What Happens to a Body When it is Cremated?

There is no way of knowing what happens after we die, and we know most of us don’t want to think about the harsh truth of our lives. But the jury might be on the spiritual side of things, but we can’t decide what happens to our bodies after we die, is what you can know right now. 

Some people choose to be buried, while others might choose to be cremated and scattered depending on their preference and choices. At Anthyesti, we consider your options and priorities regarding cremation services. 

Some people may have a sense of fear and myths about what’s happening at the cremation center. 

What is a cremation service? 

Cremation is a form of final disposition known as burial; it is not the type of service that accompanies that disposition. If the body is present for the service, it is a funeral service, and the burial or cremation can follow the funeral service.

Perhaps the body was either buried or earlier cremated as a form of disposition, but the family chose not to have the body present at the service. 

Cremation is performed in two ways:-

Cremation is a form of final disposition known as burial; it is not the type of service that accompanies that disposition. If the body is present for the service, it is a funeral service, and the burial or cremation can follow the funeral service.

Perhaps the body was either buried or earlier cremated as a form of disposition, but the family chose not to have the body present at the service. 

Cremation is performed in two ways:-

Either putting the dead body in woods and burning the wood for 10–12 hours contributes to much pollution. 

Or putting the dead body inside the fire incinerator contributes to negligible pollution and is environmentally friendly. 

In both approaches, everything in the dead body, including skin, bones, and soft tissues, is disposed of in ashes. Burning an adult human weighing 90 kilos would leave behind just 2 kilos of ashes, which can be easily collected in a pot/urn and dispersed in any water body.

What happens after a cremation service? 

You might know that once the coffin rolls behind the curtain, it immediately enters a furnace and burns it up. The cremation is completed within 24 hours. 

The primary step for staff is to ensure that nothing is left in the coffin that should be there. 

Secondly, and most importantly, they confirm that the deceased person doesn’t have a pacemaker. If a pacemaker is expanded in the furnace, it could lift the crematory machines but not hold back, which could weigh more than 20 tons, meaning seven inches in the air. 

How are the bodies buried, and for how long? 

The bodies are then wheeled in to one or two gas machines. A gas full of flames brings the temperature rise between 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius. The machine is so hot that if you turned it off on Friday evening still, it would be at 300 till Monday morning. 

If an individual body part is burned for reasons like post-mortem or left science behind it, it is burned on its own, not with the help of people’s organs. 

The body is burned for approx. 90 minutes, with staff holding a spy hole to check when it’s at the end with no visible flames. During this process, waste particles are stuck away are filtered to stop the mercury from getting into hot temperatures. 

There are a few minutes’ worth’s of paperwork (usually online) to complete regarding booking the crematorium and some printed forms that go with the cadaver and are handed over to the crematorium staff.

After the body is cremated, what is done with the ashes? 

The ashes, which have a consistency of sand and are of small grey particles, are then collected with a substance called a rake and left to cool for an hour. Then if the family members want, they can carry them home.

The final weight of the ashes varies from person to person, mainly depending on their bone density; it is supposed to be the same as their birth weight. 

Final thoughts 

We provide funeral services to more than seven cities in India; at Anthyesti, we aim to serve the best cremation services to every valuable customer. For more information, do connect with us.