The cremation process is an important ritual that honours the deceased and aids in the soul’s transition.
An outline of the procedures is given in this article, covering everything from the preliminary planning and selecting the cremation technique to the last step of gathering ashes.
The crematorium has a flat fee of about Ksh 10,000 for members and Ksh 22,500 for non-Hindus. Once a booking is made, the first step is to clean the facility. For cremations in the electric kiln, staff ensure there is enough diesel, while firewood is stocked for traditional cremations. Notably, each cremation requires about 40 litres of diesel.
Cremation Day
When a hearse arrives, a brief prayer session is held before transferring the body onto a trolley for transport to the cremation chamber. For those using wood, the body is carefully placed on an open pyre, ensuring it is elevated a few meters off the ground. The body is positioned between logs, with sawdust placed beneath to help ignite the fire.
The cremation temperature reaches between 1,000 and 2,000 degrees Celsius, and the process lasts about one and a half hours, including the coffin. According to health ministry regulations, a family member is designated to light the fire. Families can choose to witness the cremation at an open kiln or opt for a closed one.
After the Cremation Process
Families can collect the ashes the same day or return the following day. If not picked up within a certain timeframe, the ashes are scattered on the crematorium grounds. Any remaining bones and ashes can also be stored in urns at the mortuary for relatives.
The ashes typically weigh between half a kilo and a quarter.
Why Hindus and Sikhs Choose Cremation
Hindus do not believe in bodily resurrection and thus do not prioritize preserving the corpse, unlike burial practices in Christianity and Islam. The body is seen as a prison for the soul, generating attachments that hinder spiritual progress. That’s why it’s cremated.
In Hindu funerals, cremation serves to sever the ties between the soul and the body, allowing the soul to move freely.
Sikh perspectives on cremation are similarly spiritual as Sikhs believe the soul is immortal. Cremation helps detach the soul from its physical form, allowing its journey back to the Creator.
For Sikhs, the cremation process respectfully returns the body to the five elements, with fire being one of them. Khalsa emphasized that cremation is a dignified way to return the body to the earth, relieving families of the burden of maintaining a grave.
Buddhism and Cremation
Cremation is also common among Buddhists, largely because the Buddha himself was cremated, although burial is permissible as well. In Nairobi, the most frequented crematoriums include Langata Crematorium, Hindu Crematorium, and Kariokor Crematorium.