Marina Beach, Jayalalitha: Most of the Indian, watching the funeral possession of J Jayalalitha, today must be astonished to see her buried, instead of being cremated. The traditional practice in Hinduism is to cremate the body of a dead person and especially the Brahmins follow this tradition.
What is Cremation
Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite as an alternative to the interment of an intact dead body in a coffin, casket or shroud.
However J Jayalithaa, was not cremeted as might the Hindus must have thought in India, one of my Tamil friend said that in Tamil Nadu and in some parts of south India is little different then what we follow in north India and many other parts of India.
Jayalalithaa was lowered into the ground in a sandalwood casket next to the memorial of her mentor, MG Ramachandran at Chennai's Marina Beach.
There are three reasons why Jayalalithaa was not cremated but buried. They are as follows:-
Hindus generally cremate their dead. But there are exceptions, the dead bodies of saints, holy men and children are buried. It is more of a natural death, people who mostly get natural death are likely to be cremated, then those who die because of accidents.
Holy men and saints, are buried in the lotus position (padmasan) as they are believed to have attained through piety, penance, rigorous spiritual training, or through good deeds done in previous lives a level of detachment that makes cremation redundant.
Mostly people who die because of Accidents or any other unnatural reasons, there body is cremated.
In Kerala, there is an age-old and a unique tradition where Hindus are not cremated but buried after death in order to get salvation.
Being one of the most influential leaders in Tamil Nadu and well respected as Amma, was also one of the reasons that she was given the level of saint and hence was not cremated.
There was one more reason Jayalalithaa wanted to be laid next to MGR Memorial, Marina beach.
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