It’s a new thing for me, seeing a dead body. I’ve seen body bags after railway “accidents” in Japan and probably in a few other instances too.
But here, it’s somewhat of a public spectacle. A very loud one at that, what with the wailing and all else that goes with it.
The man next door died recently of a brain tumor. Apparently a very good man – well educated, a professor. Somewhere about the age of 70. It gave me a rather unique opportunity to witness such an amazing, yet tragic ritual, that is rather unmatched by the west.
First, the body was taken outside, covered in flowers, and then water splashed on the body. Then the body was “fed” some kind of liquid – I think it was sugary milk or sugary water or something. Then the sons and other male relatives carried the body to the now-arrived hearse/ambulance.
Of course, this took place over probably 30 minutes, and even that was the quick version of what normally happens, I am told: the simple reason being that this is Mumbai. No-one has time for this, and they have to get back to work.
Being Hindu, I’m sure the family went and had the body cremated, and unfortunately I didn’t get to see any more after the body was taken away, but it’s just one more of those things that you would see only in India. And they probably haggled over the price.
What happens next is that the house must be blessed, and no cooking shall take place for 13 days. All food shall be “donated” to the family during that time, after which a party (more or less) is held by the family, and everyone gets to eat.
Or something like that – I’m a little sketchy on the details as there was a lot to take in.
But it brings forth another point. In the building where my friends live, there is a Sikh temple. They frequently prepare food for everyone (even me), which is blessed (you have to take your shoes off to even receive it, and in theory you’re supposed to have a cloth on your head, too). But what is most wonderful is that even the homeless and street kids are fed, though I suspect this doesn’t happen in all areas… but this is all another story.
For now, we must live our lives, plan and save for the future, get our yearly checkups, stop stressing the little stuff and try to avoid doing anything too silly.
