May be some people permit to do it. I shall be thankful if Mr Goplan Sir makes it clear
about this point. In South India, wherever I have visited, mainly Brahmin families, whatever
I noticed, I had submitted the procedure followed for information. I shall be thankful
for Mr Gopalan Sir to brief about it, which would be beneficial to everyone. As far as I know,
submit the following :
After the Mantras are chanted by the Sastrigal, the Karta circumambulates the dead
body anti-clockwise three times, usually starting at the feet, followed by close relatives.
Others are permitted to go round once instead of three times. A few grains of rice,
or coins are sometimes placed at the mouth by the relatives and friends after each round.
Some keep the coins at the dead body's hand and take it to preserve at home. At the end,
the Karta carries a clay pot of water on the left shoulder. Another person - next of kin,
or an authorised person of Sastrigal walks behind him with a sharp iron instrument. Both of
them go around the dead body anti-clockwise three times. When the person carrying the
pot reaches the head each time, he stops for a second or two, and the one with the iron
instrument hits the pot gently to make a hole so that water flows out from the hole.
The first hole is made at the bottom of the pot, the second one at the centre above
the first hole and the third one at the top, above the centre hole. This water is splashed
with the back of the left hand onto the corpse by the person who follows. This procedure
is repeated till three holes are made. At the third round, the pot is dropped behind the person
carrying it. He walks away without turning back or looking at the body. In fact, after litting
the chitha, one is not supposed to see back. The principle behind this concept is that the water
assumed as Ganga Jalam and it is the medium that separates the dead from the living, i.e.
nearest to the kin.
Balasubramanian
Ambattur
