Funeral Service in Varanasi
Invariably, the oldest son of a deceased person lights the funeral pyre. Before the pyre is lit, the body is wrapped in an orange cloth, with marigolds placed on top. A wooden stretcher is then used to carry the body to the river. Family members are expected to pour water over the body and in the mouth of the deceased. Sandalwood is also placed on the body in higher caste families, to stop the stench of the burning body. After the pyre is lit, the body is stripped of all but a white sheet and placed on the funeral pyre. Ghee is also poured over the body to make the body burn faster.
Hindus have long used the cremation grounds in Varanasi to bury their dead, hoping to achieve “moksha.” The bodies of the deceased are wrapped in white saris and sprinkled with marigold flowers. The cremation grounds are cared for by Doms (caregivers), who then ignite wooden pyres on the riverside. In recent years, electric crematoriums have emerged as an alternative. These facilities only cost $6 instead of $60-70 and produce less pollution than the traditional pyres.
Regardless of which type of cremation you choose, it’s important to make sure that you get the right legal documents and the proper burial space. A funeral Service in Varanasi will help you make these decisions. Funeral directors can also help you buy caskets and entombment space if necessary. You can also purchase other funeral products through a Varanasi funeral home, cemetery, monument company, or retailer.
Cremation in Varanasi is a highly traditional tradition in India. Thousands of Hindus are cremated at the Manikarnika ghat. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Fires are said to have started from a single flame. Hundreds of people visit the crematory each day to give their last wishes. Invariably, the cremation takes just seven hours, as the heat and humidity cause the body to decompose faster than it should.
Funeral Service
Many Indians arrive in Varanasi thinking they have only a few days to live. Most of them end up staying in the overcrowded resting homes for the elderly. One such manager, Satyendra Singh, who owns a department store in Lahartara, tells me that he charges people around Rs. 11,000 or five thousand for cremation. He is also willing to leave the body with the family.
Cremation is a very important part of Hindu funerals. According to Hindu beliefs, the cremation of a body severs the connection between the soul and the body. The Hindus hope that the cremation process will free the soul and help it to move to the state of Nirvana, Mukti. Similarly, fire is also seen as a purifying force for the soul. Each day, over one hundred bodies are burned on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, the holiest city in India.
Cremation in Varanasi involves a ceremony involving thousands of people on the Ghats. In some cases, the cremation is conducted by a Dom. In this ceremony, the eldest mourner wears white robes and a bald head. The funeral ceremony ends with a ritual that includes the ashes of the deceased. The cremation ceremony is a deeply spiritual experience.