Nallan Nadar’s wife had died. The villagers had gathered. They were going to the river to get water. The water could not be carried in sunlight. So four men carried an open saree above the men who carried the water.

The water bearers were not supposed to walk on the ground. Nor could they wear slippers. So they had to walk on a carpet. This carpet was also a saree which was spread on the path. Once the water bearers passed over it the saree was carried ahead and spread again in front of them. This was done by the hapless village washerman.He did this from the river to the house where the old lady had died.

Enquiries revealed that no one actually knew why they were doing this but they just did it because their forefathers did it.

The main topic of discussion was who would do what the heir was supposed to do. That is shave his head and also be the first to throw mud into the grave. Late Nallan Nadar had two wives. This was his first wife and she had no kids. That’s why he married again and had four kids from his second wife. Two boys and two girls.

Murugesapandian asked ‘You think the elder boy Ganapathi has to do it’. Prabhakaran replied ‘Nothing like that, its up to him, he can and he can refuse.’ Lenin added ‘He must, this woman gave him all her jewels to sell when he wanted to start a shop’. ‘Yeah’ said Selvaraj ‘And she went there to cook for him so that he won’t have to eat at hotels’.

Ganapathi did not say anything. They brought the water home.

The lady was bathed and dressed up in new clothes. The women paid their respects. The daughters of the house cried but the second wife did not.

At the grave, the barber looked expectantly at Ganapathi. No on said a word. The moment was poignant with emotion. Ganapathi went and sat down near the Barber who shaved his head. The villager’s were happy.

They believed that if no one did your last rituals then you could not go to heavan. The soul would roam around the village which was bad both for the village and the soul.

The next day morning Ganapathi along with some villagers went to the grave where they had buried the old lady the previous afternoon. They poured milk into the grave. 

That night there was a special pooja in his house. Here the Mahabharata was read aloud. That part of the Mahabharata was read which deals with the journey of the Pandavas from Earth to Heavan. This is supposed to help the soul get to heavan. 

On the third day there is another function. Here relatives gave Ganapathi new clothes to wear. It symbolises the end of the old and tells him to start life again.