This glossary explains 70 words families in Delhi NCR meet in the days after a death: the rites of Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christian and Jain traditions, hospital and police terms, and the paperwork that follows. It is written for anyone arranging a farewell or settling affairs for a loved one. Practice varies by family and region, so treat each entry as a gentle starting point.
80 terms across 10 themes: Hindu rites · Sikh rites · Muslim rites · Christian rites · Jain rites · Paperwork & legal · Hospital & medical · Travel & transfer · Remembrance & grief · Practical arrangements.
An Akhand Path is an unbroken, continuous reading of the entire Guru Granth Sahib by a relay of readers, completed in about 48 hours.
Some families choose it after a death instead of a Sahaj Path, particularly when relatives are gathered for a short time. It is usually arranged through a gurdwara because it needs several trained readers. It ends with a Bhog and Antim Ardas.
Antim Ardas is the final Sikh prayer for a loved one, asking Waheguru to grant peace to the soul and strength to those left behind.
Ardas is offered before the body leaves for the cremation and again at the cremation ground. Families also use 'Antim Ardas' for the closing gathering, held at home or a gurdwara, where the Bhog of the Sahaj Path or Akhand Path is followed by kirtan, the final Ardas and often langar. Gurdwaras in Delhi NCR can advise on dates and arrangements.
Antim sanskar means the last rites: the ceremonies a Hindu family performs to bid farewell to a loved one, usually ending in cremation.
In everyday Hindi the phrase covers the whole farewell: bathing and dressing your loved one, the procession, prayers at the cremation ground and the lighting of the pyre. Most families hold it within a day of the death, though waiting for relatives to arrive is common. Sikh families use the related term Antam Sanskar for their own rites. Details differ by region, community and family, so the family priest or elders usually guide the sequence.
Antyesti is the Sanskrit name for the Hindu funeral rite, literally the 'last sacrifice', counted as the final of the sixteen samskaras of a life.
Antyesti is the formal, scriptural term; antim sanskar is the everyday one. It includes preparing the body, the procession, cremation and the rites that follow over the next ten to thirteen days. Many crematoria in Delhi NCR are named 'antyeshti sthal' for this reason. The order of rites varies across regions and communities.
An arthi is the bamboo bier on which your loved one is carried to the cremation ground, and by extension the funeral procession itself.
Family members and friends traditionally carry the arthi on their shoulders, often chanting 'Ram naam satya hai'. In cities, the arthi is usually carried a short distance and then placed in a vehicle for the journey to the crematorium. Bamboo, cloth and other items for it are part of the cremation samagri.
Asthi sanchay is the collection of the bone fragments and ashes after cremation, which the family keeps for immersion.
Many North Indian families do this on the third or fourth day, and the bone fragments are often called 'phool' (flowers). Timing differs by family and by crematorium, especially at electric and CNG facilities, so ask the staff when the remains will be ready. The ashes are usually placed in a cloth bag or earthen pot and kept safely until asthi visarjan.
Asthi visarjan is the immersion of your loved one's ashes and bone fragments in a sacred river, most often the Ganga.
Families from Delhi NCR often travel to Har ki Pauri in Haridwar or to Garhmukteshwar on the Ganga; others choose Prayagraj, Varanasi or a river close to home. A priest usually leads short prayers before the immersion. There is no single required day, though many families complete it before the tenth or thirteenth-day rites. Sikh and Jain practice on ashes differs, so follow your family's tradition.
Barsi is the first death anniversary, and the remembrance families hold on it with prayers, a meal or charity.
Many Hindu families hold the barsi on the lunar date of the death, and Sikh families often arrange a path at home or a gurdwara. Punyatithi is used for any death anniversary. It can be as simple as a family prayer and lighting a lamp.
Bereavement is the state of having lost someone close through death, and the period of adjustment that follows.
Many employers offer bereavement leave, though length and terms vary by organisation, so check your HR policy. Mourning customs such as sutak, iddat or the thirteen days give structure to the early weeks. Support from friends, faith communities and professionals can make the longer road lighter.
Bhog is the concluding ceremony of a Sahaj Path or Akhand Path, with the final hymns, a Hukamnama, Ardas and karah prashad.
