We have decided to convert my father’s room into one with all his memorabilia – his pen , spectacles , watches , certificates he received , the books he was regularly reading , his note books , his personally made telephone directory , pictures  and so on. We would not use the room for our personal need.

Chanting Geeta is a part of the death  rituals . Here Bapi Acharya , one Sanskrit scholar and  an eminent astrologer from Nabadwip is chanting Geeta in my father’s room. His father was a very close friend of my father. He was so shocked  at my father’s death that he came down  all the way from Nabadwip on his own just to recite Geeta for my  father’s peace. He spent almost six hours and end of it he rather thanked us for giving him the opportunity to recite Geeta in my father’s room. I really dont know how to pay debts of gratitude to such people.

Gardening was my father’s avid passion. He grew this mango tree on the terrace garden ! This also bears fruit every year – one of the best variety of mango , extremely good in taste though they grow only a few.

While  cremating  the dead ,  a  small portion of the forehead bone  is preserved along with ashes to be immersed later on in Ganga at holi places like Nabadwip dham or Hrardwar. The first four days these objects in an earthen container is buried at a place outside  home. The fifth day of the rituals include worship of lord Shiva when  post puja this remains are  purified with Cow urine , Cow dung , ghee , honey and Ganga water and transferred to a plastic container followed by some more rituals . This container is then buried  near the Tulasi tree inside the home. At the suitable time , one can carry this  for immersion in Ganga . All these rituals are performed with the chanting from Yajurveda.

The rituals entered the tenth day and I performed the Dashakarma .One of the aspect of the rituals is that one needs to tonsure the head. People are saying I  am looking like Dalai Lama ! This is a pic taken on the terrace of my Coochbehar home. You would see the large  lake behind where I performed the rituals everyday during the first twelve days . During this period I need to manage only with two dhotis , no underpants(!) , eat only fruits the first four days and afterwards you can have rice , but only once in the afternoon or in the evening . You are lucky if there is no Ekadashi , otherwise you will go without meal on that day.In Bengal the only meal  during this period is called Hobishyee. Rice, potato, green banana are boiled together in an earthen pot and cooked on a fresh oven ( considering the fact that you would hardly find an only veg cooking oven in Bengal). This is cooked away from public eyes and only mother or wife has the right to cook for you unless you want to try this out yourself . No oil , no sea salt , no turmeric or spices  You are not supposed to talk while cooking .You can have only one serve on a banana leaf . Thank God , butter and mineral salt ( Saindhab salt ) are allowed. I went very liberal with it. And , one more thing I forgot to share , one is expected to remain  a brahmacharry  - that includes most importantly celibacy ! Of course, for this two weeks only .