Death to funeral: Lesson on Diwali day

Oct 17’ 09, Deepavali. All my sisters had come to our house to celebrate. All of us were enjoying some TV show.

A call to my father’s mobile. My father said “Iyyo”. My father’s mother’s sister’s daughter expired. (Got the relationship? :P ). In simple, she is sister to my father and so ‘athai’ (aunt) to me. It was she who gave shelter to my grandmother
when she migrated from village to Chennai with her 7 children 50 years back. It was she who gave advance amount of Rs.2000/- 35 years back for the house which we are living now. She is very important person in my family circle. So my father was little disturbed after hearing the news. I have never worried for any death so far. This is no exception.

She is 85+. She stepped out of home to buy something in shop, Slipped, Fell down, Dead. A best death one could ever get. All over in few seconds. She had no disease till now and never troubled anyone. Rather she helped everyone. Recently she finished even her great granddaughter’s marriage. She had a complete and satisfactory life. We call demise of such people as “kalyana saavu” [Marriage Death if literally translated ;)]. Such deaths are usually not considered as a shocking event. We can see people laughing and chatting about something else near dead body (of course there will be little opparis [death cry] in between).

My mother’s parents and father’s father passed away even before my parents’ marriage. My father’s mother expired when I was in 6th. Since I was a small boy, I was not allowed in that death ceremony process. I was just curious to attend this death ceremony and get a feel for how the entire flow from death to funeral ground happens. Burning dead body is not something new to me since my house is pretty close to crematory ground. When dead bodies are burning, I will be playing cricket near that right from my childhood days. But I have never observed the entire process of ‘death to funeral’ completely.

Therefore I wished to utilize this death. I was with my father, participating throughout the entire process. It was a great experience. I wish to participate in few more death ceremonies like this and gain more experience. Don’t think I am one hard hearted cruel guy. I will be happy if at least one person like me gets an experience during my death ceremony. After all death is also another event like marriage, upanayanam, seemandham etc. whose procedures should be known. Am I right? :)