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The North Indian Hindu Funeral Guide
1. Introduction
ANTYESTI or Hindu Funeral Rites, sometimes referred to as ANTIM SANSKAR, is an
important rite of passage amongst Hindus. While many of the rituals performed during
Hindu funeral rites are broadly similar, there are some differences in the performance of
rites depending on the region of the deceased. Certain rituals and procedures may also
differ according to the gender, caste, age-group and the status of the deceased
Cremation is the usual mode of disposal of deceased bodies with certain exceptions, as in
the case of Infants, Yogis, and Sadhus. Cremation is considered the most expeditious
method of disposing dead bodies.
The passing of a loved one is a distressing time for all in the family, and the organization
of a North Indian Hindu funeral, with little knowledge of how to go about this, may be
overwhelming for young individuals faced with this arduous task. This is especially
significant in the context of a small immigrant community since the same support bases
that exist in India may not be as easily accessible in Singapore.
This brochure is intended as a guide and the contents are as follows.
A. To inform of the basic procedure of the North Indian Hindu Funeral.
B. To provide information on community-based help available for the procedure
and the contact points for these.
It should be noted that this brochure largely follows the rites and traditions of Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar. Even here there are minor differences according to specific subregions, therefore the procedure should be carried out in consultation with the Priest who
is usually informed of differences in regional practices. The guide also seeks to inform of
specific requirements that need to be adhered to in the process of organizing these rites
and rituals in the Singapore context.
Please note that this procedure outline for the North Indian Hindu Funeral should not be
seen as a step-by-step guide since at every level, many of the issues will need to be dealt
with concurrently.
Getting a ‘Death Certificate’
If the deceased passes away at a hospital, this can be easily obtained from the doctors at
the hospital. If the deceased passes away at home, a doctor must be called to certify the
death.
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Rites and rituals conducted at the home prior to the cremation
The body of the deceased should be carefully placed in a clean area on a piece of clean
white cloth. The body of the deceased should follow a north-south direction, with the
head at the north and the feet at the south. An oil lamp (DIYA) should be lit and placed
near the head. Some traditions include the placing of an oil lamp outside the home.
CONTACTING VOLUNTEERS – (see attached list)
Contact Priest for the Conduct of rites and rituals
SHREE LAKSHMINARAYAN TEMPLE
ARYA SAMAJ SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE NORTH INDIAN
HINDU ASSOCIATION
TEL :- 62930195
TEL :- 62941358
TEL :- 62935883
Contact ‘undertaker’ for their services
NOTE:- Please contact volunteers for advice before contacting undertakers
RAJOO CASKET
HINDU CASKET
TEL:- 62266846 / 62929658
TEL:- 62970694 / 62224444
The undertaker provides coffin and transportation services from the mortuary to home or
funeral parlour, and from home or funeral parlour to crematorium. The undertaker can
also provide ‘embalming’ services (if necessary).
Booking of Hall at Mandai Crematorium for Funeral Services
MANDAI CREMATORIUM ( NEA )
TEL:- 65545655
The crematorium requires a copy of the ‘Death Certificate’. This can be produced at the
time of the funeral service. As far as possible, and in most traditions North Indian Hindu
funeral rites are conducted just prior to sunset. The undertaker can also book
crematorium on your behalf.
CONTACT RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
Contact Newspaper for an Obituary listing (Optional) TEL: 1800-2899988
Straits Times Newspaper (Optional) aids in communicating to relatives and friends of
the dead, and disseminate useful information of the time of the funeral services at the
crematorium.
PURCHASE OF ITEM’S REQUIRED FOR THE FUNERAL (see attached item
list)
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Preparing the body for the funeral
The North Indian Hindu Funeral requires the body to be washed. This should be done as
soon as possible once sufficient relatives and friends are available for the purposes. If for
any reason, relatives and friends are not available, the steps listed in the section ‘Rites
and rituals conducted at home prior to the cremation’ should be carried out. The washing
of the body should then be carried out as soon as a sufficient number of friends and
relatives become available for the purposes. Depending on the sex of the deceased, this is
usually done either by male or female relatives and friends of the deceased. After
washing, the body is adorned with ‘itter’, i.e. scented oil-based perfumes (non-alcoholic)
and/or sandalwood (Chandan) powder. The body is dressed in preferably new Indian
clothing (traditional). The deceased body of a male or a widow is adorned with white
clothes, whereas if the deceased body is that of a married women whose husband is still
alive, or that of a young unmarried girl, then the body is dressed either in red or yellow.
Movement to the Crematorium
The body should be placed in the hearse and will be transported to the crematorium.
Flowers are usually sprinkled around the body of the deceased. Buses are sometimes
provided for the relatives and friends of the deceased so that they can be transported from
the home of the deceased to the crematorium.
Rites and rituals conducted at the crematorium
The priest usually takes charge of officiating the ceremony at the crematorium.
