ABSTRACT
Funerary rites involve both orthodox rituals as well as conventional cultural practices. As far as the ritual observances are concerned, even today the funerary rituals follow more or less the same pattern, with the same mantras, as are recorded in the Vedas. The changes that have come about over the years are mainly in the conventional and cultural practices which have evolved over time. Cremation or burning by fire is generally the accepted mode of disposal of the dead body today, where burial is the norm. Cremation was also the preferred mode in Vedic times, though there is also evidence of burial in some cases at that time as well. In Hinduism there is no strict division of scripture versus non-scripture. In fact the word 'scripture' itself is an import from the West. The notion of an afterlife is determined by the karma that one has done in previous life/lives is also uniformly believed in.
