Last Rites or Antyeshti (Hindu funeral rites) are performed according to the deceased’s caste and sect, and include cremation followed by ashes disposal in a sacred river. Antyeshti rites are the final sacraments (samskaras) in a series that should begin at conception and continue through each important stage of life.
When death is near, relatives and the Pandit are summoned, mantras and sacred texts are recited, and ceremonial gifts are prepared. The body is moved to the cremation grounds as soon as possible after death. The final cremation rites are performed by the deceased’s eldest son and the officiating priest.
For the next ten days, the mourners—the immediate family members—are considered impure and must perform certain rituals. During this time, they perform rites to provide the deceased’s soul with a new spiritual body in which to pass on to the next life. Ceremonies include the distribution of milk and water, as well as the distribution of rice balls. The ashes are collected and disposed of at a predetermined date, either by burial or by immersion in a river. Survivors continue to perform rites of remembrance for the dead, known as shraddha, at specific times.
Both men and women have equal rights in the Vedas, which means that the liturgical process can be performed by the deceased's family members, sons and daughters, parents, siblings, and so on. If no one has a family member, then this best work can be done by anyone.
The head should be pointing north, and the feet should be pointing south. This is known as Dakshinabhimukh.
After the Agni Sankar rites, you can prepare normal meal at home, according to Vedic tradition.
There is no similar structure in the Vedas.
Nowhere in the Vedas is there any reference of such a system. It is a widespread superstition.
According to Hinduism, Antyesti Sanskar (Last Rites) is the last sanskar of a human being. There is no sanskar or ritual left for any human being after this. In all religions, a dead body must be disposed of. Arya Samaj accomplishes this by burning the deceased body on a wood fire and offering a generous amount of Ghee and Havan Samgri. For this Antyesti Sanskar, the process is carried out in the manner of a Yagya, with the chanting of selected Vedic Mantras.
