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Personal and religious items
- Many Hindu practitioners are likely to carry images of Gods or Goddesses and holy beads. These items need to be treated with reverence.
- Female Hindus of Indian ethnicity wear wedding jewellery and this should not be removed without permission from the family.
- Hindu males may wear a sacred thread and this should not be removed without permission.
- If for any reason the sacred threads and jewellery needs to be removed the family's permission must be sought and it should only be removed in their presence.
Use of religious symbols
It is not appropriate to display icons of Christianity in the mortuary area when a Hindu family is using the facility.
Interment ritual
Hindus will want to return the body of their dead relative to the earth as quickly as possible and before the next sunset if they can. The traditional method of disposal is cremation and the ashes scattered into a river. Some may return the ashes to the Ganges River.
Bereavement
Traditionally a Hindu family remain in mourning for a period of thirteen days, time secluded from the rest of their community and purifying themselves and their home. At the end of this period the community joins in a prayer service.
