I picked lot of things from my grandfather, including a love for books. In death, he offered me some bits about the death rituals of Kashmiri Pandits. He also gave me a fear. Although he read a lot, he remembered little. And in the end he forgot everything. Because I too forget, I write…
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| Daddy and Badi Mummy clearing snow. Winter 1988. Srinagar. |
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| With his youngest daughter-in-law and youngest grandchild. 21, July 2013. Jammu |
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| 5th August. 2013. Shakti Nagar Cremation Ground, Jammu. |
5th day
We go to the cremation ground to collect his bones and ashes. Among the bones is a bone known among Pandits as Porush (Man). It is part of upper vertebral column. The bone holds a special meaning as in its shape it is said to resemble a sleeping man, a symbol of departed body. While placing the body on pyre special care is taken by putting in in right posture to ensure that the Porush remains intact after burning.
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| Cleaning of the spot by sons |
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| The spot as it is left by locals of Jammu – the Hindu Dogras |
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| The spot as it is left by Pandits. Honey, sweets and candy is left (possibly so that ants can do rest of the cleaning) |
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| White radish or Mooli is an absolute essential part of the 5th day ceremony and is a must offering for the departed on this day. |
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| Mahakal Bhairava and his dog (s) at Cremation Ground |
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| Still Day 5. Ghat on Chenab river. Akhnoor. Site for immersing the ashes. In older times, in Kashmir, ashes were sometimes kept buried in a wall of the house till they could be immensed at Gangbal Lake in September. Or, at Shadipur. |
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| Pandit ji is a lot miffed when he finds out one of the daughter-in-laws is also present for the ceremony. It is pointed out to him that she took care of him like a daughter. He says Kashmiri women come from the clan of Nagas, the snakes. Hence that headdress. Hence the separation. Father and uncles remember Pandit ji as a haughty little kid growing up in lanes around Habba Kadal. Of course, his indignations are ignored. He believes in rules of Manu. He believes Kashmiris may be Jews, may be even Russian. He believes. |
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| Prasadh at the end of the ceremony. Walnut. |
Day 10.
The departed is a Preta till it becomes a Pitr on completion of all the rites and joins the realm of previous Pitrs. A process that takes a year. The main rituals last for 13 days. There are talks among Kashmiri Pandits that 13 is becoming too difficult to manage. Working people can’t be home for 13 days, that it should be reduced to 4. But the old guards and priests don’t agree.
Garuda Purana is remembered and recited.
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| Hindu afterlife Punishments given in Garuda Purana. A poster found at a little shop in Jammu. Febuary 2012. Mother tells me punishment for those who waste salt is that they pick you up by your eyelashes. |
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An interesting custom on this day has the sons walking in between rows of relatives lined up on two sides. The relatives are supposed to put money in their pockets discreetly as they walk past. In a way they help them bear the cost of feast for relatives that follows the next day.
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The cook was earlier worried because a relative of his was badly injured in a recent earthquake in his hometown Kistwar. By the end of the day, he is worried because there is news of communal disturbances in his town. By evening the disturbance spreads to Jammu. Mahaul goes Kharaab. In evening I go out to city to get some more Mooli from Mandi but return back half way because there are gangs on bikes roaming around with knives.
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| Evening feast. The Pandit ji also eats meat. |
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| Day 11. Army is out on the streets. The cook doesn’t come. Aunts take charge of cooking. |
The news in local paper is confusing. All it talks about is ‘majority community’ and ‘minority community’. If you don’t know the demographics of the area, you are forced to imagine who killed whom.
When the last ceremony is over and the Pandit ji leaves, a token pebble is thrown at him as he crossed the main gate…probably so that he does not return soon.
In none of these ceremonies is my grandmother involved. She was married to the man for about 64 years.
Day 12.
The entire city is shut. Early morning, I start out on a long walk to airport with father to catch my flight out of a trishanku’ian town.
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January 17, 2014
It’s been six months. Today, we cook fish in dinner, offer it to the dead and feast. Pandits call it the day of ‘till‘.
Thanks for penning down your experiences.
Namaskar Vinayakji Razdan,
I have read with great interest your experiences of the Kashmiri Death Rituals.
You have done an excellent job by narrating your experience about the Kashmiri Death rituals following the death of your grandfather. You have depicted a vivid description of each day rituals with picture of the participants. The way you have put together your intimate experience is very nice, heart warming and easy to understand. The picture of your grandmother who was married for 65 years touched my heart. As if she was my grand mother. You have stated that your grandmother did not participate in any rituals of her husband.It portrays to some extent a picture of our Hindu society, culture and how a widow is grieving following the death of her husband. It feels as if we the readers are there witnessing the Kashmiri Death rituals. I have learnt a lot about Kashmiri Death Rituals from your experiences. And thank you very much for penning down your experiences.
I am a Pandit from Gujarat, India living in USA for over fifty years. My father had performed Hindu rituals and taught our Sanskars to new immigrants in California fifty years ago. Following his footsteps, I have been performing Hindu weddings, baby showers, thread ceremony, Griha Pravesh, funerals and Shraddha ceremonies for the Indo Americans in California for the last forty years. I have performed a funeral rites of a 90 years old Kashmiri Pandit in Los Angeles yesterday. He was a very noble, kind and caring gentleman.He was very much loved by his family and friends, especially grandchildren. He has left a very large, beautiful and prosperous family. They all are very educated: physicians, scientists and businessmen. Now I have a solemn duty to perform the post death rituals of 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th day for this Kashmiri Pandit. I am glad to read about your experiences.
There is a ritual when we call out the name of the deseased person the next morning after the last rites.. what's that called?
Krakh din
How many days we do this krakh din?
for 10 days, often the eldest daughter-in-law goes out, stands and calls the name of the dead or the name with which he was know out of love and respect.
All children give krakh early morning (dawn).
For nine days
It is son and daughter of the deceased to perform the “krakh dien ” ritual and the daughter in law.
I think it’s son and daughter
Why we do tresh for 1 year?? Is it really goes to the deceased person?
Actually water is meant to be offered not just for 1 year. It is to be done throughout life. The dead joins the pitr after and year and then water is offered to pitrs. Usually elder son/brother do it.
what is teel dyun in Kashmiri pandits after death ,how is it done??? What is its significance???
This is very similar ritual that Raju (King clans of Vijayanagar samrat) Kshetriya perform in Deccan plateau. Why you make it very particular to Kashmiri Pandif? Are you not followers of Sanatan dharma?
Thanks for providing valuable information… just a small query, is it restricted for all the family members to eat onion, garlic etc.. for whole year or they can eat onion, garlic after respectfully keeping the breakfast and lunch (without onion, garlic, tomato) to the pitr. Or it is compulsory for all members not to take onion garlic etc… your insight will be helpful.
Mostly the rule is for the one who will be performing the daily morning ritual of teel…offering water to pitr.