Although a few Hindus in America may choose to have their bodies sent to India for these traditional funeral rites, many others choose to be cremated in America. In the United States, the law requires that cremation must be done in a crematorium, resulting in some differences in how American Hindus must observe their funeral customs. Yet, many Hindu families try to incorporate what they can of the ancient traditions as they are observed in India.
Families may have a little water from the Ganges River placed in the mouth of the one who has died. Viewing of the cremation is also sometimes requested. If you or a loved one is considering cremation, we at Neptune Society encourage you to consider carefully your own position on the subject, discuss your options with your religious leader, and make the choice you believe is right for you and your family.
For more articles in this series, please see our religion and cremation article archive. Everything was clear and Sheri was very helpful when making Read More. Michelle Paxton Wilson was wonderful. If it wasn't for her, Now I am so glad we did for peace of mind. Michelle took the time to explain everything to us. Because she is such a warm and caring person, it made the experience enjoyable.
One less thing for our families to worry about when we are gone. When my husband passed away I wasn't prepared and the Sarah was kind and empathetic and very professional. Everything went beautifully. Empathic, professional, and prompt attention. Much easier and quicker than Much easier and quicker than I thought the experience would be. Wonderful service during such a sad time. Bill Rafferty really Bill Rafferty really helped my family through the cremation process.
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Prof Pandey says Bedi was "right" to do her husband's cremation. She was also trying to protect her son who is very young. She's a very accomplished woman and I believe what she did was right. The reason women do not go to a crematorium, he says, is for their own wellbeing because they may be traumatised by the death rituals as they are "weaker and softer" - a view many women strongly disagree with.
Shailaja Bajpai, readers' editor and editorial adviser of news website The Print, says although in smaller towns and rural India, women still rarely attend funerals, in cities, it's now normal for them to be present. Ms Bajpai says she has attended many cremations, including her parents. For me it was the final closure. But my female relatives chose not to go. The belief that women don't go for cremations has come down from the past and many women in our families don't question it and I respect their belief.
We should be allowed to do what we want to," she said. India's holiest river is swollen with bodies. Most Hindus have no problem with this, but those who do routinely spend thousands of pounds shipping their loved ones back to southern Asia for a traditional funeral. Many believe that if open-air cremations were legalised, most British Hindus would opt for a traditional ceremony rather than an electric crematorium. When The Independent first met Mr Ghai last year, he complained that none of the major Hindu umbrella organisations were supporting him, but since then many have changed their stance.
The UK Hindu Council, one of largest umbrella groups, has suggested a compromise that would allow family members to attend a small cremation which uses an open-topped coffin.
The Hindu Forum of Britain, a more orthodox group, has said that open-air cremations should be allowed, but only if a change in the law was made to make them clearly legal, and that any such ceremony should abide by health and safety legislation.
Critics of open-air cremations say the process is polluting and risks releasing potentially dangerous chemicals such as mercury into the atmosphere. Mr Ghai's supporters dismiss such claims. They cite the Government's own research following the foot-and-mouth crisis, which said there was no harm to the public from the hundreds of thousands of animals that were burned on open-air pyres following the outbreak of the disease. If the foot-and-mouth pyres posed no health risk, Mr Ghai argues, then a few hundred or thousand Hindus every year are hardly going to cause problems either.
Mr Ghai's supporters are adamant that any outdoor pyre would be subject to the same strict regulations that govern crematoria. Lurid stories in the Newcastle media suggested Hindus might begin burning bodies on the banks of the River Tyne, but Mr Ghai insists any outdoor cremation would be done in private, far from the public gaze. He has plans to build an outdoor cremation centre, open to Hindus and non-Hindus alike, where pyres and private screening areas could be built.
Cremation rituals vary from place to place, but they often include: prayers and singing rice balls are placed around the body flowers may also be placed around the body a lamp is placed near the head of the body water is sprinkled on the body food is offered Traditionally, Hindus prefer to have their ashes spread on the waters of the Ganges River in India. Many today take the ashes to a place closer to home. If they are Hindu, they participate in the chanting of mantras.
If not, they may sit quietly during the chanting. Otherwise, one views the body upon Otherwise, one views the body upon entering the home, perhaps offering some quiet and brief words of condolence to the family.
Typically, Hindu families try to have the funeral within 24 hours after death, after which the body will be cremated. The preta-karma is an important Hindu death rituals that takes place during the period of mourning. It serves to help the deceased person's soul move from It serves to help the deceased person's soul move from spirit form to its new body in the cycle of reincarnation. There is a day period after the death, during which the immediate family follows Hindu mourning customs.
They refrain from visiting the family shrine and They refrain from visiting the family shrine and are prohibited from entering a temple or any other sacred place. This is because they are considered to be spiritually impure during this mourning period. After the shrahdhah ceremony, the family typically returns to work in anywhere from one to three weeks, depending on personal preferences. What is a Burial Plan? Do Veterans Get Buried for Free?
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