Rites, Rituals and steps taken following cremation
Following the ceremony, individuals who have been involved or have witnessed the
ceremony are required to undertake certain rituals to ‘purify’ themselves because they
have come into contact with a deceased body. These usually take place either prior to or
as soon as they enter their own homes upon returning from the funeral rites. Some of the
traditional ways include chewing dried chilly or ‘neem’ (holy basil) and lighting a flame
outside the home. Individuals are required to take a bath, and the clothes they have worn
should be placed for wash.
Family members of the deceased have to collect the remains of the deceased on the day
after the cremation. This should be dispersed in a water-body (usually the sea or a river).
Some other traditional practices include family members sleeping on the floor through
out the mourning period. Other practices include male members of the family shaving
their head on a designated date. These rituals are especially applicable to the individual
who cremates the deceased.Usually the eldest son, or (in his absence) the youngest son is
required, as far as possible, to cremate the dead body and he and his immediate family
should abstain from pleasure through out the mourning period. In some traditions, the
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individual who cremates the deceased is encouraged to keep a sharp metal object
throughout the mourning period only vegetarian food should be prepared and served.
VOLUNTEER NAME LIST WITH THEIR MOBILE NO:
NAME
CONTACT NO
BRIJMOHAN SINGH
9383 8701
RAM KISHON GUPTA
96235474
MUNNU RAI
9683 1045
BALRAM CHOWBAY
8125 7423
ASHOK RAI
96374069
JAGADISH GUPTA
9488 4904
RAMAKANT MISIR
9763 5660
SIWAKANT MISIR
9665 9425
ANIL DUBEY
9852 8427
RAJ NATH RAI
9787 5312
AJAY RAI
9021 9383
RAM MANI RAI
9855 2117
PRABHAKAR NISHAD
8286 9554
RAJENDER RAI
9753 7199
SATYA PRAKASH PANDEY
93635945
GIRISH CHAND RAI
8133 3799
BHIM RAI
9817 5027
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QUICK GUIDE
IF DEATH OCCURS AT HOME
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Lay down the deceased in a clean place on a clean cloth on the floor.
Ensure the head is in North and feet is towards the South
Lit an oil lamp (diya) near the head of the deceased and burn some joss stick
Contact family Doctor for death certification if it’s possible.
Contact Shree Lakshminarayan Temple, Arya Samaj Singapore or Singapore
North Indian Hindu Association Priest to engage and get guides from the Priest as
what to do next.
Contact Volunteer’s from list, to get help as soon as possible for funeral items
shopping, mass messaging and preparing for the funeral.
Get Death Certificate
Contact undertaker, for transportation of the body and booking of the cremation
hall.
Book Cremation Hall
Contact Relatives
Take instructions from the Priest for the rest of the procedure.
IF DEATH OCCURS IN HOSPITAL
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Contact volunteer’s from list for help
Contact Priest from Shree Lakshminarayan Temple, Arya Samaj Singapore or
Singapore North Indian Hindu Association.
Get Death Certificate from hospital
Engage undertaker (for collection of the body from mortuary)
Book Crematorium
Once the body reaches home, wash, clean, dress the body with the help of
volunteers, relatives, and follow the above remaining steps.
Take instruction from Priest and Volunteer’s
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FUNERAL ITEM LIST
DAY ONE – BEFORE CREMATION
1 Clay Pot (for Water) - Small
2 Clay Pot (for Mixing Flour) - Medium
3 Kusha Grass (Dab Grass)
4 Garland & loose Flowers
5 Banana Leaves
6 Jackfruit Leaves
7 Tulsi Leaves & Stalk (Holy Basil)
8 Gold small piece less than 1 gm
9 Agar Bathi (Incense Sticks)
10 Kumiyon (Local Kumiyan) (Benzoin Rock)
11 Gogal (Kumiyan Nasrani) (Benzoin packaged)
12 Chandan Powder (Sandalwood Powder)
13 Rori
14 Chandan Oil (Sandalwood Oil)
15 Chandan Sticks 6 inches
16 Chandan Sticks finely chopped
17 Ghee
18 Milk
19 Ganga Jal (Holy water from the Ganges)
20 Rose Water
21 Honey
22 Rice
23 Brown Sugar
24 Kala Tili (Black Sesame Seeds)
25 Rice Flour
26 Soap
27 Towel
28 3yds or 2.5 metre White Cloth Malmal
29 White Cloth Malmal
30 Dhoti - 4.5 yrds or sari (depending on the sex of the deceased)
DAY TWO – COLLECT ASHES
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Clay Pot with cover (a big Diya also can be used as cover for claypot)
Red Cloth - 1 meter cotton
Flower
Kapur (Camphor)
Milk
Agar Bhathi
Singora (Sindhur container) (if husband is the deceaded, to be scattered in the sea with the ashes)
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IMPORTANT STEPS IN WASHING AND PREPARING THE BODY FOR CREMATION
1 After collecting body from hospital or mortuary bring home or parlour for bath
