Rituals of death in Odisha: Hindu religious beliefs and socio-cultural practices

This article discusses the rituals of death followed by the Hindus in Odisha, an eastern state in India. It focuses on Hindu religious beliefs and socio-cultural practices regarding death. Hindus believe in the cyclical reincarnation of the soul. So, funeral rites are performed not only for the disposal of the body, but also to assist the departed soul in its transmigration to the next destination. The paper discusses how the responsibility of the immediate family members to perform the funeral rites and the rights to inheritance are inter-related. Funeral rites are not performed for the unmarried people and suicidal victims, although the body is disposed. Hence, the eligibility for funeral rites creates not only the necessity of a married life and progenitors, but also warns people not to commit suicide. The rites highlight the gender-bias in the society, the eldest son being the principal performer of the rites. Performing such rituals ensures comfort to the grieved family, and emphasizes community living and inter-personal relationship in the society. The language used for funeral rites does not have an interpersonal communicative function; rather, it has a socio-religious function.