Bhajan = Devotional songs

Brahma = Creator

Burial = Placing the body in the ground following death.

Burial Flag = A flag which is furnished by the government to honor the memory of the veteran’s service to his country, and is displayed during the funeral of the veteran.

Burial Permit = A legal document used for used to authorize burial, cremation, scattering or disinterment.

Chandan = Sandalwood

Chandra = Moon

Chita = Fire pit, set up with piles of wood to cremate body

Casket = A container designed for human remains, usually constructed of wood, metal, fiberglass, or plastic. It is often ornamented and lined with fabric.

Cemetery = Land that is reserved for graves, tombs, or cremation urns. Cemeteries may be privately or publicly owned.

Chapel: A large room located in a funeral home in which funerals or memorial services can be held.

Closed Casket = A visitation where the casket is closed, and the body is not available for viewing.

Columbarium = A Latin word, meaning “dovecote”. So-called because the way the funerary niches are placed, side-by-side, resembles a dovecote. An indoor “cemetery” that enables people to visit throughout the year, protected from the elements. In addition to the cremation urn or urns, small objects, photographs, and even children’s drawings are also often kept in the niche.

Committal Service = The portion of a ceremony that involves speaking last words just prior to burial.

Commemorative Service: A service or ceremony in memory of the deceased, without the presence of the body.

Cremains = A term occasionally used instead of "cremated remains" or "ashes."

Cremated Remains = Also known as "ashes," the cremated remains are the material that remains after a body has been cremated.

Cremation: The reduction of remains into small bone fragments through intense heat. The body is generally placed in a cremation container. There can be no doubts as to the identity of the deceased: each crematory (retort) can only receive one body at the time and deceased’s name is identified in three places. Cremation, which takes about two hours, takes place at temperatures of 900° C. The ashes are then put into a sealed urn. Sometimes, a small quantity of ashes may be put into a keepsake urn or cremation jewellery. Loved ones may thus keep a small amount of the ashes.

Cremation Jewelry = A special type of memorial jewelry which includes a small amount of the cremated remains (ashes) of the deceased.

Crematory or Crematorium = The facility where cremation of a human body takes place.

Crypt (funerary recess): A space in a wall built to receive a casket, then sealed and covered with a white marble plaque with an inscription about the deceased.

Deepa = Oil or Ghee Lamp

Deva = God

Deva Loka = World of Gods

Death Benefits = When a person dies, the survivors may be eligible for pension and / or insurance benefits.

Death Certificate = A death certificate is required by law after a person dies. Two parties must complete the death certificate – a medical professional (either a physician, coroner, or medical examiner) who will certify the death by noting the cause of death, time of death and the identity of the deceased; and a samshan ghat who will confirm that the body was properly handled.

Direct Burial = A simple burial with no viewing or visitation, which usually involves only the transportation, care, of burial of the remains.

Direct Cremation = A simple cremation with no ceremony, viewing or visitation.

Donation “IN MEMORY OF” (In Memorium): A donation made to honour the deceased, made to a cause or an organization in particular. These donations may often be made in lieu of gifts.

Double Crypt: A crypt designed for two caskets lying side by side.

Disposition = This term refers to the placement of cremated or whole remains in their final resting place.

Embalming = The process of temporarily preserving a body through the use of chemical injections and topical applications to maintain a life-like appearance through the viewing and funeral ceremonies. Embalming should be considered a temporary measure that provides the family with time to complete funeral preparations, make travel plans, etc., rather than a long-term preservation of the body.

Eulogy = A speech delivered at a funeral service in honor of the deceased. The person delivering the eulogy is usually a close friend, priest, or family member, or other person of significance to the deceased.

Funeral = A ceremony that honors, celebrates, and remembers the life of a person who has died.

Full Couch Casket: A casket with a cover that opens completely.

Funeral Cortege OR Procession: The convoy of vehicles accompanying the hearse from the funeral service to the cemetery. May also apply to mourners following the casket as it is brought into and taken out of the church.

