Below is an excerpt from ‘ A concise encyclopedia of hinduism’ published by Ramakrishna math, Bengaluru, 2011.Please read:
Dahana (cremation)
The whole process of dahana is a very elaborate ritual..….cremation of dead bodies has been existing since ancient days. Bodies of dvijas (‘twice born’) (see Dvija) who had kept duly consecrated vedic fires (such people are called ‘ahitagnis’) were invariably cremated with vedic fires. Various wooden sacrificial vessels and implements being placed on the various limbs at the time of cremation. Those who hadn’t kept the vedic fires were cremated with ordinary fires. Dead bodies could be carried by the male relatives ( a small bed of twigsis and bambos prepared right near the dead body for carrying purpose) or transported by a cart. According to one account a great deal of noise is to be made by means of the instruments like the cymbols, while carrying the body to crematorium in a procession. Though weeping is allowed up until cremation, all weeping is prohibited after the dahana sanskara is over.
During a period when transportation and communication were difficult, people who go out travelling either for pilgrimage or for business, had to face many hardships. So when someone who went out, was heard to have died (and the body couldnot be recovered), cremation used to be done to an effigy prepared by palasa (buteafrondosa) leaves, flour of Barley and woolen thread. This is called akrti dahana (burning the effigy). This is also done to those who were not heard of for 12 years or more. If by chance they return later, then they had to undergo all the sacraments like jataka karma, namakarana etc.
History reveals that the disposal of the bodies of the dead has been practiced by mankind in several ways: cremation, burial, consigning it to water, leaving it on mountain tops to be devoured by vultures and animals, and even embalming. Out of these the the first two have been most widely practiced.
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