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Welcome to Indian Funeral Services

In time, each of us will inevitably face the passing away of our loved ones. Often, as the senior member of the family, one is faced with performing the last rites and providing for funeral services of your loved one, all at a time when you are emotionally distraught and cannot think properly. Most of us do not give sufficient thought when it comes to performing last rites. Therefore, the “Funeral Planning Committee” has developed a list of suggestions that may help you plan when performing last rites and also help in planning the funeral.

The physician (or his cross covering partner) who took care of the deceased, would provide it. Usually, funeral home manager will arrange to get the death certificate. In some situation medical examiner’s clearance is required, and sometimes an autopsy is mandatory. In that case, the medical examiner will issue a death certificate. Please print a copy of the death certificate from the attached website and review it prior to going to the funeral home.

Several options are available.

  • Cremation (or burial in some cases) without a funeral service.
  • Cremation (or burial) with funeral service.
  • Visitation a day before or on the same day of the funeral service. Open or closed casket. If the casket is left open for visitation or for funeral services, embalming is usually done to maintain and/or improve the appearance of the deceased.
  • On the day of the funeral service the following sequence usually works best:
    • The Priest does Puja with close family members and close friends approximately one hour before the announced time for the funeral.
    • As other guests arrive, they are requested to stand in line and proceed to the casket with the body, pay respect to the deceased, and briefly visit the family. Live or taped Bhajans are chanted during this time. Depending on the number of guests approximately 45 to 60 minutes are needed.
    • Eulogies are given after everyone is seated, depending on the attendance it may take 30 to 70 minutes.
    • The body is then taken to the crematorium for cremation. Only family members and close friends should be present during this part of the service.
  • A memorial service is optional, can be held on a separate day after the funeral service, usually on a weekend.

We have a working relationship with several Funeral Homes (see Appendix-A). Cremation is available on site at several places. Committee members have the details of the expenses. Most of the Funeral Homes have three or four plans available for cremation. Charges may range from $1800 to $3000 for a basic funeral and $3000 to $10,000 for a full-service funeral. Expensive items are embalming $600 to $950, caskets from $350 to $3500.

Following committee members have volunteered to be the “Coordinators” for the funeral service.

  • Narayan Bhatt
  • Pravin Mehta
  • Krishan Paul
  • Charu Shah
  • Ravi Shetkar
  • Chaitram Talele
  • Ajay Upadhyaya
  • Pramod Wasudev

Eulogies are usually given by family members and close friends. Live singing and chanting of Bhajans can be arranged most of the time. Background music tapes and Bhajan tapes may also be available at the funeral home, check with the respective funeral director for availability.

Program with details of the service, brief accomplishments of the deceased and the photographs is usually printed. Some funeral homes may do the printing and can compose a slide show of the photographs of the deceased. Florist. Some florists have agreed to do the specialty work like Garlands and Om to accommodate Hindu customs, please see the Appendix-B

These notices are usually given in the newspaper. Funeral home manager will assist you in preparing the format and submitting it to the newspaper. One can always prepare a draft ahead of time; also have a small photograph ready. Tennessean newspaper do not charge for the first five lines, then they charge $9.00 per line; they charge $45 for each photograph. Donations to charities in lieu of flowers. If your loved one has expressed his/her charity of choice, you can request your family and friends to make donations to that charity.
Tennessee law does not require that embalming has to be done. Funeral home has a prerogative-as a private business entity- to require embalming if there is a delay in making arrangements-usually 2 to 3 days. Embalming can reduce any potentially communicable biohazards or diseases. Embalming is required for inter-state transportation of bodies. Most of the funeral homes have cold storage and technically body will not decompose for several days without embalming.
Bodies of deceased persons are brought to this office because the law requires that the medical examiner investigate deaths of persons dying from “violence, or suddenly when in apparent health, or in any suspicious, unusual or unnatural manner.” The medical examiner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of their death. A body may also be brought to the Medical Examiner’s Office if the identity of the deceased or the next of kin is unknown. The costs for autopsies performed under the medical examiner system are paid for by our tax dollars, there is no charge. To have a body released from the Medical Examiner’s Office, the family must inform their office of the funeral director that has been selected. Medical examiner’s office will then directly contact the funeral director when the body is available for release. For details see the web site.
The Funeral Rule, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, requires funeral directors to give you itemized prices in person and, if you ask, over the phone. You do not have to accept a package that may include items you do not want, you have the right to choose funeral goods and services you want (with some exceptions). Also funeral provider may not refuse, or charge a fee, to handle a casket you bought elsewhere.
Some people wish to donate their organs at death. This is usually stated on the driver’s license. If organ donation is planned, expect some delay and thus plan the service accordingly.
Please discuss ahead of time with your loved ones your wishes about this sensitive but certain event. It should make things easier for everyone involved.
Plan to complete “Living Will” and “Healthcare Power of Attorney’ documents. If you already have one and are older than three years, then you need to update it.
Spend some time in completing this important document.