We have taken you through the journey of taboos, stereotypes, languages ​​and marriages in India. Now I would like to share with you how Indian culture celebrates funerals. On this trip you will learn what is acceptable to wear to funerals, where funerals take place, what is done with the body after the funeral and mourning in India compared to what the United States practices . You will notice that there are many differences in funeral traditions from India to the United States. When a person in India is close to death, a priest is usually contacted along with their family members to be with the dying person. Meanwhile, the family and the priest continued to recite mantras or have them recorded. Mantras are chants. On the morning of the funeral, family members will take baths to purify themselves. In India, they do not use funeral homes, as is typical in the United States for wakes, and it would be rare for a burial to take place within 24 hours in the United States. Here, in many cases, a wake ceremony is held, followed the next day by a funeral usually in a church. It is not appropriate to cook at the home of the deceased on the day of the funeral in India. Therefore, it is common for visitors to bring food, such as fruit, to funerals. In the United States, it is acceptable to cook at the deceased's home on the day of their death. However, it is also common for family and friends to provide food for the family. During Teravih, family members of the deceased must follow many rules. They are not allowed to attend religious functions, eat certain foods, wear new clothes, or participate in cultural activities or festivities. After a year, all the elderly members of the deceased come together for the Shraad ceremony. The 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th days after the person's death are also important, as all the loved ones come together to have a meal of the deceased's favorite foods. A small amount of food is offered before its photo and later it is ceremonially placed in an abandoned place, with a lit diya. In the United States, the family often gathers for a meal and drinks immediately after the funeral ceremony. As you can see, there are several differences in the way funerals are observed in India and the United States. It's really amazing how there are so many differences and really not too many similarities between the two fields. I hope you all enjoyed our overview of India and learned a few things about India that you didn't know.