ANTYESHTI – The Funeral Rites

The last sacrament of the Hindus is Antyeshti or the funeral rites. Like the phenomenon of death, rites and customs connected with the disposal of the dead body are also universal. Man consciously realizes that death is an inevitable end of every human being. As such it is but natural that every actual occurrence of death should provide an occasion for the living to react to this fact by appropriate behavior.
After death, a sentiment of dread is created in the survivors. There is a belief that even the deceased continues to have some kind of interest in the family property and relatives whom he is unwilling to quit. It is also believed that although after death the man is alienated from the survivors, he may cause some harm to them. In the formal farewell given to him he is requested to depart and is provided with all the articles considered necessary for a traveler, so that he could complete his journey comfortably to the next world. As the Pitriloka. The world of ancestors which is located between the heaven and earth- is considered a replica of the world everything for starting a new life is provided to him.
The object of the suitable disposal of the dead body and the accompanying rites and ceremonies are meant to protect the survivors from the defilement of death. It is believed that until these rites and ceremonies are properly performed the soul of the deceased hovers around the house and haunts its relatives as a preta and does not find its proper place in the company of the ancestors. This kind of belief is found almost universally among Hindus and also the ancient Greeks and Egyptians.
It is not surprising; therefore, that funerary customs in most of the societies exceed the practical, rational minimum required for the mere disposal of the body. It is ritualized with, sometimes very elaborately, but it is also accompanied by a great variety of predisposal and post disposal rites, some of them continuing over a long period after the death, cremation or burial etc. as per the prevalent custom.
The variety of funeral customs is immense. It is due to many factors and influences, geographical, cultural and historical. It is a peculiar combination of these factors which is distinctive and decisive. Thus mummification could originate only in areas having a dry climate (Egypt) and necessary preservative material. In Northern areas where the ground is frozen for most of the year burial is impractical. Beliefs concerning the individual’s destiny and after life also play an important role
Cremation or burning of the dead body is the most recognized mode of the disposal of the corpse among the Hindus.