Patna: ‘Mrityu bhoj’, a feast after death, is a Hindu tradition where the family of a deceased person hosts a meal for relatives, friends, and the poor.
Generally organised on the 13th day after death, it’s a social custom practised in different parts of the country under different names, especially in rural India.
Many have questioned the irony of a feast at the time of mourning, and have refrained from following the custom.
A village in Bihar’s Khagaria district showed remarkable collective will to ban the age-old tradition of post-death feasts, a practice that often pushes poor families into debt.
The decision of residents of ward No. 8, Mahadalit Tola English village in Maheshkhunt panchayat, is being seen as a progressive reform that is needed in our society.
In a meeting chaired by Harilal Das, the villagers resolved that community members will only take part in the funeral procession (katihari) in the event of a death, no family would henceforth host a mrityu bhoj, reported News18. Anyone violating this rule will be fined Rs 5,100, a move expected to dissuade people from returning to the tradition.
According to the villagers, the idea was deliberated after one resident named Bablu Das didn’t arrange a funeral feast following his mother’s death. It was a first for the village, and inspired others to seriously think over it, given the financial strain such a ritual imposes on low-income households that often have to take loans or mortgage land to host these feasts.
Awareness campaigns run by All India Ravi Rasiya Dharma Sangathan, Khagaria unit, also played a part in influencing the villagers’ decision. The organisation advocates eradication of socially and economically oppressive customs like mrityu bhoj and others.
Social media users applauded the bold stand taken by the Bihar village.
Netizens pointed out this was an example of how community-driven decisions can succeed where policy interventions fall short.
