Cremation, Caste, and Cosmogony in Karmic Traditions.

Brammankanda Village where Jagadbandhu spent his youth or childhood period.
Brahmans The first of the four castes; the sacerdotal class, the members of which may be, but not
necessarily are, priests.
Brahmaputra Sacred river in India and Bangladesh.
Bona The Mohanta people, former outcaste in Faridpur, Bangladesh.
Botthola Pot-makers’ quarter in Faridpur, Bangladesh.
BS Bikram Sambat, Nepalese calendar system which is 57 years ahead of the Gregorian
calendar.
Buddha Siddharta Gautam, founder of Buddhism, born in Lumbini, Nepal.
Caste A complex social organisation, see varna.
Chaitra Bengali and Nepalese month, March/April.
Chandalini A dangerous form of Kali, Tantric Shashan Kali.
Chatafar Small duplicates of stupas, made of mud wherein cremated remains are meagred.
Chewar Hair cutting ceremony (part of the bartamande initiation rite).
Chhetris The name of Ksatriyas in Nepal, the second caste.
Chinnamasta Incarnation of Kali. She is also a goddess in Buddhism.
Chinvato Peretav The bridge which the soul of the departed crosses to the afterlife in Zoroastrianism.
Chitta Square platform used for cremation.
Chorten Buddhist memorial, built as copy of stupa.
Chu-mig-brgya–rtsa Muktinath, name in Tibetan.
Citragupta The judge of the dead.
Cosmogony Recreation of the world and cosmos, which most often involves humans and their ritual
participation and interaction with the gods.
Crore 10 million.
Daal baat Meal consisting of rice, vegetables and lentil soup.
Dagbatti The lightening ceremony of the cremation.
Dakhma Tower of silence where the Zoroastrians dispose of their deceased, used for air-burials.
Dakini 1. Devotee of Chinnamasta, begged for food where after Chinnamasta severed her own
head and fed her with blood. 2. Primary emblem of the feminine in Tibetan Buddhism.
3. Spirits of women who died in childbirth.
Daksina Religious gift which contains the sins of the donor. Gifts made to Brahmans, involving
transference of pollution.
Damai Tailor, traditionally a low-caste.
Dan Religious gift which contains the sins of the donor. Gifts made to Brahmans, involving
transference of pollution.
Dassain The main religious festival in Nepal nationwide.
De architectura 10 volumes handbook in Roman architecture, which covers almost every aspect of
architecture including the construction of Greek temples. It is written by Vitruvius, a
famous Roman architect, in the 1 st century BCE. The book is based on partly Vitruvius’
own experiences but also on other theoretical works by famous Greek architects, which
now are lost.
Deva A god, deity.
Dharma Religious duty, caste duty.
Dhumavati Incarnation of Kali.
Dodecahedron Solid figure having 12 faces.
Dom General term for low-caste.
Dorga mosque Mosque in Faridpur where allegedly Saint Farid is buried.
Durga Goddess in Hinduism, wife of Shiva, the “Inaccessible”.
Dvapara yuga “Eon of one-half”, name of the third yuga in the series of the four, in which one-half of
the dharma or righteousness of Satya yuga remains.
Dvijas Twice born, term designating those who have done the bartamande initiation ceremony.
Faridpur Town in Bangladesh, located 130 km southeast of Dhaka.
Faridpur Thana Town area or district.
Fateh Ali Muslim saint, Sufi mystic.
Fatima Daughter of Mohammed.
Fravashi Divine component of all created things, a protecting spirit in Zoroastrianism.
Ganesh Son of Shiva with head of an elephant.
Ganga The ultimate tirtha or bridge that crosses the river of samsara, the cycle of birth and
death. The river valley is often seen as the cradle for Hindu mythology. The river
Ganges is about 2,500 km long and provides water and drainage for some 350-400
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