Note 6 — Chapter XV · FUNERAL CEREMONIES

Each man, as he throws, kneels down, facing the opening of the pen, and then bows down so that he touches the earth with his forehead, many saying “Swami” as they do this. Three handfuls of earth are thrown into the pen, and then three handfuls are thrown backwards on the corpse, the man standing up as soon as he has done this. Each man covers his head with his cloak before he throws, as shown in Figs. 49 and 50.6 Fig. 50 shows the special action employed in throwing backwards, the hand being turned inward.