Antyesti (Hindu last rites)

Antyesti — the "final sacrifice" — is the Hindu funeral rite, the last in the traditional sequence of samskaras that mark the major points in a Hindu life from birth onward. Cremation is the standard form of antyesti for adults; the rites are designed to release the soul (atman) from the body and help it on its onward journey through samsara toward moksha.

Some traditions make exceptions to cremation, especially for very young children and for certain renunciates or ascetics. Families should follow the guidance of their own priest (pandit or purohit) and community custom.

In the UK, the rites are carried out across three settings: the home (preparation, vigil, puja), the crematorium (the chapel service led by the pandit, with Sanskrit prayers from the Bhagavad Gita, the Gayatri Mantra, and specific antyesti mantras), and the immersion of the ashes (asthi visarjan) in flowing water at a later date. The chief mourner — traditionally the eldest son, but in the UK often another close relative including a daughter — leads the symbolic acts at the crematorium where the role would once have been to light the pyre.

→ Hindu funeral traditions in the UK · Asthi visarjan · Faith-specific funerals

Last verified: 2 May 2026 against the Hindu Council UK guidance.