Beyond Death: Funeral Rituals and Megalithic Traditions Among the Bhil Tribes of India

The earliest traces of funeral rituals in the Indian Subcontinent date back to the Mesolithic period. Data from various parts of the country clearly indicate that this tradition gained popularity during the Neolithic and Iron Age periods in India. Besides, during the Iron-age period we found evidence of megalithic tradition, and the megalithic sites found in the Indian subcontinent reveal an elaborate process of death rituals. This present study focuses on first-hand data obtained from the south-eastern part of Rajasthan, India. The data unveils many hidden aspects of funeral rituals and megalithic traditions related to the Bhils community. To gain a better understanding of death rituals, beliefs about afterlife, and the erection of memorial pillars on behalf of the deceased, the author compares the death rituals of the Bhils with those of the Munda communities in central eastern parts of India.