Antyeshti Samskara: Hindu Funeral Rites, Step by Step and Gently Explained

Antyeshti means “the last offering” (anta is the end, ishti an offering). It is the sixteenth of the sixteen samskaras, and the rite with which a life is returned to the elements. It is also called antim sanskar (the last rite) and, in some regions, dahan sanskar (the rite of the fire). If you are reading this because someone has died, we are sorry for your loss. The page is written to be practical and gentle, and to help a family know what to ask and what to expect.

It follows vivaha in the sequence and closes the list. The samskaras overview places it among the sixteen.

What the rite is

In the Vedic tradition the funeral is a sacrifice in which the body is offered to the fire (Agni), and the person is sent on his or her way with prayers. The Rigveda has funeral hymns, and the Grihya Sutras, and later texts, give the procedure. The tradition holds that the body is the vehicle of the person and that, once life has left it, the kindest thing is to return it to the elements without delay. The rites that follow are performed for the peace of the departed and for the comfort of the family.

Practice differs between regions and families. Many Hindus cremate their dead. Some communities, such as the Lingayats, bury; infants and young children, and ascetics (sannyasis), are traditionally buried or immersed in many communities. The family’s custom decides.

When it is done

Cremation traditionally takes place as soon as possible, ideally on the same day or within about a day, and not after sunset in many families. In modern settings the timing depends on the formalities: a death certificate from the doctor, a registration with the authorities, and in some countries a medical certificate or coroner’s release. The priest and the crematorium will help with the timing. A day need not be matched to the panchang, but a priest may ask about the tithi and nakshatra of the death, since they affect the rites that follow, and may advise on certain additional rites if the death occurs at particular times.

The steps as families perform them

The details vary, and the following outline is general.

1. At the time of death. Family members gather, a lamp is lit, and in many families a few drops of Ganga water and a tulsi leaf are placed in the mouth. The name of God is recited, often the Gayatri or Vishnu’s names.
2. Preparation. The body is bathed, dressed in clean or white cloth, and decorated with sandal paste or flowers. A married woman is often dressed as a bride in some communities.
3. The procession. The body is carried to the cremation ground, with the name of Ram or another deity recited. The chief mourner, traditionally the eldest son, and now any son, daughter or close relative, leads.
4. The cremation. Prayers are said, and the chief mourner lights the pyre or, in a crematorium, starts the process or presses the button. In the old rite he walks around the body carrying a pot of water that is later broken.
5. Return and cleansing. The mourners bathe and clean the house. A lamp is kept lit for several days in many homes.
6. Collecting the ashes (asthi sanchayan). On the third day or after, the family collects the ashes.
7. Immersion. The ashes are immersed in a river, often the Ganga at Haridwar, Prayagraj or Varanasi, or in a river or the sea near the family’s home.

The days that follow

A period of mourning follows, usually ten to thirteen days, with differences between communities. In this time the family stays at home, avoids festivals and celebrations, and receives visitors. Prayers and, in many families, readings from a text such as the Garuda Purana or the Bhagavad Gita are held.

• The tenth or eleventh day: a rite with rice balls (pinda) for the departed, in many communities.
• The thirteenth day: the main closing rite, often with a feast and gifts, after which the household returns to normal life. In some communities the closing is on the eleventh or the sixteenth day.
• Monthly and yearly rites: a first-year rite on the death anniversary, and the annual shraddha, in the period known as Pitru Paksha or on the anniversary. See the Amavasya festival page for the days that families use for remembrance of ancestors.

What the Dharmasutras and Grihya Sutras say

The Gautama Dharmasutra and the Grihya Sutras discuss the rites of the dead, and the Garuda Purana is often read in the days of mourning. Different schools give different procedures, and the text of the verses and the length of the mourning period vary. We state only the outline.

Regional customs

• Bengal: the family observes mourning for eleven days, with a shraddha, and a feast on the thirteenth in some communities.
• Tamil Nadu and Kerala: the rites of the thirteenth day and the sixteenth day are important, and the rites at a river or the sea are common.
• Maharashtra and Gujarat: the ashes are often immersed at Nashik, Prayagraj or another river, and the family holds a prayer meeting.
• North India: the body is taken to the ghat, and the thirteenth day is the central closing rite.
• Diaspora: families use a crematorium, a local priest and, later, a trip to India or a local river for the ashes.

Practical matters

• Call a doctor to confirm the death and obtain the medical certificate.
• Register the death with the authorities, and obtain several copies of the certificate for banks and insurers.
• Contact a priest or a Hindu funeral service, who will arrange the ceremony, the crematorium and the ashes.
• Decide on the chief mourner and the pall-bearers, and tell the elders of the family.
• Ask for help. Friends and neighbours want to help, and may bring food during the days of mourning.
• Look after yourselves. Grief is hard, and the days of mourning also give room for it. Speak to a doctor or counsellor if the weight is too much.

How families adapt it now

Many families now allow daughters and women to take part fully, including as chief mourner. Many choose a crematorium over an open pyre, and a short service of an hour in a hall. Families adapt the number of days, the feast and the gifts to their circumstances and keep the heart of the rite: the prayers, the fire and the remembrance. The family priest can say what is essential and what may be shortened.

Frequently asked questions