Welcome to Sahara Funerals, We offer multicultural funeral services Sydney and welcomes a large variety of cultural backgrounds. The Australian community is a diverse county that welcomes an extensive array of cultural and religious groups.

Sahara Funerals knows and understand that when dealing with a loss of a loved one is difficult enough without having to look for a funeral director that will know and understand cultural and religious needs and requirements.

Our funeral director and highly experienced staff are fully aware that you will need to appoint a funeral director that will be able to understand and fit in within your families cultural and religious needs.

We have a huge range of religious priests available to you, they include Hindu priests, Sikh Priests, catholic Priests, Greek Orthodox Priests, plus many more religious priests and ministers. We also know and acknowledge that many Australian families these days require a priest, so we have appropriate civil servants such as clergy’s, monks and geomancers to meet the exact needs of your family.

Sahara Funeral Services are here to here to meet your needs and requirements; we can design and coordinate a funeral that is of significant to you and your family’s religious and cultural background. Throughout the years Sahara Funerals has learnt to accommodate all walks of life, culture, religions and backgrounds, please speak with our friendly and approachable staff to find out more helpful information.

To give you an idea on the type of religious backgrounds we can accommodate, Sahara Funeral in Sydney take care of look after Buddhists and families from Buddhist temples, monks and other across Sydney. We understand and acknowledge many of their traditions and we organise and design special services to meet the needs of Buddhists and their families.

Sahara Funerals are extremely experienced in Hindu funerals, we have a full comprehensive understanding of all of the cultural and religious rituals that are associated with Hindu funerals. We have Hindu Priests that are highly experienced and are part of a tight Hindu community throughout Sydney.

Sikh Funerals are also a huge part of our funeral services, we can provide a full comprehensive service to families that belong to the Sikh faith. Our friendly staff and highly experienced funeral director is ready and waiting to help assist you in any way they can. They will be able to provide you with a list of religious and cultural rituals that are implemented during this time.

We also offer funeral services for Christian funerals, our extensive funeral services that are available to you and your family. Our staff is ready to help and assist you in planning a send off for your loved one that will honour and respect their life. Nothing is too much trouble, please feel free to call our funeral director today to make a time to discuss your Christian family needs and requirements.

Sahara Funeral in Sydney is proud to support all religions and we are proud to announce that we are a multicultural funeral service within the Sydney area. We have an extensive knowledge on many religions and cultures. Our empathetic staff is always here to help and assist you and your family in any way we can. We have professional and highly experienced priests throughout all religions that are kind and understanding to your needs. Please feel free to call us to discuss your family’s religious and cultural needs, we are only too happy to help you and guide you through this difficult time.

How to Prepare a Death Notice For a Newspaper

When a loved one has passed away, usually a death notice is placed in the newspaper to announce the passing of the individual. This notice is paid for by the family and is the responsibility of the family, however here at Sahara Indian Funerals in Sydney, we are more than happy to help guide you through that process if you need our help or expertise.

Our friendly and highly experienced staff can give you informative hints and tips on how you can go about placing the death notice in your local newspaper. We are always here for you, starting from the very initial stages of meeting with you and your family, right through to the very end. So if you have any questions regarding the preparation and placing of the death notice, please let Sahara Indian Funeral Services know.

To begin with, the death notice usually contains information such as the main details of the funeral. The funeral notice should mention the name of the deceased, the date, time and where the location of the service and will be held.

The funeral notice may also contain other information such as the cause of death and the names of the surviving members of the family. Usually the information that is displayed in the newspaper is the responsibility of the person placing and paying for the ad, so the information should be as accurate as possible.

If some reason, you are having difficulty placing an ad in the paper, please speak to the funeral director at Sahara Indian Funerals so that we can place the add on your behalf. Our director will meet or talk with you over the phone to discuss the vital information that needs to be included in the death notice.

A basic death notice in the paper will include the deceased person’s full name, the date of the passing, the location of the funeral service and the date and time.

However may families like to include more extensive information about their loved one such as the cause of death and the names of surviving family members.

When preparing a more extensive death you may also like to include detailed information such as the date and location of the deceased birth, their religion, the school they attended, any additional studies they completed, such as university and any accomplishments, awards or honours they may have received.

