The family of CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has not followed the traditional Hindu mourning rites for the deceased son. Prakash was, however, cremated as per the Hindu tradition on Sunday.
Hindu tradition requires sons of a deceased person to lit the funeral pyre but the sons must have had upanayan (thread ceremony) to be eligible to light the pyre. A father rarely lights the funeral pyre of his daughter or son and the ritual is left to other men, whose father or mother is already dead, in the family if sons are not eligible. But former prime minister Dahal himself lit the pyre probably because Prakash’s two sons were very young and most likely had not had a thread ceremony.
No one is traditionally mourning Prakash's death with shaven head and wearing white clothes as is required in Hindu tradition, according to family sources. The family, however, is eating 'plain' food.
Prakash's photograph and a condolence diary have been kept at the Dahal residence in Lazimpat. Visitors pay respects on the photograph and sign on the diary.
The family, that had gathered after Prakash's death, has started to disperse. Chairman Dahal has already left for Chitwan for election campaign Tuesday morning.
Prakash's first wife Srijana Tripathi arrived from Pokhara, second wife Beena Magar from Kanchanpur and elder sister Renu Dahal, mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, from Chitwan after his death.
The Dahal family will hold a condolence meeting on Thursday. The rest of the family members will also leave after that.
