(5) Hochol-punp Pesa or Gathering the Bones Then women go to the cremation ground (masān) and pick up the remnants of the bones of the neck, arms, legs and chest of the deceased with their left hands. They place these on a brass-plate or a new earthenware plate, and then wash the bones in a new piece of cloth, anoint them with turmeric paste, and put them into the new painted earthenware jar described above together with some copper coins put in by members of the family and other relatives. As each bone is being put into the jar, each woman kisses the bone, though not actually touching the bone with the lips. The jar containing the bones is placed on a straw pad (ne!ō), a ling or piunṛi or image made of phutchirā or kusa grass to represent the deceased is placed in the jar with the bones. The half-boiled rice is laid out on three leaf-plates near the spot where the corpse was cremated. The part of the cremation ground where the cremation took place is then cleaned with cowdung and water by one woman and swept clean with a sinduar twig by another woman.

(6) Ekh-mankha or Taking back the Shade

In the meanwhile a small chicken, either grey or mottled in colour, is taken inside the room where the deceased person expired, and is fed on usna rice from a winnowing- basket. In this room is placed a brass jug (lōṭā) filled with water and over it a leaf oup with oil and wick in it which is lighted. A man remains inside the room while some women go out on the way towards the cremation ground, carrying with them a ploughshare, a sickle, three twigs in the form of tooth-brushes, some straw, a few pieces of burning charcoal, a brass-jug filled with water, and some rice in a leaf cup and a little water in another leaf-cup. About half-way to the cremation ground the three twigs (kaṛurka) are planted on the ground to serve as a frame for a miniature hut and the straw is placed over this frame as a thatch. This straw-hut is now set fire to with the burning charcoal. While this symbol of a hut is burning, the women shout three times saying" Bārā, falnā (names), nighāe kūmbā ālā lāggi!" "Come thou, so-and

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2 Res. J.

so (naming the deceased), thy but is burning!" Then they return homewards striking the sickle against the ploughshare but otherwise maintaining strict silence. When they reach the door of the deceased's hut, they call ont to the man waiting inside, "Balin tisgārchiā Open the door." The man asks, "Nim në hekdar? Nin a pan hekdāi, ka biran hekdai ?" "Who are you? Are you our own or strangers?" The women reply," Apan." "Your own people." The man again asks, "Dūkhrādāi kā sūkhrādāi ?" "Do you come in sorrow or in rejoicing ?" The women reply, "Sukradan ""In rejoicing." The door is now opened and all enter and examine the flame of the lamp. If the flame is seen wavering, it is believed that the shade has come back to the house. If the flame does not waver but remains steady, the women again go out and repeat the "ekh-mānkhā" ceremony. ceremony. When the flame wavers and it is inferred that the shade has come back, the ashes on the floor are examined to see if there are indications of footsteps of any animals or reptiles. If such traces are found, it is believed that some spirit or witch has caused the death. But if no such trace is found, it is believed that it was a case of natural death.

(7) Koha Benja or the "Great Wedding" or Har-bora

(Bone-drowning)

The different painted earthenware jugs containing the bones of the deceased Oraons of a village whose bones have been awaiting final disposal, are now carried in procession to the kundi or bone-drowning place by the side of a stream or pool or watercourse. Ordinarily there is only one kunḍi for the Oraons of a village, where the Bhūinhār families of the village as also such old rãiyat (ieth-raiyat) families as have given up the practice of taking the bones of their dead to the kundi of their old ancestral (Bhūinhāri) village, consign the bones of their dead. But each clan has a separate block or slab of stone planted or embedded by the side of the kundi. These stones are known as pulkhi stones. In some villages, a family or families

1 These funereal pulkhi are to be distinguished from the memorial pulkhi stones described in section (9) below.

belonging to a clan different from that of the Oraon Bhūinhārs or original settlers of the village, have selected a separate kundi of their own, a little apart from the kundi of the Bhuinhars and Jeth-raiyats. As for other Oraon families of a village, they generally take the bones of their dead to the kündis of their respective ancestral (Bhūinbāri) villages for final disposal. Generally when the new village is at a considerable distance from the ancestral Bhūinhāri village of an Orãon family, the family gradually ceases to take the bones of its dead to that village but consigns the bones to the kundi of its adopted village or, more rarely, establishes a new kūnḍi of its own in the latter village.

