Death rites
The funeral ceremony is set out in the Rahit MaryadaAlternate spelling: Rehat Maryada. The Sikh Code of Conduct..
Once the person has died, the family wash the body and carefully dress it. The five KsFive articles which identify a Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa. remain on the body of an initiated KhalsaThe Sikh community, literally 'the community of the pure'. Refers particularly to initiated Sikhs. Sikh.
The bier (or, in the UK, the coffin) is then taken to a place of cremationReducing a corpse to ashes by burning.. The evening prayer known as Kirtan Sohila is said before the coffin is committed to the flames and a prayer is offered. The ashes are later scattered in a river either in India or in the country where the deceased person lived.
The mourners return home or to the gurdwaraSikh place of worship. Literally, the 'doorway to the Guru'. where relevant passages of the Guru Granth SahibThe Guru Granth Sahib is the most important Sikh holy book. It is a collection of songs, prayers and hymns from the Sikh Gurus and other holy men, as well as teachings from other faiths. It is treated as a living Guru. are sung. A prayer of thanks for the funeral ceremony is made and Karah PrashadSanctified food ( a sweet pudding made from wheat flour, sugar, clarified butter and water) distributed at Sikh ceremonies. is distributed to the congregation.
For the following 10 days, the whole of the Guru Granth Sahib is read by friends and family.
Those who are sent by God come into the world, when they receive the call to return they get up and go.