After a death, the Bhog is usually the main gathering for relatives and friends, held at home or in a gurdwara and often followed by langar. It is commonly known as the Antim Ardas. Many Punjabi families hold rasam pagdi on the same day.
Body donation is the gift of a loved one's whole body to a medical college for teaching anatomy and research, usually pledged in advance.
Medical colleges such as AIIMS New Delhi accept pledges through their anatomy department, often witnessed by next of kin. At the time of death the family informs the department and hands over the body with the death certificate. Colleges usually decline medico-legal cases, bodies after a post-mortem and some infections, so confirm the conditions early.
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Brain death is the irreversible loss of all brain-stem function; under Indian law it is death, certified by a panel of doctors.
It is defined in the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994. The panel tests twice, some hours apart, before certifying it. Because the heart can keep beating on a ventilator, families may be offered the chance to donate organs, and that choice is entirely theirs.
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A cemetery is a burial ground; in Delhi NCR the word usually refers to Christian burial grounds run by church bodies or cemetery committees.
Delhi's older Christian cemeteries, including Prithviraj Road and Burari, are reported to be full or close to full, a matter before the Delhi High Court in 2025-26. Families usually approach their parish first, which advises on the plot and the documents needed. Some families now choose cremation, which the Catholic Church permits.
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Chautha is a prayer meeting held by many North Indian, especially Punjabi, families on or around the fourth day after a death.
Relatives and friends gather for prayers and condolences, and in some families the ashes are collected or rasam pagdi is held the same day. In Delhi it is often scheduled for a convenient day rather than strictly the fourth. It is similar to the uthala, and some families use the words interchangeably.
Chehlum is a gathering many South Asian Muslim families hold on the fortieth day after a death, with Quran recitation, prayers and a meal.
Some families also hold a smaller gathering on the third day, called soyem or teeja. Practice differs: some scholars treat these as cultural customs rather than religious requirements, and some families do not observe them. Follow your family's and community's practice.
A CNG crematorium uses a furnace fired by compressed natural gas instead of wood, with less smoke and wood use.
Nigambodh Ghat added a CNG facility in 2006, and several other cremation grounds in Delhi NCR have since installed them. Families can usually perform a short symbolic mukhagni and prayers before the cremation. Ask the staff about timings and when the ashes will be ready.
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The committal is the final set of prayers at the graveside or crematorium as your loved one is laid to rest.
It follows the funeral service and is usually short, led by the priest or pastor. Family members often place flowers or a handful of earth. Ask the parish whether the committal will be at the church's own cemetery or another site.
A cremation slip is the receipt or record a cremation ground issues after the cremation, noting the name and the date.
Keep it safely with the medical certificate of cause of death. Some offices ask to see it during death registration or later paperwork, and some grounds ask for it when the family returns to collect the ashes. Procedures differ from one cremation ground to another.
A crematorium is a facility where cremation takes place, offering wood pyres, electric furnaces, CNG furnaces or a mix of these.
In Delhi NCR they are run by the municipal body or by trusts and societies under it. Most ask for the MCCD or hospital papers and an ID of the family member, and give a receipt that you should keep. Timings, especially after sunset, differ by site, so call ahead.
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The CRS portal is the Civil Registration System run by the Registrar General of India, through which births and deaths are registered and certificates issued.
Since October 2023 all birth and death registrations in India are maintained digitally through the CRS, following the 2023 amendment to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act. Hospitals and registrars enter the record; families can often download a digitally signed certificate once it is issued. Some local bodies in Delhi NCR also run their own counters or portals, so ask the registrar which route applies.
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Dashgatra is the set of Hindu rites over the first ten days after a death, when daily pinda offerings are made for the departed soul.
Tradition holds that these offerings help form the soul's subtle body, limb by limb, before it journeys on. Some families make an offering each day; others gather the rites on the tenth day at a ghat or at home. The family priest guides the sequence, which differs by region and community.
A death certificate is the legal record of a death issued by the local registrar, needed for bank, insurance, property and pension matters.
