The changing face of Hindu Funerals
Dr Roshan Singh – Jyotishacharya Shastri Pundit
The Honourable Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi carrying the body of his departed mother.
The Hindu religion teaches that when someone dies, the soul passes into another body. The belief in reincarnation provides the foundation for Hindu funeral rituals. Although different groups have slightly different practices, there is a common set of Hindu funeral rituals they all follow.
What is a Hindu Funeral?
Hindu death rituals dictate that cremation is the norm, but the body remains in the family’s home until it is moved to the cremation location but in recent times families choose to have the body sent to a funeral parlour.
A Hindu funeral may have three parts:
The actual funeral takes place in the home, although the actual event could be considered a wake by western standards, due to its short length. The cremation ceremony takes place at the place of cremation after the body has been moved from the home. There may also be a third Hindu funeral ceremony (shraddha) that takes place on the10th day which is calculated from the day of the cremation followed by a 13th day ceremony after death. This is followed by a sixth month ceremony which is carried out in the fifth month and one year ceremony which is done on the 11th month after death.
Hindu Funeral Rituals & Traditions
A Hindu funeral typically takes place within one day and sometimes a day after depending upon the time of death. No gifts or flowers should be brought to the funeral.
Panchak
It is very important for one to check with a bone fide astrologer if the deceased passed away in an auspicious time or an inauspicious time called panchak. If one passes away during panchak it is very important for the family to carry out the additional rites before the cremation. Failure to do this will result in the death of five other family within the next 24 months. This should not be taken lightly as we have seen this happen time and again.
Hindu funeral rituals take the form of chants, or mantras, which are specially chosen from scripture to be chanted at funerals. The officiant is a Hindu Pundit, who also presides over all the Hindu funeral rites, leading the family and other mourners in the various Hindu death rituals. The funeral ceremony is done in a very simple manner without any frills and fancies as is being encouraged by funeral undertakers who present various packages to the family to choose from. Unnecessary décor, red carpets, floral arrangements and an expensive casket which does not benefit the soul in anyway should be avoided. Instead it is more beneficial to the soul if the sum of money that is spent on these items is given to some charitable institution.
At the cremation, however, it’s typically the eldest son who presides, with the priest overseeing the activities, though different Hindu groups may follow different Hindu funeral rites.
Due to the short time frame of cremation, no embalming is necessary.
Proper Dress Attire
Mourners who attend any of the various funeral ceremonies should not wear black or anything colourful. It is customary for guests and family member to wear white. Women should dress conservatively, with nothing flashy. If one does not have any white attire it is recommended that ones adorns something light in colour.
