Funerals - Hindu Funerals
Hindus believe that life and death are an eternal circle. After
life comes death, then reincarnation and so on, until, in some
circumstances the soul can be set free from that eternal circle.
One such circumstance, is the person dying in or near the holy
city of Varanasi in North East India, where the funeral ghats
are beside the sacred River Ganges.
Hindus also believe that cremation allows the spirit to move on
to its next incarnation and therefore nearer to heaven. Thus,
although death is a sad event to Hindus, the emphasis is more on
the soul's onward journey and that is celebrated. The flames of
the funeral pyre are said to represent Brahama, the Hindu God of
Creation.
After a death, the family of the deceased will meet as soon as
possible to pray by the body. The body will not be touched if
possible, as a corpse is considered to be unclean.
The deceased will be normally be dressed in white (a wife
pre-deceasing her husband is dressed in her red bridal outfit)
and will be placed on a bier and decorated with flowers and
sandalwood.
The funeral service will be conducted by a priest and lead by
the eldest son or nearest male relative of the deceased, who
will light the fire and will circle the pyre praying for the
soul of the dead person. The exact order of service may vary
depending on location and family traditions. The ashes are often
sprinkled on water and some families go to the River Ganges to
do this to ensure the most auspicious passage to the next life.
The house of the deceased will be cleansed and purified by a
priest using spices and incense and the 13 days of mourning will
begin. During this time, there will often be a picture of the
deceased on display, garlanded with flowers and friends will
come to the house to offer their condolences. Mourners will wear
white. On the 13th day, the ceremony of Kria is performed, which
involves the offering of rice balls and milk in thanksgiving for
the life of the deceased, after which, life for the family
returns to normal.
One year after the death and sometimes every year thereafter,
Shraddah takes place, where the family offer food to the poor
and needy in memory of the deceased.