A death must be reported to the registrar within 21 days, and the first copy is free. In Delhi the registrar sits with the municipal body; in Noida, Gurugram and other cities it is the local civic authority. Late registration is possible: from 1 October 2026, a death registered one to two years late needs an order from a District or Sub-Divisional Magistrate, and after two years an order from a Judicial Magistrate, so register as early as you can. Order several copies, as many offices keep one.
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A death summary is the hospital's written account of a patient's final illness, treatment and cause of death, given to the family with the release papers.
It is different from the medical certificate of cause of death, though both are usually issued together. Insurers, employers and banks often ask for it. Ask for a few attested copies before you leave the hospital.
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eCARe is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's online portal for health clearance of human remains and ashes arriving at Indian airports.
Clearance is required under the Indian Aircraft (Public Health) Rules, 1954. Documents usually uploaded include the death certificate, embalming certificate, Indian Mission NOC, cancelled passport and a packaging certificate. Apply as early as you can, and keep printouts with the cargo papers.
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An electric crematorium uses an electrically heated furnace for cremation, avoiding wood and open flames.
Delhi has had electric cremation since the 1950s, and many sites across the NCR now offer it alongside wood and CNG. As with CNG, rites are adapted: prayers and a symbolic mukhagni take place before the cremation. Families choose it for convenience, environmental reasons or when wood cremation is not possible.
Embalming is the treatment of a body with preservative fluids to slow natural changes, used when the farewell is delayed or your loved one must travel far.
In India it is usually done by trained staff at hospitals or medical colleges. Airlines require it before carrying a body, and it is needed for international repatriation. For a farewell within a day or two, embalming is usually not necessary.
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An embalming certificate is the document from the embalmer or hospital confirming that your loved one has been embalmed, required for air travel and repatriation.
Airlines ask for it alongside the death certificate before accepting a coffin, and it is one of the documents checked on the eCARe portal for remains arriving in India. It should name your loved one, the date and the embalmer. Ask for extra signed copies.
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Eye donation is the gift of the corneas after death so that someone with corneal blindness can see, done within about four to six hours of death.
Only the corneas are removed, the face is not disfigured and the farewell is not delayed; eye bank teams can come home or to the hospital. A pledge helps but the family's consent at the time is what matters. While you wait, close the eyelids, place moist cotton over them and switch off the ceiling fan.
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Fatiha means reciting Surah al-Fatiha, the Quran's opening chapter, for the forgiveness and peace of a loved one who has passed.
Relatives recite it at the grave, at home and at gatherings in the days after burial; in South Asia such a gathering is often called fatiha khwani or Quran khwani. Some families also hold gatherings on the third day (soyem) or fortieth day (chehlum). Views on these gatherings differ between communities.
Form 4 is the official MCCD form used when a death happens in a hospital or institution; Form 4A is its counterpart for deaths outside hospital attended by a doctor.
Both forms are prescribed under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, and record the immediate, underlying and contributing causes of death. Hospitals fill Form 4 themselves. For a death at home, the family doctor who treated your loved one completes Form 4A; without it, the registrar may ask for other proof such as a hospital discharge summary.
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A freezer box is a refrigerated glass-topped casket used to keep a loved one cool at home for several hours or overnight before the farewell.
Families use it when relatives are travelling, when the death happens at night, or for a wake. It needs a normal power socket and space for the box, and it is usually rented for the period needed. Keep the room cool and the lid closed except for viewing.
A funeral Mass is the Catholic church service for a loved one before burial or cremation, with Scripture readings, prayers and Holy Communion.
It is usually held in the parish church a day or two after the death, and the parish priest helps the family choose readings and hymns. Protestant and Orthodox churches hold their own funeral services in a similar spirit. Contact the parish office early, as it often coordinates with the cemetery as well.
The Garud Puran is a Hindu scripture describing the journey of the soul after death, often recited at home during the days of mourning.
In many North Indian families a priest reads portions of it over the ten to thirteen days after the death, sometimes in the evenings with family gathered. Not every family follows this, and some prefer the Bhagavad Gita or bhajans instead. If you would like a recitation, ask your family priest or a local temple to arrange a pandit.
A ghat is a set of steps leading down to a river; a shamshan ghat is a cremation ground, traditionally by a river.
