Lighting the Flame: How Daughters Are Changing Hindu Funeral Traditions
More daughters across India and beyond are now performing last rites, gently changing the age-old tradition of only sons lighting the funeral pyre.
For a long time in Hindu families, it was believed that only sons should perform the last rites when someone dies. These rituals, called Antyesti (last sacrifice), help guide the soul towards peace or moksha (liberation). Lighting the funeral pyre, saying prayers, and doing sacred rituals were usually the son’s responsibility.
But today, things are slowly changing.
In many parts of India and even abroad, daughters are stepping forward to perform these sacred rites. In 2022, two sisters from Tumakuru, Karnataka, Varshini and Naganithya, carried their father’s body and lit the pyre. In 2024, in Fiji, Anshika shaved her head and performed her father's last rites. In Nepal, sisters Sangita and Sarala did the same for their mother. And in Delhi, Pooja Sharma has performed last rites for over 4,000 unclaimed bodies, giving them dignity in death.
Some old texts talk about sons doing the rites, but they don’t clearly stop daughters from doing them. Many priests and scholars now say what truly matters is the love, intention, and respect behind the act—not the gender of the person.
Traditions are important, but they can grow with time. More families now believe that daughters too have the right to say the final goodbye.
In the end, it’s not just a ritual. It’s a way of showing love and honour—whether done by a son or a daughter.
