The concept of death in ancient Indian belief systems is extremely interesting. With the belief in incarnation strong in many Indian religions, death is seen as a transition from one life into another. For Hindus, the funerary ceremony, or antyesti, signiýes the separation of the soul from the body. For this reason, adults are usually cremated, with their ashes scattered either in a sacred river such as the Ganges. Buddhists in ancient India practised cremation, with monks chanting prayers to help the soul transition to its next incarnation. Stupas , found at monasteries, were hemispherical structures representing the burial mounds of the Buddha. While the central mound was plain, the walls and arches featured intricate engravings. The Buddha was symbolised through images like footprints shown in SOURCE11 rather than in human form. Stupas housed relics of Buddhist scholars and monks, and smaller stupas containing ashes were often used in family shrines.
SOURCE11 Engraved stupa walls at the Great Stupa of Sanchi, showing footprints of the Buddha with a wheel — the Ashoka Chakra — embedded in them
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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