Conference Presentations by Rojisha Poudel
Religion is a phenomenon that takes shape through human social action and structures societies ac... more Religion is a phenomenon that takes shape through human social action and structures societies accordingly. During the early days, religion was the ultimate symbol of social unity and cohesion. Every religion has functional aspects that cover a blend of rituals with symbolic values. These rituals have diverse significance. With the initiation of modern trends like electric cremation, it promotes technological usages. However, it may also loosen the integrity of old religion that connected people within a single frame. Cultural life in Nepal is deeply shaped by Hinduism. Most ritual functions and ceremonial rites vividly reflect and are patterned by Hinduism. One of the essential rituals in life for followers of Hinduism is the act of cremation after death. Within the Hindu community in Nepal, the cremation process is traditionally followed by burning the dead body upon an open pyre. The prime purpose of the cremation is to depurate the dead body and free the soul from the body of the deceased ones to secure a safe journey to heaven. With the recent installation of electric cremation facility at Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, the modern process of cremation using electricity over wood has been introduced for the first time in Nepal. The ongoing practice at Pashupatinath reflects the change in the trends of cremation that further emphasizes how a traditional society is exposed to modernism. In this paper, we compare the significance and challenge of the two cremation practices by evoking the writings of Durkheim, Weber and Marx. For Durkheim, religion strengthened social unity by binding it together with different symbols, values and norms enacted during rituals. Such acts also preserved one's native cultural identity. Weber, on the other hand, saw society as being dynamic and emphasized how the intrusion of modernity impacted on religion and society. For Marx, on the other hand, religion did not always promote social unity; instead it exacerbated conflict by enhancing class division. Human beings were shaped by material factors. The cost of electrical cremation is lower than the cremation through fire wood and that some Hindus have adapted to electrical cremation validates Marx to some extent.
Papers by Rojisha Poudel
Handbook of Disaster Ritual
Handbook of Disaster Ritual Multidisciplinary Perspectives, Cases and Themes (Liturgia Condenda, 32), Nov 1, 2021
1. If their ritual obligations to the deceased were not fulfilled or merely
haphazardly and in in... more 1. If their ritual obligations to the deceased were not fulfilled or merely
haphazardly and in incongruous places because of the deprived conditions
at that time, do they agree that such ritual ‘impropriety’ should
later be compensated by, for instance, the individual ritual ‘expiations’
provided by the manuals? Have they actually done so? And if
so, how?
2. If our respondents did not resort to traditional compensatory rituals,
did they perform other rituals, possibly collectively? And if they did
so, how can their ‘coping style’ be characterized?
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Conference Presentations by Rojisha Poudel
Papers by Rojisha Poudel
haphazardly and in incongruous places because of the deprived conditions
at that time, do they agree that such ritual ‘impropriety’ should
later be compensated by, for instance, the individual ritual ‘expiations’
provided by the manuals? Have they actually done so? And if
so, how?
2. If our respondents did not resort to traditional compensatory rituals,
did they perform other rituals, possibly collectively? And if they did
so, how can their ‘coping style’ be characterized?
haphazardly and in incongruous places because of the deprived conditions
at that time, do they agree that such ritual ‘impropriety’ should
later be compensated by, for instance, the individual ritual ‘expiations’
provided by the manuals? Have they actually done so? And if
so, how?
2. If our respondents did not resort to traditional compensatory rituals,
did they perform other rituals, possibly collectively? And if they did
so, how can their ‘coping style’ be characterized?