Antyeṣṭi and Catholic Funeral Rites: A Dialogue on Food, Water, and Incense

Death rituals vary from one religion to another based on distinct beliefs, philosophies, and cosmologies. However, what brings most of the religions to a similar ground is their connection to the natural world. The proposed paper will focus on bringing Hindu death rituals (antyeṣṭi ) in conversation with the Catholic funeral rites, by particularly drawing attention to the themes of food, water, and incense. According to the Hindu tradition, the human body is made of pañcamahābhūta (five major elements) and ultimately becomes a part of them. These elements are earth (pṛthvī ), water (jala ), fire (agni ), air (vāyu ), and space (ākāśa ). Food, water, and incense play a huge role in facilitating this journey through rituals and are also a major part of the sacrifices performed after one’s death. While on the one hand food is regularly offered to the deceased’s ātman for its journey to the divine in Hindu death rituals, for Catholics, Viaticum (food for the journey) forms a major part of the last rites as well. According to Hindu beliefs, water/gaṅgā jala purifies the dead as well as the surroundings. It carries the ashes and releases it from all earthly bondages. In Catholicism, water is sprinkled on the coffin to connect the death to the initiation or baptism. Incense appears in the form of camphor and sandalwood used for the funeral pyre in Hindu rituals to reduce the bad smell and is believed to transport the prayers and the soul to Heaven. The cosmic significance is maintained at all times with the rites associated with death. Furthermore, the paper will suggest interfaith death rituals in Hindu-Christian contexts and will reflect on Raimon Panikkar’s idea of cosmotheandrism, considering the plausible Hindu-Christian scenarios.