According to Hindu beliefs, after death, the person’s soul leaves the physical body to be reincarnated (start a new life in a new physical form). This is why the body needs to be cremated (burned) to free the soul and prepare it for its new journey.
The deceased body is kept at home for 24 hours before cremation is performed. During this time, a prayer ceremony is held. The body is cremated on the day following the ceremony, and the ashes are scattered in the sacred Ganga River.
Hindu tradition follows the concept of Moksha, which means liberation. When someone dies, it’s customary to say, “May your soul attain Moksha” instead of “Rest in Peace.”
The funeral, also known as Antyeshti or last sacrifice, depends on gender, caste, and age. Hindus keep the body in an open casket to allow guests to pay their last respect to the dead.
The most commonly performed rituals at a Hindu funeral are:
The cremation ceremony, also known as Mukhagni, takes place 24 hours following death. The funeral pyre is lit, and the cremated ashes are scattered on the Ganga River first, followed by a place specified by the deceased. After that, the priests chant mantras, sometimes with the eldest son of the bereaved.
The cremation takes 1-3 hours, and the service lasts 30-45 minutes.
Following the ceremony, the mourning period starts, which takes 10-30 days. The grieving family often mourns for 13 days and refrains from eating non-vegetable food. The males are expected to shave and devote all cut hair to the deceased.
In Hinduism, specific rituals are followed after death, and these rituals have their roots in certain Hindu beliefs. For example, it’s believed that a human being is eternal and exists after death, and to make a transit into eternity, the deceased’s body has to be cremated. This frees the soul so that it can move on to the next life.
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