If the deceased was in a military service such as the army or navy, you can mention their time in service, details of any awards they may have received, or what their time in the military service meant to them or their family.

Many people have hobbies and interests that take up a large part of their life, this includes any sporting clubs they belonged to and any sporting events they liked to enter. If you’re loved one was a very social person and liked to give their time to a charity, you can mention the details of their contribution to that association and how their time spent with that charity benefitted others around them and indirectly within the community. Sahara Funeral Services in Sydney also recommended mentioning any other special accomplishment that has not been mentioned above, however was of great service or accomplishment, sometimes it’s the little things that make that person special!

Quite often the person who has passed away, will leave or ask for special requests, these may include any donations to charities or sending the funeral flowers to a special cause.

Some Basic Hints & Tips For Writing A Death Notice

To begin with, it is extremely important to decide upon whom will be the person responsible for writing the death notice. If you are having difficulties in deciding, or just don’t feel like you can write it, then please remember that the staff here at Sahara Funeral Services in Sydney are here for you and would be able to make arrangements for you on your behalf.

The second thing to consider is that the information on the death notice is completely accurate. You may need to ask family and friends for additional information and details, so that the details are correct.

Also, you may like to look into the cost of the death notice, this may limit the amount of information that you would like to supply. The more information you give will result in costing extra. If your budget is limited, then we recommend that you keep it simple with the basic information such as name of the deceased, the date, time and location of the funeral service. If your budget permits, then adding the extra details of your loved ones life is not necessary, however nice for your family and friends to read.

Sahara Indian Funerals always recommends reading through the death notice prior to submitting it to the newspaper, look for spelling mistakes, grammar and basic errors, this will make it more legible.

Writing a funeral notice can be difficult, especially when it’s a very emotional time within your life, however it need not be done alone. We are always here for you, so if you need any help or guidance please feel free to ask one of our funeral director or one of our friendly and helpful staff members so that we can help guide you through this process.

Sikh Funeral Service

The Funeral Director and staff at Sahara Indian Funerals in Sydney are highly trained in most religious funeral services. Sikhism is one of the religions that we have extensive knowledge in and we are able to provide a full Sikh funeral service in Sydney to those families that belong to the Sikh faith.

Sikhism was originated in India in the late 15th century and is based on the teachings of the first Sikh guru Nank. Currently in modern day society, there are around 20 million practicing Sikh’s throughout the world.

When a Sikh family is looking for a funeral home and director, they usually look for someone who has a wide knowledge and experience about the Sikh religion so that the ritual and traditions are carried through , honouring their loved ones life. The family of the deceased is looking for a funeral home that will be sensitive to the Antam Sanskar, also known as the right of passage. This is where Sahara Indian Funeral Services in Sydney can be of great help and comfort to you and your family, we are extremely experienced and very sensitive to the needs and requirements of the Sikh religion.

Sikh Funeral Rituals

The Sikh religion believes that the soul itself is not subject to death and that death is only a natural progression to the journey from god. Because the soul never dies, Sikh’s mostly pray at the funeral so that the soul can be released and returned from the bonds of reincarnation back to god once again.

As part of the funeral service, Sikhs prepare a yoghurt bath for the body, all whilst reciting special prayers. After this ritual the deceased is dressed in new clothes. Once the body is dressed there are 5 main symbols that of the Sikh religion, these are of the Kesh, which is of uncut hair.

The next Sikh symbol is Kirpan, this is a Sikh knife that represents compassion and of one’s task to defend the truth. The third symbol is the one of Kara, this symbol is the steel bracelet and the fourth symbol is the Kachera which is the special Sikh Underwear. The last symbol is the Kanga, the Kanga is a small comb that is worn under the turban.

Once the 5 main symbols have been taken care of, and then there is usually a small ceremony that follows at the funeral home before the actual cremation takes place. To start the actual service there is usually an Ardas or community prayer.

The Granthi usually offers a few words, however this is completely optional. There are two main prayers that are said daily by Sikhs, one of which is the Japi and the other is the Sohila. After these two prayers have been recited then the cremation usually begins. Once the prayers have finished the funeral is usually completed, however they can also be said throughout the entire cremation. This service usually lasts around about thirty to sixty minutes. After the cremation there is usually a service at the Gurdwara, however this is completely optional.

