Different ways of funeral and burial from across the world| Last Journey

Different Ways of Funeral and Burial from Across the World

Aman

10 July, 2024

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People from different countries and cultures follow divergent methods of saying goodbye to their loved ones in the form of funeral and burial rituals. Some follow the traditional way while performing death rituals while some choose new inspiring ways to save the environment, book burial grounds in Delhi NCR.

In this article, you can learn about the diverse methods of funeral and burial which are followed in many countries and cultures.

Funeral and burial rituals from around the world

Varying funeral and burial practices show a wide range of beliefs and values across the world. Here are some of the most prevalent funeral rituals.

Indian belief regarding the funeral and burial

It is well known that India is a diverse nation and people belong to various religions and sects here. But the most common way of offering last rites in India is cremation and burial. With the help of a priest, the family members cremate the deceased body of their beloved family person. Few people use traditional wooden cremation while some choose eco-friendly cremation methods like CNG cremation, electric cremation etc. After cremation, the ashes are flown in the sacred water of a river or scattered over a field.

Burial beads in South Korea

Usually, people in South Korea prefer burying the deceased bodies of their beloved family members. But the expanding number of graves is creating a concern regarding this death ritual. Now people are showing a great inclination toward the cremation. After cremation, the family members can take help from organizations that compress the remains inside a bead-like structure. These beads are also known as “death beads” and they are available in pink, turquoise, black and blue colours.

Magnolia and Tibet offering sky burial

In these countries, people follow the Buddhism religion which preaches that after death the soul leaves the body and the deceased body becomes a shell only. So the followers of Buddhism here, cut or chop the pieces of the dead body and leave them on the top of the mountain peaks. The vultures treat those remains as their food.

Green funeral in the USA

In the present time when every nation is grappling with the issue of air pollution, water pollution etc the US people have found a new way of performing death rites for the departed person and that is Green Burial.

In this unique method, the family members or the funeral direction team place the body inside a biodegradable shell and then bury it in the ground. The biodegradable box mingles into the soil after a certain period and the body starts decomposing. You can also plant a sapling or tree in the place of green burial. This indicates the returned-to-nature policy.

Dancing with the deceased body in Madagascar

This is a very distinct way of remembering the departed person in Madagascar where people dance with it. This ceremony is also known as famadihana or dancing with the dead. The people of Madagascar believe that the departed person does not break the bonds even after demise. This is why they bring the body out from the crypt after every 5 to 7 years and change the shroud. During this ritual, the family and friends of the deceased person drink and eat together and remember the stories of the departed person. After celebrating they keep the body back safely in the crypt.

Hanging coffins in the Philippines

In the Philippines elder people carve their own coffins and place them on a death chair clobbered with leaves and wines. After demise, the deceased body is smoked so that it can avoid decomposition and placed inside the coffin box. These boxes are then tied to a cliff. The flowing fluid out of the coffin box is considered a blessing for the family members and they allow that fluid to drop over them. They believe that it will bring good luck in their lives. This is the very ancient funeral custom of the Philippines and people have been following it for approximately 2000 years back. They also have faith in the saying that hanging the coffin boxes on the cliffs lessens the distance between the departed soul and ancestral spirits.

Memorial reef of the ocean or water burial

In many countries, people are showing great inclination and curiosity toward water burial. Like the green burial, the team members of an organization provide a biodegradable box and place the body inside it. They leave the box at a certain depth of the ocean where coral reefs are present. Apart from providing essentials to the reefs, it also becomes useful for some giant fish.

Fantasy coffins of Ghana

In the country Ghana, the deceased body get a in the unique box where they can take rest for eternity. For example- If a person was a pilot, the family arranges a plane-shaped coffin box and keeps the body in it. Similarly, for music lovers or musicians, the family arranges a violin-shaped coffin box. These boxes depict the life journey and interests of departed souls.