Dedicated facility for post-death Hindu rites opens at Changi Beach

SINGAPORE - The Hindu community now has a sheltered space to perform seaside rituals for their departed loved ones with the opening of a new facility at Changi Beach.

Announced five years ago, Karma Kaariya Nilaiyam - a one-storey building with four private halls - was officially launched on Dec 29 and is located next to Carpark 2 of the beach.

Families can book the private halls online to carry out post-death Hindu rites or Karumathi prayers, performed on the 13th or 16th day after cremation, said the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB), which funds and manages the facility.

Previously, most families would place a mat on the ground at Changi Beach to prepare for and carry out the rituals, typically in the pre-dawn hours. This left them exposed to a dark environment, heavy rain and winds, HEB secretary Satish Appoo told the media on Dec 29.

Families had to take along their own light sources, and the only sheltered spaces available were empty beach pavilions, he added.

"This facility provides a calm, dignified and respectful environment. Families are still mourning, so they need privacy to focus on these rituals," added Satish.

Karumathi prayers are Hindu rites that mark the formal conclusion of the roughly two-week mourning period.

Traditionally, the prayers involve family members gathering at home and by the sea to perform rituals, prayers and water offerings. These offerings, which include rice balls, are to be dispersed at sea. The rites are intended to provide spiritual closure for both the dead and their families.

The new site will be used only for post-death rites, not for the scattering of ashes, Satish added.

Bookings for a two-hour slot can be done online at www.kkn.org.sg with a $50 fee payable via PayNow.

The user will then receive an e-mail and SMS with an access link to the facility and hall. Families can enter the facility by clicking the access link on their phones at the building's automated gate.

Each hall accommodates up to 12 people, and larger families can book two halls if needed, as dividers separate the four halls.

Karma Kaariya Nilaiyam is a self-service facility with a cleaner on site. It took one and a half years to build, with a construction cost of $550,000.

Satish added that securing the land took time due to its beachfront location and the need to liaise with three government agencies. Changi Beach Park is managed by the National Parks Board, and HEB also worked with the National Environment Agency and the Singapore Land Authority.

In May, HEB conducted a three-month trial of the facility with three temples to iron out operational issues in using the site.

Since then, about 100 families have used the facility to conduct Karumathi prayers through the three places of worship: Sri Sivan Temple, Sri Arasakesari Sivan Temple and Sri Thendayuthapani Temple.

Veerappan Ramesh, a priest at Sri Arasakesari Sivan Temple, said the Hindu community has been requesting such a sheltered facility for years.

"Families told me they are happy with the new facility. It is particularly helpful during rain, and the privacy ensures that the rituals won't disturb beachgoers. There are chairs for the elderly. It's a useful facility," added Veerappan in Tamil.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.