In Delhi NCR 'ghat' is used for most cremation grounds, whether or not they are by water, such as Nigambodh Ghat on the Yamuna. Bathing ghats like Har ki Pauri in Haridwar are where many families immerse ashes. Each ghat has its own timings and staff who guide families.
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Ghusl is the ritual washing of a Muslim before burial, done gently and with modesty, usually by family members of the same gender.
It is often done at home, at a mosque with a washing room, or at the qabristan, and an experienced person from the community usually guides it. Where a post-mortem has taken place, families can ask the mosque for advice on how ghusl is managed. Kafan follows immediately after.
Grief is the natural emotional, physical and mental response to losing someone you love, and it has no fixed timetable or order.
It can bring sadness, numbness, anger, guilt, poor sleep or relief, often in waves, sometimes many months later. Rituals, routine and talking with others help many people. If grief makes daily life very hard for a long time, a counsellor or doctor can help.
Har ki Pauri is the principal ghat on the Ganga at Haridwar, where many families from North India immerse their loved one's ashes.
Family priests known as pandas keep genealogy registers here, often going back generations, and families may visit their panda to record the death. Haridwar is around four to six hours by road from Delhi depending on traffic. The evening Ganga aarti draws large crowds, so many families plan the immersion for the morning.
Iddat is the waiting period a Muslim widow observes after her husband's death, traditionally four lunar months and ten days.
The period comes from the Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:234). During iddat a widow usually stays at home, dresses simply and does not remarry; if she is expecting, it lasts until the child is born. How strictly it is observed varies by family and school of thought, and a local alim can guide specific questions.
An intercity transfer is moving a loved one from one city or state to another, by road or air, so the farewell can be held at home.
Carry the death certificate or MCCD, ID proof and, in medico-legal cases, police clearance. For long road journeys a freezer unit or embalming helps; for air, airlines require embalming and an approved coffin. Allow time for paperwork if the journey crosses state lines.
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Jain antim sanskar refers to Jain last rites: a simple cremation, held as soon as possible, accompanied by the Navkar Mantra and prayers of forgiveness.
Many Jain families arrange cremation within a day and avoid cremating after sunset. A lamp is often kept near the head and your loved one is not left alone before the cremation. Collecting and immersing ashes is not central to Jain teaching, though some families choose to. Practice differs between Digambar and Shvetambar communities, so elders or the local sangh can guide you.
Janaza is the Muslim funeral, and in particular the namaz-e-janaza, the congregational prayer offered for your loved one before burial.
The prayer is short, said standing, and usually held at a mosque, an open ground or the qabristan itself after ghusl and shrouding. Burial generally follows as soon as possible, often the same day. The local mosque or masjid committee usually coordinates the timing, the imam and the burial plot.
Kafan is the plain white cloth shroud in which a Muslim is wrapped for burial after ghusl.
In common South Asian practice, men are wrapped in three pieces of cloth and women in five, though customs differ between schools of thought. Kafan cloth is usually bought from shops near mosques or qabristans, often with attar and camphor. Many Hindu families also use the word kafan for the white cloth placed over a loved one.
Kapal kriya is the rite during an open-pyre cremation in which the chief mourner strikes the skull with a bamboo staff, symbolically releasing the soul.
It takes place partway through a wood cremation and traditionally marks the end of the ceremony for those present. It is not possible in electric or CNG cremation, and many families simply leave it out today. Whether it is performed is a family choice guided by the priest.
Kirtan Sohila is the Sikh night-time prayer, recited at the cremation once the pyre is lit, followed by Ardas.
It is part of daily Sikh prayer before sleep, which gives it a sense of rest at the close of a life. According to the Sikh Rehat Maryada, the congregation recites it at the cremation and then offers Ardas before leaving. Many families also recite it at home in the days that follow.
Kshamapana is the Jain practice of seeking and offering forgiveness, often with the words 'Micchami Dukkadam', recited at the end of a life and in remembrance.
Family members may say it on behalf of a loved one, asking forgiveness of all living beings for any harm caused. It is also recited at Jain prayer meetings after a death. The idea of parting without grudges is central to Jain thinking about death.
