoyd) and makes the heirs of the deceasod take some of this mixture, and thus parification is effected.
