Today was the last full day of labour at the build site. We were saddened to find out that one of the villagers had passed away the night before.
One of the matriarchs had slipped away of natural causes but attributed to the fact that she had lost her husband to an alcohol related death a few years ago.
The work pace was considerably slower today as funeral plans were being made. Our villagers don’t have the luxury of funeral homes so the body had to be disposed of as quickly as possible and we learned that the burial was to occur just a few short hours after our arrival.
I was curious when told that the body was to be buried.
In India, as most of you would be aware, the ritualistic method of body disposal is cremation. It was explained to me that cremation is used in order to destroy all corporal evidence of the body so that the spirit can pass to it’s next life.
However, there is a cast system in India and not all casts have the “right” to go through a reincarnation ceremony.
In the case of our villagers, they belong to the Takur cast, which is considered the lowest form of cast next to the “Untouchables”.
The Takur and Untouchables alike do the work that nobody else wants to do and for this they are considered a low form and unworthy. The ignorant side of me likens it to a method of cast cleansing.
We are told that once someone dies in the village everyone fasts for the day and that every households water stocks are purged.
Around 11 a.m. a funeral procession was formed and the body carried by pal bearers was taken to the village limits.
The body was adorned with flowers as they walked toward a crudely dug whole approximately 5 feet deep. Most of the mourners wore white , which is the shade that the Indian people wear to signify death.
At the head of the procession the Matriarchs son carried a bowl of smoldering incense and was shrouded in a dark cloth.
It was a stirring site against the backdrop of dry fields and dust and broken straw.
After a quick ceremony the villagers broke up and went back to their daily routines and work on the houses started up again.
After lunch the women in our group where treated to Henna applications by the local women. Nicole was the only exception as she was determined to get back to work and went to her build site where she scraped and painted roof shingles.
Ernie and myself sat and watched the henna being applied until the owner of the house came by and said that the women could stay and have their Henna completed. Ernie and I were told to get back to slinging mud. Damn!
We only had about an hour left in the day after we were kicked out of the tent so we help lay a couple of courses of brick and then it was time to go.
After we piled into the bus I looked out of my window and noticed the mound the dirt where the woman had been laid to rest earlier that day.
We have been very fortunate on this build to witness two of the phases of the cycle of life; a colourful wedding a few nights ago and today the passing of one of the village members.
It makes me hungry for more.
I think tomorrow I’m going to try to get Robert, our team member and Doctor, to induce labour of one of the pregnant villagers…is that too greedy?