A legal heir certificate lists the surviving family members of a person who has died, and is used to claim pensions, dues and transfer utilities.
In Delhi it is called a surviving member certificate and is issued by the SDM or Tehsildar's office; you can apply on the Delhi e-District portal with the death certificate, ID of all family members and a signed self-declaration. Uttar Pradesh and Haryana issue similar certificates through their tehsil or revenue offices. It identifies heirs but does not by itself decide shares in property.
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A living will is a written advance directive recording the medical treatment a person does not want if they can no longer decide for themselves.
The Supreme Court of India recognised living wills in 2018 and simplified the procedure in 2023. It usually names a trusted person to make decisions, and is signed before witnesses and attested. Talking it through with family and your doctor helps everyone honour it when the time comes.
An MCCD is the medical certificate in which the doctor who attended your loved one records the cause of death, required to register the death.
It is issued under Section 10(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, on Form 4 for deaths in hospital and Form 4A for deaths at home attended by a doctor. The hospital usually sends it to the registrar and gives the family a copy. Crematoria and burial grounds often ask to see it, so keep several photocopies. In medico-legal cases the post-mortem report takes its place.
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An MLC is a medico-legal case: an injury or death that a hospital must report to the police, such as an accident, poisoning, burns or an unexplained death.
Once a case is marked MLC, the police are informed and usually decide whether a post-mortem is needed before your loved one is released. Families cannot simply waive this, though police may in some situations allow release without one. Keep the MLC number, as later documents refer to it.
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A mortuary is the cold-storage facility at a hospital where your loved one can rest safely until the family is ready, or until a post-mortem is completed.
Families often use it overnight while relatives travel or paperwork is completed. Hospitals have their own rules on hours, charges and who may collect, so ask at the front desk and carry ID. Post-mortems in Delhi NCR are done at designated government hospital mortuaries.
Mukhagni is the act of lighting the funeral pyre, traditionally by placing fire near the face of your loved one, performed by the chief mourner.
The person who gives mukhagni is often called the karta and leads the rites that follow. By custom this was the eldest son, but today daughters, spouses and other relatives also perform it, and many priests accept this. At electric and CNG crematoria the family usually performs a short symbolic mukhagni before the body enters the chamber. Ask the priest or crematorium staff how it is done at that site.
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Mutation is the updating of government property records, such as property tax or land revenue records, to show the heirs as the new owners after a death.
In Delhi, property tax mutation is handled by the municipal body, while village and agricultural land is updated in revenue records. Authorities usually ask for the death certificate, the will or succession papers, an indemnity bond and an affidavit. Mutation records ownership for tax and revenue purposes but is not itself proof of title.
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Nigambodh Ghat is Delhi's oldest and busiest cremation ground, on the Yamuna near the Red Fort, offering wood, electric and CNG cremation.
It lies on Ring Road behind the Red Fort, close to the old Nigambodh Gate of Shahjahanabad. Tradition links it to the Mahabharata era. Because it is busy, families often go a little early and keep the MCCD and ID ready.
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An NOC is a no objection certificate from an authority confirming it has no objection to the next step, such as releasing or transporting your loved one.
Families meet several kinds: a police clearance in medico-legal cases, an NOC from the Indian Mission abroad for repatriation, and sometimes a clearance requested by an airline. Each authority issues its own, so ask the hospital or police station exactly which one is needed and keep the original safe.
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A nominee is the person named on a bank account, insurance policy or investment to receive the money after the holder's death.
The Supreme Court held in 2023 (Shakti Yezdani v. Jayanand Salgaonkar) that a nominee does not automatically become the owner; the legal heirs or will decide final ownership. From 1 November 2025 bank customers can name up to four nominees. When a nominee exists, banks usually release funds with simpler paperwork than a succession certificate.
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An obituary is a published notice of a death that shares the life of the person and details of the prayer meeting or funeral.
In Delhi NCR families often place one in a newspaper and share it on WhatsApp or social media. A short obituary usually gives the name, age, a line on who they were, close family, and the date, time and venue of the prayer meeting. Check spellings of names and venue twice before it goes out.
A panchnama is the written record police prepare at the scene or hospital, in front of independent witnesses called panchas, describing the body and circumstances.