The funeral director at Sahara Indian Funerals are always available for you and your family to talk to, in fact we are readily available 24 hours a day, 7 day’s per week, so if you have any questions regarding the preparation of your loved one, or if you would like to discuss the service or cremation please feel free to get in contact with us. We also understand that the family of the deceased will need comforting during this difficult time. We can arrange for the necessary memorial services that you may like to have at home, this of course is completely optional to you and your family.

Many families request readings such as Akhand Path or other readings such as The Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This is usually completed over a 48 hour period when read in Gurmukhi or 72 hour when read in English. Usually this process of the readings is read in turns by various people.

Sahara Funerals know that this time of morning is one of sadness and loss and that usually the families like to remember the good memories of their loved one and that they are returning home to god.

What Happens Before The Ceremony

Keeping in with The Sikh religion, the deceased will always be cremated within three days after the death. It is fair to say that it is appropriate to call the family of the deceased, however the general focus is not on sadness or loss, but rather on the joy and good times and that the body is returning home to god. Before the ceremony, the body is surrounded by beautiful flowers.

More About The Ceremony

To begin with, the pre-cremation ceremony usually takes place at a funeral home, followed by the post cremation service that then takes place at the Gudwara.

The guests usually arrive prior to the service so that they can take their place and be ready for when the service begins. The family usually sits at the front and the guests are usually seated wherever they wish. At the Gurdwara service everyone sits on the floor, usually facing the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book.

Keeping in with tradition, the men usually sit on the left and the women sit on the right, later on if any guests arrive then they may enter quietly and sit anywhere they like. When it comes to the Gurdwara, you may wait at the entrance until the Ardas or community prayer ends and everyone has been seated again.

Every family is different, depending on the Custom of the Sikh family, the body may be open for visitation before the funeral ceremony. As a guest you are not required to view the body, it is simply your choice, if you go to see the deceased, then offer a short prayer for the soul. When this takes place, the family usually will attend the ceremony only and nor before. When a family member arrives it is polite to offer your condolences.

At Sahara Indian Funeral in Sydney we are well aware of the customs and rituals that take place at Sikh funerals and highly sensitive and towards the family and deceased needs. We also know that there usually is only one person that is the major official of the ceremony, this is usually a close family member.

Officials at the funeral ceremony usually lead and recite the prayer in the Gurwara. The Granthi or Giani Ji, is the person who reads the Hukam from the the Sri Guru Granth Sahib which is usually chosen randomly by the reader.

To begin with the reading is usually read in the original Gurmukhi language and then later translated to English or the main language of the congregation per the request of the family.

Next, the attendants and the religious people who sit behind the Guru Granth Sahib, who wave the Chori, the long handled brushes that are made from horse hair, take away the scriptures and put them away safely. The attendants are also present to assist in any way they can and to serve a sweet Indian pudding called Prasad at the end of the service.

To praise god, Kirtanis and musicians are present at the ceremony so that they can lead the Sangat in the Kirtan. Along with the Kirtanis and musicians there is a master of ceremonies. This person is responsible for announcing guest speakers and how the order of service will progress. Quite often the master of ceremonies role is fulfilled by the Gurdwara’s secretary or the Granthi.

Usually when the order of ceremony is held at a funeral home, there is no particular person who instructs the order of the ceremony. However the Gurdwara service may have a written program and possibly the master of ceremonies may make announcements from on occasions.

If you are a non- Sikh, then there are no real expectations of you, except to stand and sit at the same time as everyone else does. Non –Sikh attendants are not expected to sing or bow or except the sweet Prasad pudding. In the Sikh religion the sweet pudding is considered a blessing.

The Cremation

Once the cremation commences, usually only the family members attend as the cremation can last many hours. To commence the cremation the Arda, the community prayer is recited and the minister usually offers prayers and says a few words. The Japji and the Kirtan Sohila are recited and the cremation begins. Usually guests don’t attend or participate unless the family of the decease invites them.

