Here's how they do it in... India

In addition to Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, and Jainism can also be found in India. The latter two are not found in any other country. One of the oldest religions in the world, Mazdeism (the religion of the Parsees) can also be found here. Parsis worship their God Ahura Mazda in temples where the eternal fire burns. Unlike Hinduism, they do not cremate their dead, but lay them in the open air. The corpses are food for vultures and birds of prey.

The different schools of thought within Hinduism have in common that it is believed that you go through different reincarnations and rebirths before you are reunited with Brahman, the primordial force.

Cremation sites are called 'burning ghats' and are recognizable by the ashes. In the city of Agra, an average of 10 cremations take place per day, with peaks of up to 50. About 300 kilos of wood are burned per body.

The deceased is taken to the site of the cremation on a stretcher. The body is washed with water from the river, the face is cleansed with butter. The body of the deceased is then placed on the funeral pyre and sprinkled with flowers and sandalwood powder. Then the funeral pyre is lit with a torch.

Crying is not wanted, it disturbs the flow of the soul of the deceased to its new destination. A cremation takes three to four hours. Only when the skull of the deceased is broken does the family pronounce the blessings.

Sixteen hours later, the family collects the ashes and scatters them in the river. Cremation is a men's affair. Women are not present. The offerer, a male member of the family, conducts all the rituals before, during, and after the cremation. Before the start he also has to clean himself, after the cremation special rules apply to him. During the 13 days that follow, he is not allowed to touch anyone, because he is unclean.

On the thirteenth day after the cremation, a priest pronounces a mantra during a ceremony in the house of the deceased. Then the family goes back to the order of the day. Several categories of deceased Hindus are not burned. Their bodies are entrusted to the water.

In Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world and a holy city for the Hindus, at least 200 cremations take place every day. One of the oldest and holiest burning sites along the Ganges has been in the hands of the same company for more than four thousand years. In Varanasi, the cremation is carried out by someone from the lowest social class. They are called the "untouchables" because they are constantly unclean. The fire is lit by the eldest son of the family. In Varanasi, women are welcome at the cremation. But here too, the following applies: don't cry!

• National Geographic: Death Along the Ganges River | The Story of God - YouTube

• Documentary on Manikarnika Ghat: Manikarnika: The Burning Ghat | Documentary on Manikarnika Ghat - YouTube