A coffin and grave may be one’s final resting place for eternity, but that doesn’t mean it has to be one of deadly silence.
This week we dug up a story about a coffin that included a built-in sound system. While it costs about $30,000, it’s probably the last music system that the dearly departed would ever need.
The CataCoffin features a three-speaker Catacombo sound system that might not be loud enough to wake the dead, but it’s still worth trying.
This high-tech solution for those who (let’s be honest) won’t really appreciate it involves putting a 2.5Ghz Intel core processor within the so-called CataTomb tombstone. It includes an upgradable music server with a 4G connection that wirelessly delivers the tunes to the CataCoffin six feet under, while a 7-inch display on the tombstone notes what song is currently being played down below.
The sound system includes a couple of two-way front speakers with 4-inch midbass drivers and even an 8-inch sub bass element for bass so low, its subterranean. Might as well crank it up; we don’t think there will be any complaints from the neighbors.
The CataPlay application provides a link from Spotify to allows users – living users that is – to keep the play list up to date. We’re thinking that this could include covers of the deceased’s favorite songs, or those musical guilty pleasures 0ne wouldn’t want to be caught dead listening to.
Hindus , majority of them, Cremate the Dead, especially The Brahmins as it is the only procedure laid down in disposing of the Dead.
Elaborate rituals are performed before lighting the Funeral Pyre.
The Sastras define five different types of Fire and ordains the Use of one type of Fire, which is generated by a specific method.
The body should be disposed of after one and a Half hour of Death and not before.
The Body should be shorn of every thing a nd one has to Meet the Maker as He came into this World.
I will be posting a post on this.
In the meanwhile the West is adapting to Cremation , purely on practical grounds.
1.Cost.
2.Space.
3.Environment.
All these and the Health of the living are taken care of in Hindu system of Cremation.
Story:
Traditional Hindu Cremation.
Today, roughly four of every 10 deaths in America involve cremation, which represents a significant increase in the past few decades. There are many reasons contributing to why a growing number of people choose cremation versus the more traditional casketed ground burial, including greater religious acceptance, less adherence to family traditions, and an increasingly mobile society.
Modern Cremation
Lower Cost
Cremation is generally less expensive than a “traditional funeral” — i.e., the casketed interment below ground of a deceased human following a visitation/wake and/or a religious or secular ceremony. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the national average cost of a funeral is $6,560, which includes a metal casket but not the cemetery plot, grave marker (headstone), or miscellaneous other costs, such as for flowers or obituaries. According to the Cremation Association of North America, the national average cost of cremation is $1,650, which includes “limited memorialization services and a basic urn.”
When considering the costs, it is important to understand that cremation is neither an alternative to nor a rejection of a traditional funeral. Instead,cremation is merely one form of bodily disposition from which you can choose. In other words, if you select cremation for yourself or someone you love, you can still hold a wake/visitation and/or a religious or secular ceremony beforehand if you wish. This means that the amount of money you spend can be greater or less than the above averages depending upon the goods and services you select. For example, a “direct cremation” — in which a body is cremated without any type of funeral service or loved ones present — generally costs less than $1,000. Conversely, it is possible to spend four or five times that amount just to purchase a unique urn handcrafted by an artist.
Flexible Service Options
Because the human body begins a process immediately after death that eventually results in its decomposition unless it is professionally embalmed (which temporarily slows decay), a funeral or memorial service with the body present, as well as burial, occur relatively soon after death. Since the immediate family usually needs to arrange the funeral and committal services, and to provide out-of-town loved ones and friends time to travel, services generally occur within four to 10 days after the death. (Religious tradition, the family’s wishes, and many other factors can impact the timing, however.)
On the other hand, after a body is cremated, there is no urgency to do anything permanent with the cremated remains (“ashes”). It is common for the immediate family, for example, to hold a private viewing of the deceased and/or to witness the start of the cremation processitself and then conduct a larger memorial or scattering service weeks, months or even years later. This enables loved ones to focus on the immediacy of their grief without dealing with the myriad details needed to rapidly create a funeral and committal service.