The small earthenware jars containing the bones of the different deceased Oraons of the village are carried on the palms of their hands by their respective female relatives. The Oraons of the village, male and female, and relatives from other villages as well, accompany the procession. For each deceased, a female relative carries to the kundi the portion of half-boiled rice that has been left over after putting some into the pit at the ütür-khilă ceremony described above. In some places, rice and urid pulse boiled together are so taken. The village drummers, generally of the Gōrait caste, accompany the procession with music. Arrived at the kundi, the bones are dropped into the water of the kundi and the earthenware vessels smashed to pieces by striking them against the pūlkhi stone of the clan. The women then wash the pulkhi stones of their respective clans and anoint them with vermilion diluted in oil. In all these funeral rites the left hands only are used. In some villages the women also make drawings of ornamental figures with riceflour moistened in water on the pulkhi stones. Then the Pahan or village-priest sprinkles from a gourd water mixed with pounded turmeric all around. Half-boiled rice, or rice and pulse boiled or parboiled, together (klichri), is then laid out on leaf-plates by the women, first at the spot where all the jugs containing the bones had !rested before the bones were thrown into the kundi. Pieces of

bread and cakes made of rice flour are also thrown on the spot. Half-boiled rice or khichri is laid out in three leaf-plates in front of the pulkhi stones for each of the dead persons. Then the men bathe in the pool or stream higher up than the spot where the bones have been a bath still higher up the stream. After bathing themselves, a few of the village elders mix tobacco-powder and lime together and offer a little to the spirits of the dead by dropping them on the ground near the kundi,and, by way of farewell, address the spirits of the dead as follows:"Pächbalar, nimage chūnā tāmku chia lagdam; emakhu kālālāgdam. Hurmi manja pūrā. Kālālāgdam." "Take, ye ancestor-spirits, we are offering you lime and tobacco; we are now going away. All ceremonies are completed. We are going." Then they all return to their respective villages. They first go to the house of the Mahto or secular headman of their respective villages. The headman has kept ready some pounded turmeric diluted in water in small cups, one for the members of each of the clans to which the dead persons belonged. After they have all anointed themselves with this pounded turmeric diluted in oil, the village head man (Mahto) takes up a brass dish filled with water and sprinkles the water with a sheaf of long grass (phutchira) on thein by way of lustration. Then all return to their respective homes.

thrown and the women go for

In the evening the village Gōrait summons all the villagers to the house of the deceased, if only one or two or, when there have been more than one or two deaths in the village during the year, to the village akhrā (dancing ground and meeting-place). There, one pot of rice-beer, a little oil besides rice, etc. are brought from the house of each of the dead persons. The village-priest or Pāhān sprinkles the oil on the ground in the name of all the ancestor-spirits of the village family. The rice is boiled, and dubki is prepared by boiling pounded ürid pulse (with fish, if available) and all eat and drink to their hearts' content.

(8) Padda-kamna or Pacifying the Village

A day or two later, the village-priest performs the following rite for the purification of the village or rather pacification of the spirits. The village elders assemble at the village ākhrā where a pot of rice-beer has been already brought from each Orãon house where a death took place during the out-going year. One or two gourds filled with water are also brought to the Pahan. In the water of one of these gourds a bit of copper is placed; and in some places, a piece of silver coin is placed in the water of another gourd. With the gourd or gourds in hand the village priest, leading the other villagers in procession, goes through the village, sprinkling the water on all prominent places and lanes in the village, and addresses the ancestor-spirits as follows: "Ennā pāchōpāchgi phainā (names the clan or clans to which the deceased persons belonged) pāchbālārghi kūṇḍi ūdḥrā lāgdam. Innā gāonu ganjārnā nīkē sūkhē rānekā.” "O ye ancestorspirits, I am purifying the kind of such-and-such clan [or clans]. May the village remain well and happy." In this way the Pahan and his procession of villagers go through the village entering it at one end and passing out of it at the other end. There, a white fowl or a pig is offered in the usual way to Dharmės or the Sun God (Supreme God) who is addressed as follows:"He Biri-belai! Em ākhu paddān udhrā lāgdam; ākhu emhāi kām bes besin mānā nēka'. Eksānām kāon hōlē, āch hu âmbān chākhpā nēkā." "O Thou Sun king! We are now purifying the village; now (i.e. henceforth) may our work (i.e. ordinary avocations) go on well (as before). If we go anywhere [out of the village], may thorns not prick us." In this way the village is rid of all evil influences, the agitation caused in the spirit-world by the admission of new souls, is quieted, and finally the villagers are treated to a feast at the expense of the bereaved families. In some villages, the villagers are treated to a feast in the house of each of the bereaved families by turns. Every family in the village contributes a pot of rice-beer for the feast in every one of those