Why Hindu’s Burn the Dead Body ?

The last journey of a Hindu is known as the ‘Antyesti’ or Hindu Funeral rite, also known as ‘Antim Sansakar’. Antyeṣṭi rites are the final sacraments (saṃskāras) in a series that ideally begins at the moment of conception and is performed at each important stage of a man’s life. Upon death Hindu’s are not buried they are cremated as per the procedure detailed in scriptures.

The reason why Hindu’s cremate is based on the belief that Jiva’ or body is made up of five elements of nature, which needs to be returned to the source upon its death. Of them water, earth and fire belong to the body and come from this world, whereas the fifth element is the ether (fine matter) belongs to the domain of the subtle body and comes from the higher worlds. By cremating the body, the elements are rightfully returned to their respective spheres, while the subtle body along with the soul returns to the world beyond for the continuation of its afterlife. Hindus also belief that when the soul departs from the world there are some pollutants which remains in the body. Irrespective he is far or near all the family members are polluted by the very process of death and remain for sometime till the soul completes its journey to the other world and till the family members are purified through rituals.Hindu's also believe the house where the corpse is kept and others who visit the house also get polluted and they also needs to be purified with bath and Ganga Jal (water of river ganges).Members of the deceased do not celebrate functions ad festivals as mark of respect.

Cremation is however not the whole method of the disposal of the body,Childern below certain age are buried upon death. The body of the renouncer (sanyasi) is usually placed in the river, since its is customary for a sanyasi to undergo the symbolic act of cremation before taking up the life of renunciation. So a second cremation is not prescribed.