You may already be familiar with the term cremation, right? Yes, it is one way of caring for the deceased by burning the body until only ash remains. The cremation process itself cannot be carried out independently, as it requires the services of a crematorium.
Cremation of the deceased is more commonly practiced by followers of Hinduism or Buddhism. However, some Christians and Catholics also choose cremation.
For those who are not yet familiar with cremation, read the explanation below.
Cremation Funeral Services
Cremation funeral services are services provided to care for the deceased through cremation, which is the process of burning the body until it becomes ash. This is one of the burial methods often chosen by families or by the deceased who wish for this process based on belief, tradition, or other personal reasons.
The following are some of the services commonly offered in cremation funeral services:
Collection of the Deceased
A team from the funeral service will collect the body from the hospital, home, or another location and transport it to the crematorium.
Preparation of the Deceased
This service includes cleansing, care, and dressing of the body before cremation. Sometimes, the family may choose particular clothing or accessories for the deceased to wear.
Ceremony or Worship
Before the cremation takes place, a ceremony or prayer service is usually held in accordance with the family's religion or beliefs. This may take place at the family home, a place of worship, or at the crematorium itself.
Cremation
The cremation is carried out at the crematorium, where the body is burned until it becomes ash. This process usually takes several hours.
Collection of the Ashes
After the cremation is complete, the ashes are gathered and placed in an urn. The family may take the ashes to keep, scatter them in a chosen place, or store them in a columbarium (a place for storing ashes).
Additional Services
Some cremation funeral services also offer additional services such as creating a memorial, storing the urn in a columbarium, or holding a ceremony to scatter the ashes at sea or another place the family wishes.
Cremation Procedure
Before cremating the deceased, there are several steps that need to be taken, as follows:
1. Completing Administration
Families who wish to cremate a deceased family member must first complete the administrative requirements at the crematorium.
The documents you need to prepare are the deceased's ID card (KTP), family card (KK), formalin certificate, a bereavement letter from the hospital, and a bereavement letter from the sub-district office (kelurahan).
The cremation procedure also requires documents from the person responsible, such as their ID card and family card. Once the administrative requirements are complete, the crematorium will handle the next stages.
2. Identifying the Deceased
To avoid any mistakes, crematorium staff will identify the deceased. During the identification process, the staff will also invite the responsible family member to witness it. The staff will attach a metal label to the body as an identifier so that it does not easily become damaged.
3. Bathing the Deceased
The next step in the cremation process is bathing the deceased. Once the bathing is complete, the staff will dress the body in clothing.
If the deceased is wearing jewelry, accessories, or medical devices, the staff will remove these items. The staff will then hand the personal belongings of the deceased over to the family.
4. Placing the Deceased in the Coffin
After bathing, the body is placed in a coffin. During the cremation, the coffin will also be burned along with the body. At this stage, family members usually have the opportunity to see the face of the deceased for the last time.
5. Cremation
The crematorium staff will move the coffin into the cremation chamber. The temperature required for the cremation is approximately 760 – 1000°C. To ensure that all body parts and bones are reduced to ash, the cremation process takes about 1.5 – 3 hours.
The duration of cremation can vary, as it depends on the equipment used. In addition, the size of the body can also affect the cremation process.
6. Collecting the Ashes
Even after the body has gone through a lengthy cremation process, not all of it turns into ashes.
Usually, you can still find bone fragments during the ash collection process.
The crematorium staff will collect the ashes and bone fragments and then place them in an urn. After that, the staff will also carry out the handover of the ashes to the family.
Benefits of Choosing Cremation
Nowadays, there are many event organizers funeral services that provide cremation services, Kamboja for example.
This is because cremation has many advantages, which has led to growing demand. Here are some of the benefits of cremation:
A. No Burial Plot Fees Required
After the cremation process, families usually scatter the ashes at sea. If you do not wish to scatter the ashes, you can keep them at home. This also makes cremation more economical, since there is no need to pay for a grave plot.
Moreover, burial plot prices are quite high today, as the availability of vacant land continues to shrink. Indirectly, cremation also helps preserve available land for the future.
B. Modern Methods
Cremation has been practiced for thousands of years, but it has traditionally relied on conventional methods. Today, more and more crematoria are adopting modern methods for the cremation process.
Modern cremation methods can of course be faster and more environmentally friendly. Crematoria using modern equipment usually produce fewer emissions, so they do not pollute the environment.
C. Practical
The cremation process does not take a long time. Families can also leave the crematorium and wait at home. Once the cremation is complete, the family does not have to come immediately to collect the ashes.
D. Columbarium Prices Are Lower Than Burial Plots
Aside from the quick cremation process, another advantage of this type of funeral is that there is no need to spend large amounts on a burial plot. If you do not wish to scatter the ashes, you can store them in a columbarium.
Storing cremated ashes in a columbarium allows you to visit the site for ceremonies and remembrance.
Although prices start in the tens of millions of rupiah, they are still far lower than the price of a burial plot.
E. Low Maintenance Costs
If you store cremated remains in a columbarium, you are of course required to pay maintenance fees, since staff will place the urn in a special room to keep it secure. However, these maintenance costs are still much more affordable than grave maintenance costs.
This is because graves usually require more upkeep, such as trimming grass, replacing damaged name plates or headstones, and much more.
F. Less Burden on the Family
Aside from the reasons above, another reason people prefer cremation is to avoid burdening the family left behind. This is especially true if the ashes are scattered at sea right after the cremation. As a result, the descendants of the family do not need to take care of or clean a grave.
Do You Understand How the Cremation Process Works?
After reading the article above, you should now have a clear understanding of how the cremation process works. The responsible family must prepare the complete documents needed for cremation. After that, the crematorium staff will handle everything until it is finished.
So you don't have to worry about cremation and funeral service costs when a family member passes away, we recommend you register as a member of Kambojaright away. There are three funeral protection packages to choose from, according to what suits you. Kamboja's office is located in West Jakarta, but we can also provide funeral services in Bogor..
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The Kamboja team writes guides on bereavement, funeral arrangements and funeral planning to help families in Indonesia.
