Earthquake preventing many pained Hindu families from performing funeral rites
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) – The devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on 25 April has left thousands of Hindu families unable to celebrate the funeral of their loved ones in accordance with the ritual practices of their religion.
Hinduism requires the cremation of the body and a period of fasting for family members. However, hunger and poverty have prevented many Nepalis from giving their dead relatives the last rite of passage.
As a result of the situation, many fear that the spirit of the deceased will not be able to undergo reincarnation and will instead come back to haunt them as ghosts.
At least 3,000 people have not been cremated following in the quake. They include some members of Rajendra Tamang’s family, a 39-year-old man from the village of Singati (Dolakha district in northern Nepal).
"The earthquake has killed my two sons, my wife and my sister,” he said. “I have no money, so I cannot celebrate the funeral rites and cremate their bodies.”
“In my village, at least 50 Hindu families have been unable to perform the final ritual. This has spread fear among us that their spirits might come back to haunt us like ghosts. We are afraid to go out when darkness falls."
Rama Karki, 49, told AsiaNews that cost is a major factor in funerals. "My husband died in the quake. We are poor and since we need money for the ritual, we could not celebrate it.” For her, “In a situation of crisis, one’s life is more important than performing traditional Hindu rituals.”
Yet, in the Hindu religion, the funeral is of paramount importance. If it is not celebrated, the soul of the deceased cannot reach Nirvana, and reincarnate in another life.
Tradition requires that the body of the deceased be cremated and that the immediate family respect a 13-day period of mourning, during which they wear white clothes and have only one, unsalted meal a day.
Sirjana Magar, 33-year-old mother of three children, lost her husband. Speaking about her hardships, she said, "I have three children and two elderly in-laws. I am responsible for them and I have to get them at least two meals a day. If I were to celebrate the traditional funeral for my husband, I would be left with little money. My family would starve to death.”
The government has been trying to solve the problem by giving people money to pay for funerals. "We are trying to reach everyone,” said Information Minister and government spokesman Minendra Rijal.
“We are handing out money, but it is up to them to decide whether or not to use it for the rites,” he said. “The government,” he explained, “is returning the bodies of the dead to their families, but it cannot celebrate the funeral in their place."
“The tragedy has led some believers to break with tradition,” said Govinda Tondon, an expert in Hindu culture. “If the government does not help them, centuries of ancient Hindu traditions could disappear little by little.”
The earthquake struck particularly hard the Hindu community. Most of its temples were destroyed and the authorities have had to deny access to Hindu holy places for safety reasons.
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17/04/2010
