Ceremonies and bereavement rites in Northeast India, with special reference to the Lotha Nagas, and the influence of Religious Transformation

Abstract (English)

All cultured communities globally possess an engaging and captivating grief ritual for mourning that acknowledges death. It serves as a coping technique, a means of emotional expression, a source of comfort and reassurance, allowing individuals to withdraw and release their connections with the deceased, and facilitating closure. Efforts are made to analyse the indigenous traditional rites and rituals associated with burial customs or death disposal in Northeast India, in reference to the Lotha Nagas of Nagaland. Furthermore, efforts are made to understand the post-colonial background with the rise of a new religion – Christianity, and the impact of the religious reformation on the community.
Death-specific rites and rituals, comprising a series of activities involving words, gestures, and acts, are performed and observed in any cultured society. The loss of a loved one is invariably accompanied by the enactment of rituals. The sorrow rituals and ceremonies are not merely funerary practices; they are profoundly intertwined with human cognition, facilitating a beneficial transition for the bereaved. These periods of mourning interrupt the quotidian rhythm of life; nonetheless, entering a ritual space provides an opportunity for reflection, evaluation, energy consolidation, and integration. These ritual experiences subsequently assist in formulating strategies and retreating into daily consciousness. The burial ceremony is more than just a cultural practice, it serves as an auxiliary tool to exert control over circumstances, providing significance to the most formidable natural events in one's life.
This study further examines the influence of Christianity on indigenous rituals, leading to their transformation and replacement with a more Christianized mourning practice. The assessment of the change in practice underscores the intricate interplay among traditional customs, religion, and humanity's pursuit of resilience and significance in mourning.