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Death and Mourning Cultures (Hindu vs Japanese)

1. Explore the death and mourning rituals of the Hindu culture.

Since there are many sects and groups, the customs of mourning and death rituals may vary

but it is a consensus amongst the Hindus that when the person dies, he will be reincarnated in

the future and the body must be cremated to free the soul as soon as possible. The cremation

mostly takes place within 24 hours so that the soul can move onto its next journey. The body

is washed with a combination of yoghurt, ghee, milk, or honey and is then wrapped in a white

sheet. The hands are positioned in a prayer like fashion and the toes are tied together. If a

woman whose husband is still alive dies, she is wrapped in a red cloth instead of a white

cloth. The casket is always left open, so that the relatives of the deceased can pay their

respects and hymns are sung around the flower laden body. An oil lamp is also lit and is

placed near the deceased person’s head.

The cremation is conducted by the male members of the family, led by the eldest son

and the priest. A last meal is given to the deceased and the body is then cremated on a funeral

pyre. The smoke released from the funeral pyre is the soul being released and integrated with

heaven (Ghosh, 2022). It is tradition to disperse the ashes of the deceased in the Ganges

River.

Mourning periods will last for 13 days after which a ceremony will be held to uplift

the people’s spirits. During this time of mourning close family cannot visit any sacred places

and stay at home praying for the soul to continue its journey forward and reincarnate.
 2. Describe typical and/or distinctive features of death-related encounters in the Hindu

culture, and attitudes about death and mourning practices within this culture.

Typical death and mourning rituals in Hindu culture include the belief in a life after death,

although the unique concept is that of reincarnation. The idea that a person’s soul is recycled

and enters a new body is a distinctive feature of Hindu belief. Also, the concept of wearing

white to the funeral to signify purity is a unique concept in Hinduism. During cremation, a

Hindu priest might hit the head of the deceased person’s body to allow the spirit to leave as

soon as possible. This is not seen in cultures which use cremation upon the death of a person.

3. How are the death and mourning rituals of the Hindu culture different from the

Japanese culture death and mourning rituals?

Despite many similarities in Hindu and Japanese mourning and death rituals, there are many

differences as well. One such difference is that the Japanese people give monetary gifts

depending on the relation to the deceased, whereas this tradition is not in Hindu culture.

Whereas the Hindus deem it appropriate to wear white to signify their purity, the

Japanese funeral adornment must be black. The deceased should also be in a casket, whereas

there is no such thing in the Hindu culture.

The Japanese ritual after the cremation is done is different to the Hindu ritual. They

use chopsticks to put the bones of the deceased into a small pot (Wiren, 2012).

4. How does the business of dying impact on cultural attitudes and mourning practices

of your Hindu culture?

Hinduism is a religion which values and promotes humanity. Being truthful, moral, and

generous should be in every good human. Which is why when death occurs in a family,

distant relatives, friends, and neighbors all come to pay their respects to the deceased and

pray for the soul to complete its journey and be reincarnated. The ceremonies conducted after

the mourning period to uplift the relative’s spirits is also an example of Hinduism promoting
paying due respect to the deceased family. The mourning practices, mainly involving reciting

hymns and prayers at the house of the deceased are meant for the betterment of the soul.

Upon someone’s death Hinduism promotes a type of brotherhood and people come to the aid

of the family and provide any kind of support they can.

Works Cited
Ghosh, B. (2022). From ritual mourning to solitary greif: Reinterpretation of Hindu Death

Rituals in India. Journal of Death and Dying.

Wiren, A. (2012, December 25). Japanese Funerals: Sunset in the Rising Sun .