ASSIGNMENT: 4DEATH RITEWe have done a survey to understand the death rite in the village Sadri. The basic what we come to know from our visit is, in the village Sadri the ritual acts vary depending on social status, age and gender. Most of the families in Sadri are Hindus. They follow traditional Vedic ritual after death of any member. Some Muslim and Jain families are there. They follow different rituals. We have done our survey mainly in Hindu Community. COMMON AND GENERAL RITUALS: According to the Vedic (Hindu) Customs, after death human body should be burnt as it allows the holy soul of that person to rest in peace or heaven. In Sadri, the Hindu families follow the same. But they do not burn the body of an infant after death. However, the rituals after death are divided into three parts: cremation (Antyesthi), tiya and death feast. Cremation ( Antyesthi): In this part, the dead body is taken to the cremation ground for funeral. Then the elder son put lights on the death body. Some family members and neighbors then participate to help in the process of cremation. Tiya: This is the next, which is done after the third day of death. Family members collect the ashes, and then they throw in river or lake, preferably in the Ganga. Death Feast: After the twelfth day (on 13th day) after death, relatives, neighbors, and friends are invited to a feast. DIFFERENCES:We found some difference in all activities due to social and economic status or due to age and gender also. During cremation, rich people some time give coins to beggers. Even on the way when they take the dead body to the cremation ground they throw coins. However, poor people (mainly bheel community) cannot do this due to having very less income. When old person dies, sometimes a team of band follows the death rally to the cremation ground. In tiya stage, poor people cannot afford the travel cost to reach the Ganga. Therefore, they use pond or lake that is nearer to them. Even sometimes they do not follow this ritual. In death feast, there are some major differences. No of people invited is more for the rich Brahmin, Jath community. However, no of people for the Bheel community is less. For rich family, the no of invited people may go 500 where it is only 300 (on an average) for poor (i.e., Bheel) family. When the deceased person was a male or old, then death feast incur more cost due to more no of invited people and more arrangement of foods. For the Brahmin family, sometimes the death feast continues for four to five days. During death feast, the family of the deceased must have to invite some Brahmin for having food. It is called Brahmin bhoj.

TOTAL COST AND SOURCE OF FUNDTotal cost for all the ritual is near about one lakh to one and half lakh INR in Brahmin and Jath family. Cost to the bheel family for all the rituals varies from thirty to fifty thousand rupees.Elder son is responsible for all the rituals, but the expenditure is equally distributed among all sons. Bheel community and other poor family borrow money if they need from any rich person who gives money at high interest rate. The interest rate is two percent, i.e., annual twenty-four percent.