Funeral Director = At a funeral home, the staff member who works with a family to arrange burial, cremation or other funeral services.

Funeral Escort = Individuals who escort a funeral procession to the cemetery.

Funeral Monument OR Marker: Commonly referred to as headstones, they are usually made of metal or stone and include information such as the person’s name, date of birth and death, symbols and a tribute. They are called monuments when they stand upright.

Funerary Recess(crypt): A space in a wall built to receive a casket, then sealed and covered with a white marble plaque engraved with an inscription about the deceased.

Funeral Service = The services which may be used to care for and prepare human remains for burial, cremation or other final disposition. Funeral Services also include the arranging, supervising or conducting the funeral ceremony.

Ganga Jal = Holy water (Water from river Ganges)

Grave = An excavation in the earth for the purpose of burying the deceased.

Grave Marker = Grave markers, commonly known as headstones, tombstones, or gravestones, are placed over the grave to mark the resting place of the deceased

Graveside Service = Also known as a “committal service,” the graveside service is held at the gravesite before the body or urn is buried, or in the crematory chapel prior to cremation.

Green Funeral = A funeral designed around concepts, practices, and options that are considered "eco-friendly," for example, the use of biodegradable materials for burial containers, etc.

Haldi = Turmeric

Havan = Worship of Agni

Half Couch Casket= A casket in which only half of the cover opens to show the body of the deceased from the waist up.

Hearse= A vehicle built to carry a casket from the funeral to the cemetery.

Inda = Cooked rice balls

Immediate Burial = The direct burial of the deceased usually performed without embalming, or a formal viewing, visitation, or ceremony. A simple graveside ceremony may be held instead.

Inflation-Proof Contract = An inflation-proof contract must be funded 100% in advance. The prices of services and merchandise are guaranteed to be covered at the time of need, despite any cost increases due to inflation.

Interment of a Casket= The burial of a casket in a cemetery or the placement of it in a mausoleum, which is, in a way, an indoor cemetery. The casket is placed in a crypt (also called a funerary recess), which is a space in a wall, then sealed and covered with a white marble plaque engraved with an inscription about the deceased.

Interment Of Ashes (in an urn) = Burial of an urn in a cemetery. The urn may also be kept by the loved ones, or inurned in a columbarium. In Québec, many cemeteries do not bury ashes in the winter because the ground is frozen.

Inurnment= Interment of an urn inside a niche in a columbarium. Small objects, photographs, and even children’s drawings are also often kept in the niche.

Interment = The act of placing a body in a grave or tomb.

Irrevocable Contract = An irrevocable contract must be used solely for the purpose of paying for funeral expenses. Most people choose to make their pre-funding irrevocable because they want to ensure that the money will be there to pay for their funeral in the future.

Jal = Water

Kalash = Pot made up of copper or silver

Kumkum = Holy Red powder

Keepsake Jewelry = Keepsake jewelry, also known as funeral, memorial, or remembrance jewelry, is a deeply personal type of jewelry that honors the deceased and provides the wearer with a tangible remembrance of their loved one that can be kept close at all times.

Loka = World

Moksha = Liberation or Salvation

Mass Card = In the Catholic religion, a Mass card indicates that a Mass for the deceased has been arranged.

Mausoleum = A public or private building specifically designed to preserve human remains. It is usually a permanent, above-ground final resting place.

Memorial Jewelry = Memorial jewelry, also known as funeral, keepsake, or remembrance jewelry, is a deeply personal type of jewelry that honors the deceased and provides the wearer with a tangible remembrance of their loved one that can be kept close at all times.

Memorial Service = A ceremony held to honor the deceased without the body being present. In the case of cremation, the urn containing the cremated remains may or may not be present.

Natural Burial = Also known as “green burial,” natural burial practices are characterized by their simplicity and natural aspects. Advocates of natural burial believe in letting nature take its course at the burial site, with as little interference or disruption from the burial as possible.

