Unique funeral rites of Northeast India

Idu Mishmi Tribe, Arunachal Pradesh The funeral traditions of Idu Mishmis are very unique in nature which extends to upto 5 days. Igu, the shaman, plays an important role in the funeral rituals followed by dance, music and offerings in the house of the dead for days and nights together without sleep. They bury the dead along-wth all movable articles 

Karbi Tribe, Assam Like most tribal societies of Northeast India, Karbis of Assam largely confirm their beliefs in magic, spirits and ancestor cult. The Chomangkan is one of the most important death ritual and is quite expensive and an elaborate one. An elderly woman from the village called as the Charhepi, the quintessential female dirge singer sings funeral epic day and night guiding the soul of the dead to the village of ancestors

Mising Tribe, Assam The Mising tribe in Assam give a final farewell to the dead by organising a major feast accompanied with dance and music which is almost similar to organising a marriage. This final ritual called the 'Dodgang' in the Mising community involves grand feasting so as to allow the dead to move on to the next phase peacefully

Naga Tribes Platform Burial, Nagaland The bodies of the dead are wrapped in mats and disposed on platforms along with the man's possessions beside it. Having embracing Christianity over the past century burial activities take place according to the principles of the church. However, modern families in Nagaland prefer ground burial as per Christian norms

Monpa Tribe, Arunachal Pradesh According to the Monpa tribe, the body of the deceased is chopped off into 108 pieces by a person called the 'Thampa' and then the body pieces are slowly immersed one by one in ariver as one of their last rites. However, no one is allowed to witness this funeral rite performed exclusively by the Thampas. Fishes and other small  river animals feed on the body parts

Sky burial in some parts of Sikkim The Vajrayana Buddhist sect in Sikkim follow a unique funeral tradition called the sky burial. This ritual can be compared to the Zoroastrians where the body of the deceased is placed on a mountaintop to decompose while exposed to the elements or eaten by scavenging animals, especially carrion birds

Garo Tribe, Meghalaya Now almost on the verge of extinction, the Mangona or Chugana is a post-funeral ritual where the comminty people make a small bamboo hut called 'Delang' in the courtyard of the house of the deceased. Bones of the deceased are then kept in the earthen pot which is then buried at the doorstep of the house. After the burial, the guests are served 'beef' and 'pork'
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