In a death the formal term is an inquest report, made under Section 194 of the BNSS when a death is sudden or suspicious. It accompanies the request for a post-mortem. Family members may be asked to identify your loved one or sign as witnesses; ask for a copy if you need it later.
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Pandas are hereditary priests at pilgrimage towns such as Haridwar who guide rites for visiting families and keep handwritten genealogy registers called bahi.
Families are traditionally served by the panda who keeps their clan's records, often found by native village or district. The register notes each visit, sometimes across many generations, and families often add the name of the one they have lost. If you don't know your family's panda, the priests at the ghat can usually help you find the right register.
Pind daan is the offering of pindas, small balls of rice or barley mixed with sesame, made to nourish and honour the soul of a loved one and the ancestors.
Pindas are offered during the days after cremation, at the thirteenth-day rites and later during shraddh. Many families also perform pind daan at pilgrimage places such as Gaya, Haridwar or Varanasi. A priest guides the mantras and the number of offerings, which vary by tradition.
Pitru Paksha is a fortnight in the Hindu calendar, usually in September or October, set aside for honouring ancestors through shraddh and offerings.
Families offer food, water and pinda for parents and ancestors, usually on the lunar day matching each person's death. Many avoid new purchases and celebrations during these days. Places such as Gaya, Haridwar and Varanasi are especially busy with families performing rites.
A post-mortem is a medical examination after death to establish the cause, usually ordered by police when a death is sudden, unnatural or medico-legal.
In India it is generally conducted by forensic doctors at a government hospital mortuary on the request of the police under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (formerly Section 174 CrPC). Your loved one is usually released to the family after the examination, along with the papers needed for cremation or burial. The report itself is shared later through the police or hospital.
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Pre-planning means recording your wishes for your own farewell and affairs in advance, so those left behind are not left guessing.
It can include rites and place, eye or body donation pledges, a will, nominees on accounts and a list of documents and passwords. Sharing it with one or two trusted people matters as much as writing it. Some families simply keep a signed note with important papers.
Probate is a court's certification that a will is genuine, which gives the executor named in it the authority to manage the estate.
Until December 2025, probate was compulsory for certain wills linked to Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai; the Repealing and Amending Act, 2025 removed that requirement. Today it is optional everywhere in India, though some banks or registries may still ask for it. A lawyer can tell you whether it applies to your loved one's will.
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Prolonged grief is grief that stays intense and disabling for a long time, in adults usually a year or more after the loss.
It was recognised as a diagnosis in ICD-11 and in the DSM-5-TR (2022). Signs include deep longing, feeling life has no meaning, and struggling with daily life long after the loss. It is not a failing, and it responds well to support from a qualified counsellor or doctor.
A qabristan is a Muslim burial ground, where your loved one is laid to rest facing the qibla after the janaza prayer.
Qabristans in Delhi NCR are usually managed by a waqf board or a local committee, which allots the plot and records the burial. Space is limited at several older city sites, so the masjid committee can advise which qabristan to approach. Keep the death certificate or MCCD handy, as the committee may ask for it.
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Rasam pagdi is a ceremony in which a turban is tied on the eldest son or heir, marking that he now carries the family's responsibilities.
It is common among Punjabi Hindu and Sikh families and in parts of Rajasthan and Haryana, usually on the chautha, at the Bhog or on the thirteenth day. The turban is often tied by an elder from the maternal side or the in-laws. Some families now include daughters in the role.
Repatriation is bringing a loved one who passed away abroad home to India, or taking them from India to another country, for the farewell.
Bringing a loved one to India needs the local death certificate, an embalming certificate, an NOC from the Indian Mission, the cancelled passport and a WHO-compliant packaging certificate, followed by clearance on the eCARe portal. The Indian embassy or consulate is the first call. Ashes travel with simpler paperwork than a coffin.
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A Sahaj Path is a complete, unhurried reading of the Guru Granth Sahib with breaks, often begun after a death and concluded within about ten days.
It may be read at home or at a gurdwara, by family members or by granthis. Its conclusion, the Bhog, is usually the main remembrance gathering. Families who want it completed sooner sometimes choose an Akhand Path instead.
