The Hindu funeral

It's a foreign (pun intended) concept to the west.
Some common practices:
1) cremation, outside away from houses in a special place where allowed, in crematoriums where not
2) never ever in temples
3) women often don't attend, but this has changed
4) totally separate priesthood, although some priests in the west do 'double' duty because of need
5) eldest son lights the fire
6) period of 21 to 31 days of abstaining from religious things after, (no shrine room, no temple) sometimes a whole year
7) 31 day (varies somewhat by sect) archana puja is performed in deceased name, after that annually on death anniversary

Any other practices you can think of....?

A few months ago, while in India, I watched a Swami's funeral (from a polite distance). It is a bit different because they are already dead to the world. It is their second funeral the first being when they took Sannyasa.

It had a big impression on me. The smell of and look of the burning body. Not something I will soon forget. Months later it remans a great reminder of the impermanence of life.

Wannabe Yogi said:

A few months ago, while in India, I watched a Swami's funeral (from a polite distance). It is a bit different because they are already dead to the world. It is their second funeral the first being when they took Sannyasa.

It had a big impression on me. The smell of and look of the burning body. Not something I will soon forget. Months later it remans a great reminder of the impermanence of life.

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Lucky you. (Not sarcastic) I have never witnessed a cremation. Been to a small cremation grounds, but no cremation was going on.

Vinayaka said:

Lucky you. (Not sarcastic) I have never witnessed a cremation. Been to a small cremation grounds, but no cremation was going on.

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It interesting. Just saw the link you gave on a different thread. Your Guru's (my assumption) explanation on cremation I found very helpful.

Why did women not initially attend funerals?

Namaste

One other especially important custom is to wear white, not black, to a Hindu funeral. There's another custom that I'm not exactly familiar with: that once you come back to your house after the funeral, you're supposed to do something with water outside of the house (this I'm not that sure of) and take a bath or shower to purify yourself.

I've seen Hindu funerals before, but none of them have been open air cremations. Living in the US, Hindus have to modify some of the customs. In the funerals I've been to, the body was kept in a casket, not a funeral pyre. After speeches, prayers, and sermons were finished in the funeral room, everyone would take the body to the cremation oven. After some more prayers were finished and the son lit the body, the casket would be closed and be pushed into the cremation oven.

Shivoham said:

Why did women not initially attend funerals?

Namaste

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I don't know, and research just now says it varies regionally. So maybe some Indian Hindus may be of assistance. I've also heard that during mourning (traditionally in the house, but not in the west) women do come, they just don't go to the cremation grounds itself.

So I'm not that sure at all. May also have to do with the purity rules.

I believe the ashes are spread in a River. I'm not sure what the rules are within the US regarding that. But in India the ashes are spread in a sacred river. Again, usually by the oldest son or closest living male relative.

bp789 said:

body was kept in a casket, not a funeral pyre.

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Thanks for the additional info. Open caskets, and you are expected to go up to pay your past respects or sprinkle water.

Shivoham said:

Why did women not initially attend funerals?

Namaste

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Vinayaka said:

I don't know, and research just now says it varies regionally. So maybe some Indian Hindus may be of assistance. I've also heard that during mourning (traditionally in the house, but not in the west) women do come, they just don't go to the cremation grounds itself.

So I'm not that sure at all. May also have to do with the purity rules.

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What I was told was that in the villages, the cremations would occur outside of the village and maybe close to some small river, and it would be impractical for women to walk such far distances, and it might be too dangerous. Another reason I was told was that the women are responsible for preparing the additional religious ceremonies after the cremation. I don't think was a purity issue as more of a practicality issue, especially since both men and women would be expected to bathe after a funeral.

And yes, typically everyone's allowed to attend the funeral, which occurs either inside a house or funeral room if living outside India. Only men would go to the cremation grounds, although women are being allowed there now with no problems.

Vinayaka said:

Thanks for the additional info. Open caskets, and you are expected to go up to pay your past respects or sprinkle water.

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Yes, that too, forgot about that. I think it was only the priests that sprinkled water (although I don't remember). What I remember everyone doing was paying our respects and each person putting a rose petal on the body.

Another neat thing, if you get the actual funeral priests is that everything is done in reverse ... I mean the aartis, the circumambulation, etc.

Vinayaka said:

It's a foreign (pun intended) concept to the west.
Some common practices:
1) cremation, outside away from houses in a special place where allowed, in crematoriums where not
2) never ever in temples
3) women often don't attend, but this has changed
4) totally separate priesthood, although some priests in the west do 'double' duty because of need
5) eldest son lights the fire
6) period of 21 to 31 days of abstaining from religious things after, (no shrine room, no temple) sometimes a whole year
7) 31 day (varies somewhat by sect) archana puja is performed in deceased name, after that annually on death anniversary

Any other practices you can think of....?

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I am a Native Hindu.I call myself Shaiva but I also pray all other Gods.Right from childhood,I loved to go funeral to see what's happening and it gives perspective and some Vairagya.


1.Cremation is usually done in remote place outside of the city.Some bodies get the chance of getting into electric furnace where the body is turned to ashes within minutes.Bodies are kept in the house for several hours for people to pay homage.


2.Traditional Funeral is done in partially opened pyre,where the male 'karta' usually does the ritual with the help of funeral priests.Women don't really come to the funeral place and usually it is the wife/mother accompanied by few of close relatives.


3.No one sleeps when the body is in the house at night. Pujaris come after the body has been removed to do parting rituals.Philosophically,any such ritual is aimed at dispersing the physical,lings sharira and manomaya kosha in to their respective planes so that the soul reincarnates without any previous desires and troubles.But the priests today are said to not to have sufficient spiritual backbone to facilitate such a transition through rituals. Ashes sample taken in a pot and then dispersed to nearby river or ocean -symbolizing physical items have got to their source.Coins are put in the mouth of the dead before burning and allowed to burn all night.The burn coins are washed thoroughly and kept in house as charms.Favorite food of the dead person is shared as prasad and given to crows.


4.In my place,the karta circumambulates with a broken pot of water in his shoulder and then drops it down.We get the ashes next day,make some rituals on the ashes and in the temple outside using a symbolic ritual which feeds the dead.


5.Public Feeding happens in the next 11 days and then remembrance every year on the same day.Finally back to work!

Vinayaka said:

It's a foreign (pun intended) concept to the west.
Some common practices:
1) cremation, outside away from houses in a special place where allowed, in crematoriums where not
2) never ever in temples
3) women often don't attend, but this has changed
4) totally separate priesthood, although some priests in the west do 'double' duty because of need
5) eldest son lights the fire
6) period of 21 to 31 days of abstaining from religious things after, (no shrine room, no temple) sometimes a whole year
7) 31 day (varies somewhat by sect) archana puja is performed in deceased name, after that annually on death anniversary

Any other practices you can think of....?

Click to expand...

In Fiji we (Hindus I know, and my family) perform what we call the "Kapar kriya", which is after the body is burnt the person who is the Yajnaman (elder son/daughter/priest or anyone who has taken the task up) before collecting the ashes breaks the skull (if not completely burned) with a stick, symbolizing the complete destruction of the body, then are the left overs collected. Is this common in India? or is this a Fiji Hindu practice only, i wounder.

Satyamavejayanti said:

In Fiji we (Hindus I know, and my family) perform what we call the "Kapar kriya", which is after the body is burnt the person who is the Yajnaman (elder son/daughter/priest or anyone who has taken the task up) before collecting the ashes breaks the skull (if not completely burned) with a stick, symbolizing the complete destruction of the body, then are the left overs collected. Is this common in India? or is this a Fiji Hindu practice only, i wounder.

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Not the first time I've heard of it, so it must be done elsewhere as well.
Thanks RA for providing additional info. I've never been to an outside one, but maybe one day.
I started this thread to demonstrate the contrast to newcomers to the religion who may be familiar only with the western ways, which differ substantially, not only in cremation versus burial, but also very much in attitude.

Yes it is practised in India .I think it is done to release the soul .

Valkyrie said:

Yes it is practised in India .I think it is done to release the soul .

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I've heard that it also has to do with giving back to the elements. Releasing the soul and giving back to the elements.

Valkyrie said:

Yes it is practised in India .I think it is done to release the soul .

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That's my understanding too. Out above the pituitary, the physical gland that corresponds to the sahaswara.

Valkyrie said:

Yes it is practised in India .I think it is done to release the soul .

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I think the symbolism behind the Kapar kriya is not unanimously understood by many Hindus in Fiji, I was told by a Pundit that it means the person is now completely gone, and the body is no longer to be associated with the person who lived, I think it was more to remove any attachment relatives may have of the physical person who has past away.

even the symbolism of releasing the Atman is intriguing to me, it suggest that the seat of the Atman is the head and in a living being it would be the brain or Manna (mind), which is quite in conformance with the general Hindu view that the controller of the mind and intellect is the Atman but the Atman is not the mind nor the intellect as both these are destroyed in the fire.

I think Hindus live, breath and die in symbolism, all life is symbolic including death, all literal ritualistic acts are but a indicator to something more profound and divine.

Anyways, i cant think else to add to the OP, will post if something else pops up in my limited memory.

Vinayaka said:

Some common practices:
6) period of 21 to 31 days of abstaining from religious things after, (no shrine room, no temple) sometimes a whole year.

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Of course the rituals will continue for one year, and thereafter, remembrance days during what is known as 'Shraddha Paksha' every year; but the impurity goes after 10 days for brahmins, 15 days for kshatriyas (warrior class), 20 days for vaishyas (trader/agriculturist class) and 30 days for shudras. That is what my grandfather opined in his book, 'Vishweshwara Smriti', 1947.

In some places, son/s will get head tonsured and eat saltless boiled food for 11 or 13 days, followed by a feast to poor brahmins. I was a strong atheist at the time my father passed away and objected vehemently to the rituals that seemed unnecessary and burdensome. The preist told me that for at-least 1 year after death of father, a son needs to maintain a special vigilance over anger etc. At that time I rebelled but now I more or less agree.