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68
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
the dead body over it. Cocoanuts and The Agnihotri, i.e., one who preserves perpecamphor cakes are placed on the body, and tual fire in his house for worship. has to get it is set on fire. Among the Lingáyats and himself shaved every fortnight. Gosávis the dead are buried. Before burying Among high class Hindas boiled rice is the Lingáyats have to take a written order daily offered to the dead after a portion has from their priest, the Ayya or Jang&m. been thrown into the fire, the remainder being The paper is then tied to the neck of the
given to the crows. The portion thrown in deceased, and the body is placed in a bag the fire is called Vaishvadev, and that which is made of new cloth, the head being allowed to given to the crows is called Kágwás. Among remain out of the bag. Blasma or ashes, salt other Hindus it is given or the last day of and camphor are also put into the bag along Bhádrapada and on the date of the father's with the corpse, which is then buried. The death, annually. Oblations of boiled rice are Jangam repeats mantras when the body is in the given to the dead every day, on the last day of grave. No such written order is necessary for the Hindu calendar month, on the date of a the burial of Gosávis. A cocoanut is broken person's death every month, on the same date of on the head of the corpse at the time of the dark half of Bhadrapada every year. These burying it. Among high class Hindus the oblations are put out of the house before taking corpse is carried to the funeral ground in a the meals. It is believed that the ancestors. bier made of bamboos. Among the Lingayats come down in the form of crows to partake a gaily dressed frame called Makhar is pre- of these offerings.7 Oblations of cooked food pared on the bier, and the body is dressed with are also offered to a cow, and considered thus clothes and head dress and seated in the Mak. to be received by the dead. They are especially har. Some of them carry the dead body in a given to the crows annually in the dark half of bag made of blanket. There is a custom of Bhadrapada on the date of the deceased's keeping foot-prints on the spot where a San- death.8 After the corpse has been carried to yási is buried, and they are daily worshipped the funeral ground, an oil lamp containing by the people. Among the Káthawatis of one cotton wick is kept on the spot where the Thána and Kolába districts the dead body is deceased expired. The flame of the lamp is. first buried, and after a few days the skeleton directed towards the south as it is believed that is taken out of the grave and then burnt as the soul goes to heaven by the south. A ball usual 2 Among the high class Hindus the of boiled rice and a little quantity of water or moustaches are shaved at the death of parents milk is kept daily for the first ten days near paternal uncle and elder brother. Among the the lamp while repeating the name of the Shudras it is not necessary to shave. Persons deceased and of the gotra to which it belonged who have lost their parents have to perform The lamp is taken out of the house on the certain 'funeral rites or Shradhas when they 11th day. visit holy places such as Benares, Prayag, Hindus believe that impurity attaches to all Ayodhya and Násiis, and they have to shave the things in the house in consequence of the their moustaches at all these places before death of a person in that house. All those performing the funeral rites. Moustaches things which can be purified by washing are are also shaved as a penance for certain sins. weshed and taken back, while things like
1 RÁO SÁheb Shelse, Kolhấpur,
2 School Master, Mokbade, Thána. 3 School Master, Mitbáv, Ratnagiri.
+ Ráo Sáheb Shelle, Kolkapur. 5 School Master, Khed, Ratnagiri.
6 School Master, Kelwe-Mabim, Thána. 1 School Master, Ubbádánda, Ratnagiri.
8 School Master, Devgad, Ratnagiri. * Ráo Saheb Shelle, Kolhấpur.