Next of Kin = The deceased person's closest living relative.

Niche = A recessed space in a wall or in a columbarium used to place urns containing cremated remains. Small objects, photographs, and even children’s drawings are also often kept in the niche.

Obituary(death notice): A notice published in a newspaper or on the Internet that announces the death of a person, provides details about the funeral, lists the survivors and provides details about the person’s life.

Officiant = The person who leads the funeral or memorial service.

Outer Burial Container = Also known as a "vault" or "grave liner", this is a structure made of concrete, metal, or wood that supports the casket in the ground and helps to keep the grave from collapsing.

Pinda = Cooked rice balls

Pindadaana = Donation or offering Pinda

Pitru (Pitre’) = Forefathers

Pitru Loka = World of Forefathers

Pooja (Puja) = Worship

Praayashchitta = Firm Commitment

Preta = Dead Body

Preta loka = World of dead/ ghosts

Prithwi = Earth

Puncha = Five

Pall Bearer = A person who helps to carry or escort the casket during a funeral.

Plot = A measured piece of land in a cemetery for which a family or an individual purchases interment rights. A plot generally contains two or more graves.

Preneed = The act of making arrangements for a funeral, memorial, ceremony or other service/plans prior to death. Advance planning can involve simply recording one's wishes (preplanning), or making financial arrangements (pre-paying). Also known as "Advance Planning." 

Prearrangements (preplanned funeral arrangements): Contract between a person and a funeral home that determines what should be done after that person dies: viewing, cremation, funeral.

Private Family Mausoleum: An above-ground structure, sometimes within a larger mausoleum, built to serve as a resting place for from two to twelve people, usually members of the same family.

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Rudra = Lord Shiva (destroyer of evil)

Register= A book to record the names of people who come to the funeral home to pay their respects. There is also space to record other information, such as the name, date of birth and death of the deceased, the name of the celebrant, the location of the final resting place, the time and date of the funeral, list of flowers received, etc.

Revocable Contract = A revocable contract can be cancelled or “un-funded” at any time, and the released funds can be used for any purpose.

Samskara = Sacraments

Sapindikarana = Joining of the Pinda

Shraadha =Rituals done after cremation

Shruddha = Faith, True loyal belief

Smashaan = Place for cremation

Surya = Sun

Swarg Loka = Heaven

Swarga = Heaven

Salon/Parlour= Room in a funeral complex where the family and loved ones come together.

Sympathy Card= Card sent to the family of the deceased to express condolences.

Scattering = The act of distributing the cremated remains (ashes) of the deceased as an act of remembrance.

Scattering Garden = A plot of land set aside for scattering the cremated remains. The scattering garden is usually owned by a cemetery or crematory.

Tej = Fire

Tulsi = Holy Basil leaves

Totten Trust = Funds from a Totten trust or Payable On Death (POD) accounts are earmarked to cover anticipated funeral costs. When the covered person dies, the money passes automatically to a designated beneficiary without having to go through probate. The funds are intended to be used to cover funeral expenses, but the beneficiary has the freedom to use the funds however they wish.

Traditional Funeral = A traditional funeral service is held in the presence of the deceased. The body may be either in an open or closed casket. The funeral service usually takes place within two or three days of the death.

Undertaker = Also known as the funeral director, this is the staff member who works with the family of the deceased to arrange the funeral, cremation, or other funeral services for the deceased.

Urn= A container in which the cremated remains are placed.

Urn Vault = A small reinforced container used to house a cremation urn that is buried in the ground.

Vaikuntha = Heaven

Vayu = Air

Vidhi = Rituals

Vishnu = Lord supports Sustain life

Veteran = Someone who has served, as a member of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard).

Viewing/Visitation= an event that enables survivors and friends to see the body of the deceased in private, usually in a room in the funeral home.

Vigil = A Roman Catholic religious service held on the eve of the funeral.

Wake = A watch kept over the deceased, held the night before the funeral. It may last the entire night.

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