Why cremation is better than burial?

Bidding adieu to the departed person is always a painful task, no matter which way is acquired to say goodbye. But the argument, “Why cremation is better than burial?” has been a subject of debate for a long time. The followers of diverse religions, sects and subsects present compelling causes for proving their way of decomposing human remains best.

Well, scores of strengthening points may support “cremation” over “burial” but here we will discuss those points based on three major aspects.

• Cost-effective measures
• Environment saving measures
• Time measures 

These are the prime and most contributing reasons behind the selection of “cremation” over “burial” by a large number of people. Let’s know in a detailed manner about the common benefits attained by the departed soul as well as the deceased’s family while waving a final goodbye through cremation.

1. Cost Benefits in Cremation –

Based on a comparative analysis, cremation is found way cheaper than burial and any other decomposition process. Here are the prime areas where burial requires more amount than cremation.

• Embalming is an integral procedure included in the burial to keep the body safe for long hours before burial. Professional embalming costs high charges. In cremation, there is no need for embalming.
• Choosing a unique casket for a simple or green burial demands a hefty amount for the services. While in the cremation, there’s no need for a casket and other equipment to keep the body safe.
• The burial cost includes the separate charges for digging the burial.
• Before burial, performing the funeral is mandatory but in cremation, it can be skipped if the family wants to offer cremation quickly.
• The fee of separating or booking a place in the cemetery for burial falls on the higher side rather than booking a slot in the cremation ground or crematorium.

2. Less damage to the environment –

Though both ways of decomposing the human remains after demise exert a strong harmful impact on the environment, cremation holds a lesser share of it. The procedure of cremation is considered more environment-friendly than the burial. Here are the points that strengthen this notion.

• The green or modern cremation methods emit less heat energy and pollutants compared to the traditional ones. While in the burial, the soil gets contaminated for a long term.
• The biodegradable urns holding the ashes or remains after the cremation do not harm the environment in any way. On the flip, the wooden caskets carry several chemicals and paints which contaminate the soil.
• In the traditional cremation, the smoke produced from the burning of the logs of “Aam”, “Neem” & “Sandalwood” purifies the surroundings rather than spoiling them. It also consumes the negative energies available at the crematoriums.
• In modern electric cremation, the dead body does not leave a tiny residual bit after the completion of the process.

3. Less time consumption –

Cremation is the quickest ritual offered to a departed body to get amalgamated back into the universe. The traditional cremation takes a few hours to cremate the deceased body completely but the modern CNG or electric cremations take only a few minutes to decompose the dead body into ashes.

The intense heat and evaporation of the open flames transform the whole body into ashes in a few moments. After cremation, the family members can collect these ashes for another sacred ritual “Asthi Visarjan“.

While on the other hand, burial is a lengthy or time-consuming procedure for the decomposition of the human remains after demise. It takes months to decompose the dead body completely into the soil.

See also: How to send a Condolence message on death?

What are the other causes that compel people to accept cremation as more beneficial than burial?

Besides the three major reasons behind accepting cremation as an advantageous way of decomposing dead bodies, here are some more points that put cremation on the favourable side. A quick view at them.

• The cremated residues do not carry any kind of bacteria or germs which can further cause any health risk to the attendees at the cremation.
• The burial can make the soil infertile for a long time. Besides that, the contaminated soil can infect people on a large basis by consuming the edibles grown at those places.
• The cremated remains can be taken by the family members in the form of a memory for a long time. While there is no such concept in the burial.
• The simplicity factor of the cremation impacts the people on a massive scale. The quick booking of slots in the cremation ground, easy accessibility of “Antim Sanskaar Samagri” and less time-consuming rituals etc make it simple rather than burial.
• Finding and booking a favourable place in the cemetery can puzzle the family members for offering a dignified burial. But in cremation, you need not to find a separate place for the dead body.
• The flexible options available in the cremation exert an impression on the people. You can pick any kind of cremation from the wide range including – traditional cremation with the chanting of sacred verses, CNG cremation, Electrion and green cremation with the benefits of a quick process.

What is the proven religious stance behind the wide acceptance of Cremation over Burial?

According to Hindu scriptures, the body of any soul or jiva is considered a cage or prison for it. After demise, the soul is required to emancipate itself from all worldly ties. Cremation acts as one best manners to liberate the soul from the body and attain “Moksha”.

Not only does igniting the pyre ensure the attainment of peace, Mukti and dignity but the rituals performed before the cremation and the location of the cremation also play a pivotal role in purifying the soul.

Before cremating the deceased body, the family members cleanse the dead body with the sacred water of the River Ganga. It is believed that the river Ganga holds the potential to rinse off all the sins done unintentionally by the departed soul. Apart from that, the chanting of holy verses, mantras and narration of preaching on the life and birth cycle of humans help the mourning family members to calm their aching hearts.

A distinct religious yet scientific information about cremation –

To give a dignified farewell to the departed soul, cremation is commonly practiced in Hinduism. Now several other sects, castes, and creeds have also shown an inclination toward cremation. A proven theory has strengthened the belief of people in obtaining as well as providing cremation after death.

It states, “The cremation is the only process through which the energy of the deceased body gets assimilated in the universe without any delay.” While in other methods of decomposing the dead body, energy does not get infused into the environment which can further cause an imbalance.

What kind of cremations can be acquired by the family of the deceased to contribute to the wellness of the atmosphere?

Though the traditional wooden cremation holds a unique significance among the followers of Hinduism, you can contribute to the wellness of the environment by picking these modern ways of cremation.

1. Electric Cremation –

In several cities of India, the electric cremation setup has made a place in the highly advanced crematoriums. Now people can hand over the dead body of their beloved family member after performing all the last rituals. The authorities or workers of the crematorium put the remains in the giant electric furnace and after a few moments, the body turns into ashes.

2. CNG gas cremation –

The process of cremation through CNG is quite similar to electric cremation but in this method, a vast gas chamber is used in the place of an electric furnace. It does not produce any harmful gases like carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide during the procedure of body cremation.

Both of the cremation equipment pose a chimney setup that has an opening point at a good height. Besides this environment-friendly feature, such modern cremation is much less time-consuming. Unlike traditional cremation, these gas and electric crematoriums can be accessed 24/7 by the family of the deceased.

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