Samagri is the set of ritual items needed for Hindu last rites, such as white cloth, ghee, sandalwood, til, flowers and bamboo for the arthi.
Lists differ by region and family priest, so ask the pandit for his list. Shops near most cremation grounds in Delhi NCR sell ready kits. Keep a little extra for the rites over the following days.
Sapindikaran is the Hindu rite that ritually unites the departed with the family's ancestors, usually performed on the twelfth day after death.
Through it the departed is no longer offered to as a newly departed soul but honoured among the pitrs, the ancestors. Some traditions perform it at the end of the first year instead. It is often followed by the thirteenth-day rites that close the mourning period.
Shraddh is the Hindu rite of honouring a departed parent or ancestor with food offerings, prayers and charity, held on the death anniversary and during Pitru Paksha.
The annual shraddh falls on the lunar date (tithi) of the death, so it moves on the calendar each year. Pitru Paksha is a fortnight in the lunar month of Bhadrapada (usually September or October) set aside for all ancestors. Families often feed a priest or the needy, offer pindas and give in charity. Practice varies widely, and many families keep it simple.
A shraddhanjali sabha is a prayer and condolence meeting where relatives and friends gather to remember a loved one and comfort the family.
It usually lasts about an hour, with bhajans or kirtan, a photo with flowers and a few tributes. In Delhi NCR it is often held at a community hall, gurdwara, temple or banquet hall, and may be combined with chautha, uthala or rasam pagdi. The date and venue are shared in the obituary.
A succession certificate is a civil court order allowing heirs to collect a loved one's debts and securities, such as bank deposits or shares, where there is no will.
It is granted under Part X of the Indian Succession Act, 1925, by the district civil court. Banks and companies may ask for it when there is no nominee or the amount is large. The process involves a public notice and court fee, so a lawyer's help is usually worthwhile.
Sutak is the period after a death in the family during which Hindu households observe restrictions such as not visiting temples or holding celebrations.
Many families observe it until the tenth or thirteenth-day rites, though the length varies by community and by how closely related the family is. Some texts call the death-related period 'patak' and use sutak for birth, but in everyday speech sutak covers both. Common customs include a simple diet, no festivities and pausing regular puja at home. Elders or the family priest can say what applies to you.
Terahvi is the thirteenth-day ceremony after a Hindu death, with prayers, offerings and a shared meal, which in many families marks the end of formal mourning.
It often includes havan or puja, pind daan, feeding priests and guests, and sometimes rasam pagdi. Some communities hold the closing rites on the tenth, eleventh or twelfth day instead. Families usually book a hall, caterer and priest a few days ahead.
SutakPind DaanRasam PagdiGarud PuranShraddhanjali SabhaRead the guide →
A tribute is a spoken or written remembrance of a loved one's life, shared at a prayer meeting, funeral or in print.
Tributes can be a few words from a grandchild, a eulogy at church, a photo display or a booklet. They need not be long or polished; a true memory often means most. Many families collect messages from friends to read aloud or keep.
Uthala is a prayer meeting after a death, often on the third or fourth day, after which the family 'rises' from the first period of mourning.
It is common among Punjabi and other North Indian families, and in Delhi many hold it together with the chautha. It usually includes prayers, a havan or kirtan, and condolences from visitors. Jain and Gujarati families hold a similar gathering called uthamna.
ChauthaUthamnaShraddhanjali SabhaRasam PagdiRead the guide →
Uthamna is a prayer and condolence gathering held by many Jain, Gujarati and Marwari families, usually within a few days of the death.
The name comes from 'rising', marking the family's return to daily life after the first days of mourning. It typically includes bhajans, the Navkar Mantra and a chance for friends to offer condolences. Timing and customs vary by community, so elders usually set the day. It is similar in spirit to the Punjabi uthala.
A wake is a gathering of prayer and remembrance with your loved one present, usually at home or in church the evening before the funeral.
Family, friends and parishioners come to pray, sing hymns and offer condolences. In many Indian Christian homes a rosary or prayer service is led by a priest or community members. If the wake is at home, a freezer box helps keep your loved one comfortable through the night.