CREMATION

Specialising Indian Funeral Traditions; Sri Lankan Funeral Traditions & Nepalese Funeral Traditions

WHAT IS CREMATION?

Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation leaves behind an average of 2.4 kg of remains known as “ashes” or “cremated remains”. This is not all ash and includes unburnt fragments of bone mineral, which are commonly ground into powder. They do not constitute a health risk and may be buried, interred in a memorial site, retained by relatives or scattered in various ways.

HOW DOES CREMATION WORK?

The cremation occurs in a cremator, which is located at a crematorium or crematory. A cremator is an industrial furnace that is able to generate temperatures of 871–982 °C) to ensure the disintegration of the corpse. The chamber where the body is placed is called a cremation chamber or retort and is lined with heat-resistant refractory bricks.

The body is required to be inside a coffin. This allows the body to be quickly and safely slid into the cremator. It also reduces health risks to the operators. The coffin or container is inserted into the cremator as quickly as possible to avoid heat loss. Many crematoria allow relatives to view the insertion. This is known as witness insertion. This is sometimes done for religious reasons, such as in traditional Hindu and Jain funerals.