Dimasa death rituals
This is a video of a short discussion between Monali Longmailai, Nrityojoy Hojai and Abesh diruwa on the social norms and rituals maintained and practiced by the Dimasa people during a death of a community member. The Dimasa strongly believed in purity and impurity and any death of a person in Dimasa community is gloomy and sorrowful event but also considered as impure. Therefore there are some social norms and rituals which are mandatory to perform by the Dimasa people at a time of the death of a community member. In this video a few death rituals have been discussed which is practiced by the Dimasa people of Kumacherra village to purify themselves, they mainly use the paste of mustard seeds, seeds and turmeric while they return from a cremation ground. however there are more rituals which need to be performed by the Dimasa people for fully purification.
The full line to line translation of the above short discussion between Monlai Longmailai, Nrityojoy and Abesh Diruwa on Dimasa death rituals.
Monali: Thikala jini traditional hand sanitizer la bedhe ?
Monali: What is our traditional hand sanitizer ?
Abesh: Yaolai, shuthai odehe shlikdi.
Abesh: Mustard seeds, seed and turmeric.
Abesh: Yaolai, shuthai odehe shlikdi bo makhtham kai shudada, mangathi ha thangkade bu jang dugur he phaima nangdu ne.
Abesh: If you go to someone's burial site then you have to apply the paste of mustard seed, seeds and turmeric on your body.
Nrityojoy: Jini mashi faith jabuka ebunai, Hasao raji ha dongbaha Dimasa ni mashi Bamin dongane.
Nrityojoy: We have a faith that when we were in the hill state there was brahmin (priest) of Dimasa.
Abesh: Hasao rajiha niya Hawar raji hase.
Abesh: It's in plain state not in the hill state.
Nrityojoy: Niya, niya Hasao raji ha se Dimasa ni raji ni rajmahal ha graode jonthai thibo bahmin thibo mashi dongba ulibaha raja jang phaiphaba ha se , khrib bo himdada phaiba obaha ha bo bamin kai ban baphuyakane bashophuyakhnae gejeshi buthu ebu klaikhane ebukaide jing yega jishlaiba thidada ekdom mokhonshenghanang dei thidada baiyarao ning budhi klaidada harang juadaothaoyaba phaiba jang ning jikhleima thidada bu bamin kai rsihengkhlakha ne jorong bakhlaha.
Nrityojoy: No, no, there was person who was like a brahmin (Hindu priest) or Jonthai (Dimasa priest) in a Dimasa fort of hilly state, while everyone was coming with a Dimasa king by foot people were not able to carry that priest like person anymore. Therefore people planed to throw him away from a high hill by pretending that their leg got slipped, so when they reached on a high hill they threw the priest from there.
Abesh: Shisha jang Hono jang phadain danglayabaning.
Abesh: it's like the story of Dog and pig doing Jhum cultivation.
Nrityojoy: Haflong ni rogong ha Barail Hajuk mashi dongbala oraha rihehengkhlaka ne, odehe thikane danang la aie..... Maharaja graishenglakaha bedhe klaimakho bedhe klaiamkho, bobo excess shao debangdada bobo habsao ha dongma mujungynaikha. bobo graode ebu jalkaha ne odehe thilakha ne ani bashain erha ning jamnaiba shai, Nishi ang girikhathikabo nishin jadi la gushu jahi la thaoma thiba gamabaha boke baoma nangya, Ani yashku niphang shuthai baigonang, barabai niphang yaolaigrong baigonang, barabai niphang shlikdi baigonang go jokhon nishi gushu jaba ha bamin basha nangba da bu jinish kai hu thikaning muchi bamin ni bo kushi nangdaoya , asba gushu jaba ha bu gathar klainang.
Nrityojoy: The priest was thrown away the people from the Barail hill which is situated near Haflong, later the king was informed by the people about the incident by it's people and asked the king about what they should do now ? but the priest himself didn't to live longer as he was a very fat person and may be that's why his life end here and said to everyone " Even he is not there your people will not remain impure. The mustard seeds will come out from my knees. seeds and turmeric from somewhere else, whenever any impurity takes place among you people and the requirement of priest comes just apply the paste of mustard seeds, seeds and turmeric on your body which will purify everyone."
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