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A Sacred Area for Cremation Near Somnath
Temple
Niru, Steve and I walked slowly back on Somnath Temple beach shared equally by
people, horses, camels and birds, including a Grey Heron. The Arabian sea at this point is a
muddy-looking because silt from three major rivers empties into it.
Niru suggested a slight diversion from the itinerary. Take a rickshaw (tuk-tuk) 2 kms/1.2
miles away to where another temple was located. Not that the temple is worth seeing, but
because it is a sacred area for cremation and pujas . A puja , in both Hinduism/Buddhism, is
a religious ritual that shows "honor, adoration, or worship," performed on a variety of occa-
sions and settings. Tuk-tuking the short distance over to the temple, we could see the actual
cremation area on the shoreline.
After a body has been cremated, the family brings the ashes to this temple and hires a
boat. The boat motors a short distance away, where three rivers flow into the Arabian Sea
to drop the ashes in the water. Of course, the Ganges is the holiest cremation place, since
it assures the departed soul liberation from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth, but it is
not feasible, or practical, for everyone to travel the long distance to Varanasi with a body. I
earlier thought that all ashes had to be dropped into the Ganges River. Wrong!
There are 999 rivers in India with sacred and special attributes. Each of these rivers has
different qualities, all important in the rebirth of the soul: education, beauty, wealth, etc. This
particular spot is extremely special because three rivers flowing together will endow three
different qualities in the soul's rebirth. A three-for-one, in other words. Why not ensure
your loved one will be reborn intelligent, beautiful and wealthy?
A priest was saying prayers with one family that included two men with shaved heads,
usually the bereaved. Two other men stood in the water finishing their puja . Extensive rituals
accompany cremation ceremonies. Two facts only: The oldest son usually lights the fire;
and woman are not allowed on the actual funeral pyre platform. ex-Marine and I did visit a
cremation site further into this Gujarat itinerary. More later about cremation in India...
For now, a tuk-tuk back to our car before continuing on towards the former Portuguese Is-
land of Diu.
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