Asia's Three Paths of Departure

The defining and most visually distinctive feature of a Hindu funeral is the ritual of Antyesti, or the final sacrifice, conducted on a traditional funeral pyre. This act is the obligatory rite of cremation, which must be performed by the eldest son or closest male relative. The process involves placing the body on wood and lighting the pyre, typically at the head (the Kapala Kriya), signifying the final release and symbolic destruction of all remaining earthly ties and impurities associated with the physical form.