Death:
and fragments of bone are collected and eventually immersed in a holy river. After a funeral, everyone undergoes a purifying bath. The immediate family remains in a state of intense pollution for a set number of days( sometimes ten, eleven, or thirteen). wedding are matters decided by the parents in consultation with astrologers.
At Hindu weddings, the bride and bridegroom represent the god and the goddess, although there is a parallel tradition that sees the groom as a prince coming to wed his princess. The groom, decked in all his finery, often travels to the wedding site on a caparisoned white horse or in an open limousine, accompanied by a procession of relatives, musicians, and bearers of ornate electrified lamps.
The actual ceremonies in many cases become extremely elaborate, but orthodox Hindu marriages typically have at their center the recitation of mantras by priests. In a crucial rite, the new couple takes seven steps northward from a sacred household fire, turn, and make offerings into the flames.
Independent traditions in regional languages and among different caste groups support wide variations in ritual.
Death:
After the death of a family member, the relatives become involved in ceremonies for the preparation of the body and a procession to the burning or burial ground.
For most Hindus, cremation is the ideal method for dealing with the dead, although many groups practice burial instead; infants are buried rather than cremated. At the funeral site, in the presence of the male mourners, the closest relative of the deceased( usually the eldest son) takes charge of the final rite and, if it is cremation, lights the funeral pyre.
After a cremation, ashes
At the end of that period, close family members meet for a ceremonial meal and often give gifts to the poor or to charities.
A particular feature of the Hindu ritual is the preparation of rice balls( pinda) offered to the spirit of the dead person during memorial services. In part, these ceremonies are seen as contributing to the merit of the deceased, but they also pacify the soul so that it will not linger in this world as a ghost but will pass through the realm of Yama, the god of death.
FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW. WISHESH. NET