Rack up another new experience in India. My manager’s mother in law past away at 11 this morning. At 3 pm I was at the cremation ceremony for a Bengali style cremation. We walked into the cremation grounds and there were the open flame cremation section and there were a few fires going. To me it smelled like a barbecue, but remember I do not have a sense of smell. I could tell the air was heavier. We walked past that section into a big room that had 6 enclosed cremation stations with the mother in law in the middle of the building and the daughter fanning off the flies. The deceased was covered by a linen sheet laying on a splint like bed on the floor. We stand around for a few minutes and the ceremony began. The was a small platform step to get to wear the body was. Everyone took their shoes off before stepping up. First a man starting mixing up what looked like flour and flowers with water. The daughters were then handed a lump of this mixture and they dumped it into a bowl. Then they put water on the forehead and face of the deceased. Then each touched the feet of the deceased and said “Thank you Shiva” and a few other things in Hindi. Then the deceased was carried over to the cremation station. Then they starting putting what looked like oil on the face, arms and feet of the deceased rubbing it in well. The daughters continued to touch the feet and say “Thank you Shiva”. Then they covered the body in what looked like several other oils and herbs. Then placed the linen over the body showing only the face. Then it looked like they put puffed rice on the body. Then the incense were started and put under the chin. This started the flame and the body was pushed into the station. I saw the flames start in the station and then the door shut. It took about 15 minutes and without any emotions. When we walked out there was a place to wash your hands. I was told to wash my hands as a kind of a cleansing after the ceremony. Some people also washed their face and covered their hair with the water.

We walked over to the side and my manager came up to me and started talking work about a meeting I went to yesterday. He also took a phone call during the ceremony. It is definitely a different experience than the Christian Funerals I have attended.

There will be another ceremony in 3 days for the immediate family and another one in 13 days as the final ceremony.