Mourning for the dead, feeding the living: mausar khana

The present paper is meant to deal with one of the three main hindu funeral ceremonies, the so called “mausar”, as it is practiced and perceived in Rajasthani society. Most Rajasthanis commemorate death pouring most of their earnings into a single ritualized feast termed mausar, or also referred to as “nukta” as well as “marto bhojan” (“banquet of the dead”). Normatively, the mausar feast is performed on the twelfth day following the death of a father, but, for some castes it can occur years after death or even years before, given that Rajasthani men, in order to increase their status through flamboyant spending, are known to sponsor their own mausar. The present paper will be paid special attention to the way mausar is celebrated by the members of the Kalbeliya caste and the analysis will be mainly based on the participation in a joint funeral feast held by Kalbeliyas in April 2011 in a temporary camp set up in the Pali district. Since at the heart of the mausar is the act of feeding, it will be analyzed the role and the symbolism of food in the ceremony as well as it will be explained why and how the funeral meal is helpful for the larger community.