Photo: Daniel Reche

What happens to the belly button during cremation?

Many may not know this, but the belly button of the deceased never burns to ash, it remains hard and in the same shape that it adorns the human body.

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DAY 1553

Jalsa, Mumbai July 19/20, 2012 Thu/Fri 1 : 49 AM

We cremate our dead ! The ashes that remain are collected in vessels made of brass or clay ! Many may not know this, but the belly button of the deceased never burns to ash, it remains hard and in the same shape that it adorns the human body. Why and how this is so, I have never sought explanation, but I will some day from the medical profession. The ladies of the house do not customarily go to the cremation. In metro cities, this practice is fast changing. Middle and rural India still maintains. The ladies wait for the return of the men after the cremation is over. They prepare neem leaf drenched water to wash the feet and hands of the men before they are permitted into the house. The ashes are kept to be immersed in a water body or a river of reverence. Most Hindu’s attempt to immerse them at Sangam, the confluence of the two great rivers of the country - the Ganga and the Jamuna considered to be the most pious waters. A chautha or a terahvein is held for a prayer meet - the fourth and the thirteenth day after the passing. Till that is over, the kitchen fires do not burn in the houe of the deceased. Food and necessities come from friends. Rajesh Khanna was put to flames this morning at a crematorium not far from Jalsa - about 400 meters. Roads had been blocked off to maintain a continuous flow of traffic, but the crowds were so many that the system failed and Abhishek and I had to get off our car and walk the distance, amidst screaming crowds and fans … the sanctity and the gravity of the moment not being maintained. It has always been a most disturbing moment for me to face this situation. Often I have refrained from attending funerals, but in moments such as today it was not avoidable. On twitter when I mentioned this matter, a gentleman reprimanded me by tweeting that these are the very crowds that go to see your films so you can earn millions, and today you crib about them when they hound you. I told him I would rather have a disciplined crowd on such occasions, than at my films ! The rituals are over. Food from our house has been sent to Dimple, his wife, at his house Aashirwad, where she plans to stay till the terahvein, the 13th day is over, as we sit in silence at home reminiscing about days gone by, when we learn of another colleague, Shatrughan Sinha in hospital with a by-pass heart surgery. Jaya and I immediately go and visit him. He has done well and so have the doctors and he remains in his room, out of the ICU, chatting dime a dozen with his humor in tact ! So reassuring. Watching colleagues in hospital beds, suffering and in medical condition, is disturbing. But Shatru is in good spirits, as he always is, talking non stop and showing no signs of the trauma he has been through. Thank God !! He has watched ‘Guru’ on the DvD in his room … twice … and sends his greetings to Abhishek. They shall visit him in a day.

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It has not been a pleasant sight to see compatriots in conditions of suffering. The earlier days come rushing by, when a care free and devil may care attitude prevailed. This ugly side of the coin was never seen or believed. We knew it would come, but that it would come in such sudden bursts was unexpected. It shall happen to all of us someday. That we know. But in the exuberance of youth we leave our cares behind. As time grows upon us, the indications of possible unpleasant encounters for the future do start appearing in our psyche. We become more conscious of what we do and say. Of what shall happen. Of security and livelihood. Of what remains to be left behind and what needs to be given and to whom. A fuzzy Last Will keeps appearing often. Dramatic thoughts and perhaps not too acceptable on this platform … so it would be best to drop it !! Baruninformatics briefs us that the word 'samba’ means the rubbing of belly buttons, or something close to that. The 'innie’ meets another 'innie’, or an 'outie’ meets or rubs another 'outie’, or an 'innie’ meets a 'outie’ … Confused ??? So was I initially. The 'innie’ is the belly button that goes inward into the stomach and the 'outie’ is the one that goes outward of the belly. Mine ?? Hah ! With the multiple surgical procedures, I seem to have lost the button completely. It could have been plot ! Lost the plot completely. But button sounds more romantic ! It would also not be too out of place to sound a bedtime story or song .. Good night dear all …. and the sweetest of dreams. The colder the room, the more the chances of getting bad dreams they say … so … switch off the conditioning …

Amitabh Bachchan

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