Rites of Passage
Hindu rites of passage are intended to invoke blessings and divine favor during important times of transition. In addition, they help socialize individuals, assisting them as they move into new roles and stages of life.
Some rites of passage occur very early in life. These include the naming ceremony of a child, typically held on the tenth or twelfth day after birth; a child’s first haircut, usually performed between the first and third years of life; and ear piercing, which is typically done for both boys and girls before age five. The following are also major rites of passage.Initiation Rituals
Boys of the brahmin, kshatriya, and vaishya classes traditionally underwent initiation by means of the upanayana, or sacred thread ceremony. Today, it is performed almost exclusively for brahmin boys at about the age of eight, giving them permission to perform certain religious functions. Beginning with a fire sacrifice, the ritual culminates in the promotion of the initiate to the category of “twice-born.” The initiate is given a sacred thread that symbolizes a kind of umbilical cord linking the boy to the sun, the source of all light and knowledge. The sacred thread consists of three cotton threads, each composed of three strands, which are joined together by a single knot. It lies across the chest, resting over the left shoulder and under the right arm, thus being a highly visible sign of caste status.
Girls from all castes undergo initiation at the onset of the first menstrual period, which marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. Sometimes in these ritual observances the girl will spend the first three days of her first period secluded, although friends can visit. Now considered a young woman, she takes a ritual bath on the fourth day, and a feast is held in her honor. This transition is a public affair because it announces her availability for marriage.
Often the young woman is taken to the local temple to receive a special blessing from an older married woman in her community, who will perform an arati ceremony to honor her new potential to bear children. Her life radically changes afterward, and, for many communities, her freedom to have unsupervised interaction with boys may be greatly curtailed.Marriage
Marriage is a very important rite of passage. It is through marriage that one enters the householder ashrama, which provides the main support for society as a whole. In the past, marriage was traditionally arranged by the parents between a bride and groom of the same jati after consulting an astrologer, who determined the couple’s compatibility. In the last few decades, caste strictures have eased somewhat. As a result, marriages for love have become more commonplace.
The marriage ceremony is sanctified through a fire sacrifice in which the gods are asked for blessings and offerings are poured into the fire. A thread is tied around the bride’s wrist, and she is asked to step three times on a grinding stone from the groom’s family as a demonstration of her fidelity to the new household she is joining. At the high point of the rite, the bride and groom walk together seven times around the sacred fire. The bride’s family then provides a sumptuous meal for all guests. After the last day of celebration, the bride goes to the home of her husband.
Death
Hindus most often cremate the dead. The cremation pyre is likened to a fire sacrifice so that the funerary ritual is regarded as “the last sacrifice.” Cremation usually takes place on the same day as death. The body is washed, smeared with sandalwood paste, wrapped in a cloth, and then carried on a litter by male relatives, who chant a holy name or phrase as they bear the body to the cremation ground. It is usually the duty of the eldest son of the deceased to conduct the last rites and light the pyre. An ancient practice that is still often observed requires him to also crack the skull of the deceased in order to release the soul from the body.
Although cremation is the typical means of disposing of the body, there are exceptions. Earth burial is practiced for babies and among some low-caste communities. Saints, yogis, and ascetics are also buried. Their bodies are placed in special tombs, around which shrines are sometimes erected and worship is performed.
Following the funeral ceremony, the family and home of the deceased are considered to be polluted for a period of about ten days. The bereaved are expected to keep to themselves until the rites of ancestral offerings are completed. During this period, the deceased is offered balls of rice with which he or she is believed to construct a body in the spirit world or intermediate realm. This rite, which reflects the gestation of a human embryo for ten lunar months, may very well predate the formulation of a belief in reincarnation that was developed by the time of the Upanishads.
More on the topic Rites of Passage:
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- Northern Hunting Religions
- Machismo and Violence: Athens and beyond
- THE BRONTOSCOPIC CALENDAR
- Zoroastrianism as a Way of Life
- This chapter will explore ritual violence in the form of close combat in precolonial western Africa (and the African diaspora) during the period of European contact from the mid fifteenth century until the late nineteenth century, a period which saw an end to the slave trade and the start of European colonisation.