Invitation to World Religions

Hinduism as a Way of Life  143

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 mar- ried 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 join- ing. 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 PROPERTY OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS