A Guide to the Hindu Funeral Services. Death is inevitable, and every religion provides a guide to its followers on after death rituals. Hindu religion too offers an in-depth guide to its followers on its elaborate funeral arrangements and services. Hindus believe in life after death and that the soul is reborn in another form post-death. A Guide to the Hindu Funeral Services. There are several stages before and after death in the Hindu religion.

We provide you below with the basic Hindu funeral guidelines.

• Before death preparation – When the death of a person is evident, there are a few preparations to be done like the funeral pyre preparation and others. A priest for funeral service is summoned to perform some of the rituals; however,the surviving family members of the deceased perform most of the funeral rites. A dying person is placed on a grass mat, head facing east, either at the home’s entry or in their room. Ganges water is put in their mouth, and mantras are chanted into their right ear.
• After death procedure: The family washes and wraps the dead body in a plain white cotton cloth. They then smear sandalwood paste on the body and garland it with flowers. They arrange the funeral pyre, typically made up of wood, camphor, and mango leaves. Finally, they carry the dead body on a bamboo stretcher to the funeral pyre.
• The cremation: It is generally preferred to cremate the dead body before sunset on the day that the person died. If the cremation takes place in India, it is most often performed near the river Ganges. People place the dead body in a casket and transport it to the site of cremation by foot or in a vehicle. In most Hindu sects, only men are allowed to be present at the cremation site.The men put Rice in the mouth of the deceased.
• The funeral pyre: At the cremation site, the deceased is rotated thrice counter-clockwise around the funeral pyre before placement. The chief mourner, usually the eldest son or a close male relative, circles the pyre thrice, breaking a pot each time, then lights the pyre before cremation.
• Funeral etiquette: Wearing white at a Hindu funeral is necessary. The attire should be simple and modest, and arms should not be bare. Do not bring flowers when you attend a Hindu funeral ceremony as that causes distraction and possibly harm the departed soul.  A Guide to the Hindu Funeral Services. After the cremation begins, the mourning period,which lasts for 13 days.

I hope that we have helped you in giving the basic Hindu funeral guide in the ceremonies before and after death and will assist you in an easy understanding of the Hindu death rituals.  

A Guide to the Hindu Funeral Services.