Better for the Environment
Determining how “green” something is these days rests in the eye of the beholder. After all, a household that merely recycles aluminum cans might still consider itself green versus another household that uses solar power. While not considered as eco-friendly as green burial or natural burial, or evenalkaline hydrolysis, cremation has long been considered better for the environment since a traditional funeral usually involves the use of a formaldehyde-based embalming fluid, as well as the obvious need for land use when burying a casket or coffin.
According to the Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in Newfield, New York, traditional ground interment in a United States cemetery results in the burial of 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid every year. Unless you choose to hold a funeral or memorial service before cremating the deceased, you might not need the services of a professional embalmer. (And even if you do, refrigeration is a viable alternative.)
And many options concerning the cremated remains do not require any land use at all, such as keeping them in an urn in your home or scattering them in a meaningful location. Even if you decide to bury the urn or place it in a columbarium, the amount of land required is still less than that needed to bury a casket or coffin.
I was around 12 or 13 at Chennai with my Brother and Mother.
My father who was at Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu sent us a Telegram informing us the passing away of my paternal Grandfather at our place.
We rushed Home.
Only to find my father reclining in his easy chair in the pial ( a small place at the entrance of the house meant for relaxing in the evening and to provide resting place for travelers), with my grandfather’s body laid out in Hall inside.
I remember having asked my father,
‘It is your Father who is dead? Why are you not crying?
He replied,
“Look he is dead, if people can assure me he will come back if I cry, I will cry.
People never come back, so do not waste time and energy .
I was waiting for you both, I have to arrange for Professional Mourners”
He sent for them.
They came Home and started beating their chests and started wailing(Four in number) till the body was taken away from our Home o the Burning Ghat.
I could not understand what they were singing nor what they were doing for the death of my father.
(They were paid, I think about 4 Annas , a high price at that time, equivalent to 25Paise of today(which is not in circulation now).
In Dollar terms it is 25 % of One Rupee. ( US $ = Rs 60).
Later I came to know about these people.
In Hinduism, excepting the Brahmins, other Communities celebrate Death if it happens to be of an elderly person with a lot of singing, dancing and the atmosphere is festive.
In Brahmin House holds, the mood would be somber, dignified.
They have been trained that Life and Death are inevitable and have to be taken in one’s stride normally.
However there is also a belief that the Dead person’s spirit hovers around the house for 12 days, till the Sabindeekaranam Ceremony is done and would become sad if they are not remembered.
So people have to talk about them during this period.
Where people can not mourn openly engage the Services of Professional Mourners.
There is even a term for doing something with out involvement ,’கூலிக்கு மாரடிக்கிறது (Doing for only money)
In Tamil literature the songs for these occasions are given literary status and are master pieces of emotions, sentiments and Philosophy.
I am proving some Links towards the end of this post.
For £45 an hour, the fake mourners can be rented to cry for the duration of a funeral service in order to swell the numbers at funerals.
Ian Robertson, the founder of Rent-a-Mourner, in Braintree, Essex, admits the idea may be unfamiliar to the British, although the phenomenon is popular in places such as Asia.
The mourners-for-hire are briefed on the life of the deceased and would be able to talk to friends and relatives as if they really had known their loved one.
Rent-a-Mourner has 20 staff on its books to hire out for funerals, which Mr Robertson said were friends of his rather than professional actors.
He added that they are not required to well up, but are mainly there just to make up the numbers.