2 First, clean all dirty cloth or cover from body and wash with fresh water
3 Next wash properly with soap & fresh water again
4 Next wash with Ganga Jal
5 Next wash with Rose water
6 Next apply Chandan oil to the body
7 Next apply a little Chandan Powder
8 Next apply some Ghee
9 If the deceased has undergone 'Upanayana' ceremony, put on Janeu (Sacred Thread)
10 Next dress in appropriate cloth
11 Next apply Chandan & Rori on forehead
12 Next place a Piece of cloth covering the inner-side of the coffin
13 Next place body in coffin
14 Than cover body with appropriate cloth ( kafan )
15 Adorne body with loose flowers & garland
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THINGS TO DO AFTER DEATH CEREMONY
Prepared By : Shri RamaKant Misir (Volunteers)
Shri Siwakant Misir (Volunteers)
Check List Status as Of :Category
Action to Who Taking Action Action Taken on Status
Undertake
Activity
Admin
Ash Collection and other process for Cremation
Contact
Relevant
personnel
for process
Admin
Clothes and other personal effects
Donate or
Discard
Admin
Execution of Will
Contact
Lawyer and
Executor
Admin
Inform Learning Institution
Admin
Admin
Laminate Original Death Cert
Photocopy Death Cert
Contact
Learning
Institution
Laminate
Photocopy
Admin
Processed Court Order for Grant of Letters of
Administration/Grant of Probate to effect the WILL
Contact
Lawyer
Admin
Submit Death Cert to Employer
Submit to
HR
Club
Inform Alumni if any
Call to
Inform
Club
Inform Clubs or Association (Golf clubs, Social
Close /
Clubs, SAFRA, NTUC, Swimming clubs, Sports
Transfer if
clubs, Clan Association, Religious Association, etc) transferable
Finance
All GIRO accts
Close /
Transfer
Finance
Bank Accounts (DBS, POSB, OCBC, UOB,
Stanchart, Citibank, Maybank, HSBC, etc)
Close /
Withdraw /
Transfer
Finance
CPF Account
Close /
Withdraw /
Transfer
Finance
Credit Cards Accounts (DBS, POSB, OCBC, UOB,
Stanchart, Citibank, Maybank, HSBC, etc)
Finance
EZ link cards
Refund and
Close
Finance
Insurances : (Life, Endownment, Property, Car,
Company, Fire, Medical, etc)
Withdraw /
Transfer
Close
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Outstanding Loans (Property, Car, Credit Line,
Company, etc)
Securities or Stocks Accounts
Stocks or Equities or Unit Trust
Settle /
Transfer
Close
Sell
Army Reservist Unit
Call to
Inform
Govt
Related
IRAS : (Income / Property / Business)
Settle /
Transfer
Giro
Payments
Govt
Related
MDA - TV Licence
Transfer
Ownership
Govt
Related
ROC - Company related
Close /
Transfer
Govt
Related
Utilities : (PUB / Gas / Electricity)
Transfer
Ownership
Medical
Excess medicines
Donate or
Discard
Medical
Medical bed
Donate or
Discard
Medical
Oxygen Tank
Donate or
Discard
Medical
Transporter
Donate or
Discard
Medical
Wheelchair
Donate or
Discard
Property
House ownership n occupant
Update with
HDB or
Lawyer
Property
Town Council (HDB) or Management Council (Pte)
Telecom
Telecom
Internet subscription
Telephone / HP Accounts
Finance
Finance
Finance
Govt
Related
Transfer
Ownership
Close
Close
Vehicle
Car Insurance
Purchase
New when
ownership
xferred
Vehicle
HDB Carpark
Transfer
Ownership
Vehicle
LTA - car registration
Transfer
Ownership
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In Appreciation
Although volunteers from our community have provided help and support in carrying out
the funeral process since, at least, the founding of the North Indian Hindu Association in
1921, it was 2008 that Shri Om Prakash Rai (Hon.Vice-President of Arya Samaj
Singapore) came up with the idea of carrying out the procedure in a more organized
manner, and to create an information booklet, as a guide for the present and future
generations in an effort to ameliorate the difficulties faced by the deceased’s family in
their time of anguish.
This brochure was prepared and compiled by Mr. Ashok Rai s/o Ram Awadh Rai (social
secretary of Arya Samaj Singapore) keeping in mind relevance and procedures in the
Singapore context.
Preparing this brochure was not possible without the invaluable contribution of: Shri Brijmohan Singh (Volunteer)(one of the pioneers in service and support)
Dr Balram Chowbay ( Volunteer) (Hon. Treasurer of Shree Lakshminarayan Temple)
Dr Rajesh Rai (Hon. General secretary of Arya Samaj Singapore)
Shri Siwakant Misir (Volunteer)
Shri Ramakant Misir (Volunteer)
The funeral rites and rituals in this brochure were constructed in consultation with:
ACHARYA SURJEET (Priest, Singapore North Indian Hindu Association)
PANDIT ALOK TIWARI (Priest, Arya Samaj Singapore)
This service is provided by volunteers from our very own community and supported
by: SHREE LAKSHMINARAYAN TEMPLE
ARYA SAMAJ SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE NORTH INDIAN HINDU ASSOCIATION
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