After death: 5 unique and unheard funeral traditions in India that will leave you fascinated

Death is one thing we all share; it comes to every person, in every land, regardless of culture or belief. Even though it’s inevitable, how we face death, how we say farewell, changes wildly and varies from region to region, and depends upon traditional practices. Around the world, funeral traditions are different for different communities, while some are quiet, simple rituals, others are elaborate ceremonies filled with symbolism, nature, music, and community.Here are five unique funeral traditions and the ideas behind them.In the Monpa community of Arunachal Pradesh, the form of Buddhism followed by them is broadly of the Tibetan Mahayana School. They believe that the consciousness of the deceased lingers in the bardo or intermediate state for up to 49 days. According to Tawang tourism, upon death, an astrologer determines the appropriate duration to keep the body at home and the method of disposal. The Monpa practice four primary methods: mountain cave burial, water burial, land burial, and cremation. In water burials, the body is dismembered into 108 parts and offered to fish, symbolizing the return of the body to nature.In Tamil Nadu, certain Dalit communities celebrate funerals with music, dance, and fireworks. According to a Global press journal report, the Toda tribe, known for their pastoral lifestyle, conducts two funeral ceremonies. The first, "Patchai Kedu" or green funeral, involves the ritual killing of buffaloes, after which the deceased's hand is made to grasp the buffaloes' horns three times. The body is then cremated and buried. The second, "dry funeral," uses the deceased's bones or ashes in the ceremony. This practice emphasizes the connection between life, death, and nature.In parts of Rajasthan, upper‑caste women historically were forbidden to publicly display grief. So when a death occurred, rudaalis or professional female mourners were hired. They wore black, wailed loudly, beat their chests or the ground, and shed visible tears. These rudaalis came from marginalized castes and turned mourning into a performance, bridging social norms and emotional expression.The Parsi community follows Dokhmenashini, in which a body is placed in a Tower of Silence or Dakhma and left exposed to vultures. Parsis believe fire, earth, and water are sacred, and burying or burning the body would pollute them. Thus, allowing nature, birds, Sun, to consume the body is considered a clean, respectful return to the elements. In modern times, vulture decline and urban constraints have led some Parsis to adapt or partially shift to cremation. In India also many Parsis in and around Maharshtra are adapting: using solar concentrators to hasten decomposition in Towers of Silence, choosing electric cremation, or sometimes opting for burial. Even prominent individuals have had funerals with cremation when traditional Towers were unusable or vulture-freeThe Idu Mishmi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh practices a profound and elaborate funeral tradition that spans several days. Central to these rituals is the igu, or shaman, who leads ceremonies with unwavering dedication. Upon death, the community is alerted by a bugle made from a mithun horn, signaling the need for the igu's presence. The igu initiates the process by planting sacred bamboo twigs at the entrance of the deceased's home, symbolizing the warding off of evil spirits. The body is then wrapped in new clothes and placed on a wooden cot, while the igu and assistants perform ceremonial dances accompanied by drums, trumpets, and cymbals. This performance continues day and night, without rest, to guide the soul's journey. A significant part of the ritual involves the creation of an amungo, a structure made from bamboo shoots and split bamboo arranged in the form of a bow. The igu strikes this structure with a sword, symbolizing the expulsion of evil spirits. Through continuous chanting and rituals, the igu facilitates the soul's transition from the aatiyakong (house of the dead) to asialoklo (the land of souls).