உயிர்போன வெற்றுடல் எரிப்பதற்கோ, புதைப்பதற்கோ கிடக்கின்றது. அவ்வெற்றுடலை நம்பி வாழ்ந்தவர்கள், அதனால் வாழ்வு பெற்றவர்கள், உரிமையுடையவர்கள் உயிர்போன அவ்வெற்றுடலைச் சுற்றி நின்று அல்லது உட்கார்ந்து கொண்டும், ஒருவர் மேல் ஒருவர் கையினைப் போட்டுக் கொண்டும், சிலர் கண்ணீர் மட்டும் சிந்த, சிலர் மனதுக்குள் வருத்தப்பட, சிலர் மனம் கலக்கமுற்று மயங்க, இப்படித் தங்கள் துன்பங்களை வெளிப்படுத்துவார்கள். அவ்வெற்றுடலைக் கண்டு சிலர் பாட்டுப் பாடி அழுகின்றார்கள். அப்பாட்டுக்களில் உயிர் இருக்கின்றது. இறந்து போனவர் அப்பாடல் மூலம் எழுந்து நடமாடுவது போன்று இருக்கிறது. இறந்து கிடக்கும் வெற்றுடலின் வரலாறு தெரியாதவர்களுக்கு அப்பாடல் அதனுடைய வரலாற்றினைக் காட்டுகின்றது. எனவே இறந்தவர் எழுந்து பாட்டு வடிவில் நடமாடுகின்றார். இறந்தவரைப் பாட்டின் மூலம் மற்றவர்களுக்குக் காட்டக் காரணமானவர்கள் பெண்கள். பெண்களால் பாடப்படும் அப்பாடல்களையே ஒப்பாரி என்று அழைக்கிறோம்.
பெண் ஒருத்தி தான் ஒப்பாரி வைத்துச் சந்தர்ப்பத்திற்குத் தகுந்தார்போல், சொற்களைப் பயன்படுத்தா விட்டால், மற்ற பெண்கள் பொருத்தமின்மையைக் கிண்டலடிப்பார்கள். உரியச் சொற்கள் என்று குறிப்பது ஒப்பாரி வைக்கும் பெண்ணிற்கும் இறந்தவருக்கும் உள்ள உறவினைக் குறிக்கும். இதனையொத்த நிலையில் சென்னை நகரக் குடிசை வாழ் மற்றும் நடைபாதை மக்களிடத்தில், இறப்புச் சடங்கன்று ஆண்கள் ஒன்று கூடிப்பாடுகின்றார்கள். அதனைக் கானாப் பாடல் என்று கூறுவார்கள்.
மாரடிப்பாட்டு – நிகழ்த்தும் விதம்:-
மாரடிப்பாட்டு என்பது இறந்தவர்கள் பற்றிப் பாடப்படும் பாடலாகும். இதற்கென்றே கூலிக்கு மாரடிக்கும் கலைஞர்கள் உள்ளனர். மார்பில் அடித்துக் கொண்டே பாடுவதால் இது மாரடிப்பாட்டு என்று வழக்கப்படுகிறது. இதனை ஒப்பாரிப்பாட்டு என்றும் அழைக்கின்றனர். இந்நிகழ்வு தமிழகத்தில் பரவலாக நிகழ்த்தப்படுகிறது. இதனைக் குறிப்பிட்ட இடம், மாதம், நாள் எனக் கணக்கிட்டு நிகழ்த்துவதில்லை. இறந்தவர்களின் வீடுகளில் மட்டுமே நிகழ்த்துகின்றனர். இறந்தவரின் பிணம் வீட்டுக்குள் இருக்கும் போது மாரடிப் பாட்டு கலைஞர்கள் வீட்டின் முற்றத்தில் (வாசல்பகுதி) நின்று கொண்டு இதனை நிகழ்த்துகின்றனர். இவை வாழ்க்கை வட்டச் சடங்குகளில், இறப்புச் சடங்கின் ஒரு கூறாக உள்ளது. பெரும்பாலும் வயது முதிர்ந்தவர்கள் இறந்தால் மட்டுமே மாரடிப்பாட்டு நிகழ்த்தப்படுகிறது. சிலயிடங்களில் வரையறையுடன் நிகழ்த்துகின்றனர். இம்மாரடிப் பாட்டில் பதினோரு பேர் பங்கெடுக்கின்றனர். இதில் ஆறு பேர் பாட்டுப் பாடுகின்றனர். ஒருவர் நாதசுரம் வாசிக்கின்றார். இருவர் தம்புருசெட் (பெரியமேளம்) அடிக்கின்றனர். ஒருவர் உறுமியும் மற்றொருவர் கிடுகிட்டியும் இசைக்கின்றனர்.
