Rasam Pagri

{{Short description|Ceremony in Northern India}}

{{EngvarB|date=December 2019}}

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Rasam Pagri (रसम पगड़ी) is a social ceremony, prevalent amongst Hindus from northern part of India. The ceremony is conducted upon the death of the eldest male member in a family, in which the eldest surviving male member of the family ties a turban (pagri) on his head in the presence of the extended family or clan.{{Citation | title=Veins of devotion: blood donation and religious experience in north India | author=Jacob Copeman | publisher=Rutgers University Press, 2009 | isbn=978-0-8135-4449-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EbSXa5Fag9gC&q=%22Rasam+Pagri%22+-inpublisher%3Aicon&pg=PA60 | quote=... rasam pagri is the passing of the deceased male's turban to ... 'When people have the funeral gathering, a turban (pagri) is put on the elder son to show he is now responsible for the family ...|page=60| year=2009 }} According to the Hindu traditions, the ceremony is usually performed by the father of the wife of the eldest, surviving male member.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M5EWgRdnLxAC&q=rasam+pagri+hindu+tradition&pg=PA120 |title = Global Encyclopaedia of the Brahmana Ethnography|isbn = 9788182202085|last1 = Krishna Rao|first1 = K. S.|year = 2008| publisher=Global Vision Publishing House }} The ceremony usually takes place on the fourth day from the day of funeral rites (Antim Sanskar, also known as Uthala), or on the thirteenth day, Tehravin. The turban signifies honor of the family, and the ceremony signifies the transition of responsibility for the protection and welfare of the family from the deceased to the surviving oldest male member. (While this is predominantly the case, in the Hindu religious scriptures, it is actually the male member who "gives fire" to the body of the deceased who is entitled to wear the turban. As per tradition, it is the oldest surviving son who performs this final rite.)