நீ போருக்கு போனடத்தை
போராடி மாண்டாய் ஐயா
மகனே
பாரத்துவக்கெடுத்தோ
உங்களுக்கு
பயந்தவெடி வச்சானோ
உங்களுக்கு பெரிய துவக்கொடுத்தோ
உங்கள பேசாமல் சுட்டெறிந்தான்
மகனார்
உன்ன சந்தியல கண்டடத்தை
உன்னைபெத்த கறுமி
தலைவெடித்துப் போறனையா
மகனார் நீகப்பலில வாராயெண்டோ
நாங்க கடலருகில் காத்திருந்தோம்
மகனே நீ
இருந்த இடத்தைப் பார்தாலும்
இரு தணலாய் மூளுதையா
நீ படுத்த இடத்தை பார்தாலும்
பயம் பயமாய் தோன்றுதடா
மகனே
உன்னைப் பெற்ற கறுமி நான்
இங்க உப்பலந்த நாழியைப்போல்
நீ இல்லாம
நாள்தோறும் உக்கிறனே
http://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%92%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D
For around 3,000 dollars, you can arrange to have a full funeral service held, with music and sombre décor. Your celebration of life will be attended by a range of mourners selected according to your lifestyle, observed by….yourself! As you sit in the audience, you will see a closed casket, listen to an end of life speech by a minister, and observe your subsequent burial. The funeral package includes a carefully written obituary, and a remembrance session is offered for mourners to speak about your contributions to this world.
Spend a Night in the Morgue
If the funeral service is not enough, you can pay extra, around 2,000 dollars for a prior stay in the morgue following a staged accidental death. You will be taken to the facility after being placed in a body bag, with optional ID tag attached to your body bag. The deluxe package includes inspection by a mortician, with commentary. You will be presented with a cause of death certificate, medical records and notice of passing letter for next of kin. You have the option of listening to officials make phone calls to inform of your passing prior to your trip to the facility.
Arrange Your Kidnapping.
A French company called Ultime Realite offers the service of a complete, simulated kidnapping to clients, who pay anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000. Thriller seekers are stalked for around 5-7 days after signing a waiver and terms of reference form. They will then be seized by men in black, tossed into a car, and left in a holding cell or other undisclosed location. Clients will be interrogated, robbed, threatened or held for ransom depending on the nature of the experience they have selected. A negotiator may be brought in to discuss terms. Captivity may last up to 11 hours before the “victim” is finally released.
Want to push your comfort zone to the edges? Face your fear of huge fish by diving with 20 foot Manta Rays, also known as Devilfish. These humungous creatures fly through the water with wings, and weigh hundreds of pounds. Your experience will include unrestrained scuba diving through the natural habitat of the real life sea monsters, which will sweep past you to feed on the sea creatures attracted by your shining water flashlight. Expect to be circled and nudged as these close relatives of sharks approach. Manta Rays do not deliberately hunt humans, but they do have teeth, and can swallow large objects…
If most extreme sports are not extreme enough, then why not combine them with well pressed clothing? Extreme Ironers perfect the pleat of their shirt in situations that would see many soak it with a cold sweat. Extreme Ironing International is an organization formed out of New Zealand in 1999 to promote the bizarre and awesome sport on a global scale. For a modest fee, competition rallies accept entries who pay to display shockingly irrational displays of ironing skill, including ironing while standing on a kayak, hanging from cliffs, while wakeboarding, and even while skydiving. “EI” often perform ironing board tricks, and may even iron beside deadly crocodiles.
When western scrub jays encounter a dead bird, they call out to one another and stop foraging.
The jays then often fly down to the dead body and gather around it, scientists have discovered.
The behaviour may have evolved to warn other birds of nearby danger, report researchers in California, who have published the findings in the journal Animal Behaviour.
They conducted experiments, placing a series of objects into residential back yards and observing how western scrub jays in the area reacted.
The objects included different coloured pieces of wood, dead jays, as well as mounted, stuffed jays and great horned owls, simulating the presence of live jays and predators.
Alarming reaction
The jays reacted indifferently to the wooden objects.
But when they spied a dead bird, they started making alarm calls, warning others long distances away.
The jays then gathered around the dead body, forming large cacophonous aggregations. The calls they made, known as “zeeps”, “scolds” and “zeep-scolds”, encouraged new jays to attend to the dead.
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