Sahara Indian Funerals in Sydney, will be able to help guide you and the family through all of the funeral arrangements and associated costs. They can guide you through all of the ceremony and cremation arrangements that need to be made prior to the funeral. Our highly experienced funeral director and friendly helpful staff are always there for you and your family. It is our honour to guide you through this difficult time and assist you in making the decisions that need to be made.

When attending a Sikh funeral appropriate clothing should be worn at all times. For males a suit with a tie is recommended or modest clothing to show respect, any colour choice is suitable. Shoes are permitted inside the funeral home, however not within the Gurdwara service. Your head should be covered with either a hat, scarf or turban.

Women should modest clothing, your legs should be covered, any type of long dress, skirt or pant suit would be expectable. Comfortable clothing is recommended as you will need to sit cross legged on the floor. You may wear shoes in the funeral home. However you will need to remove your shoes before entering the Gurdwara. Your head should be covered with some type of covering such as a scarf, dupatta or hat. The colour of your attire is optional, any colour would be suitable.

Gifts

Sending flowers to the deceased family is appropriate and always welcomed. If you would like to choose a charity to make a contribution to on behalf of the deceased please check with the family. This is much appreciated, however not expected in any way. You may bring food with you, however please keep in mind that food items such as meat, fish, eggs and alcohol is not permitted.

We Are Here To Help

At Sahara Indian Funerals in Sydney we welcome you to call us day or night to enquire and discuss with us any questions you may have. We are available to you and your family and are more than happy to assist you with any questions you may have. This includes before the ceremony and cremation, during the progression of the funeral and after the cremation ceremony.Please call us day or night we are here to take your calls 24 hours a day, 7 day’s a week.

We Also Specialise in Christian, Buddhist, Nepali, Sri Lankan & Hindu Funeral Services in Sydney.

How To Write a Eulogy

At Sahara Indian Funeral Services in Sydney, we are here to help assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! When your loved one has passed away, there are many things that need to be planned for the funeral and preparing a Eulogy is one of them.

Basically a Eulogy is a pre- planned speech that is given by a loved one or a friend at the funeral service. The Eulogy is given to commemorate and celebrate the deceased and is delivered by a family member, close family friend or the priest.

The Eulogy started way back in Ancient Greek times, this ancient tradition has carried over into modern times. Although not all religions include a Eulogy in the funeral services, many religions do, and here at Sahara Indian Funeral Services in Sydney, we support all religions and traditions and are more than happy to assist you and your family on ideas and how you can prepare the right and appropriate Eulogy for your loved one.

When preparing a Eulogy that honours and farewells your loved one, there are many key points that you can consider that will honour, share, express and respect the deceased.

There are various writing styles that can be implemented, these styles usually depend on the person and circumstance of the deceased. For example if the deceased was not close to you, however you have been asked to say an Eulogy on behalf of the family, then you may wish to consider including aspects of the deceased that include that persons history, career and achievements.

If the deceased was close to you on a more personal level, than you can include more personal topics such as memories, stories that you had shared. Writing a Eulogy is not something one writes everyday, so it can be very confusing and daunting. This is where our funeral home director and staff can assist you. We also have Hindu priests and other priests of other religions available that can assist you in compelling a Eulogy that will reflect your loved ones life.

A Eulogy doesn’t need to be one way or another, you can combine both types of writing styles and combine them into one. In general writing a Eulogy is almost a difficult task for many, however you can use this time to help yourself and other family members to start the healing process.

When writing a Eulogy, you may wish to consider important key points such as writing from the heart! Expressing your thoughts and feeling and what meant the most to you about that person is a good place to start. Even though this can be a task that seems unachievable at the time, please do remember that Sahara Funerals in Sydney is here to help you every step of the way!

Many loved ones feel great comfort in referring back to old photos from the past and compiling important moments in dates throughout the deceased person’s life. Special times and occasions that has meaning to both of you and your family is a good place to start.

Sometimes a piece of memorabilia that belongs to you or your loved one is a great place to start building the content of your Eulogy. Use the importance of that memorabilia and the memories
surrounding it to find the inspiration.

Sometimes something as simple as your loved ones special flower can spark a memory or special occasion surrounding that flower. Maybe the deceased liked to keep that particular flower in the house or within their garden. You can use those special memoires to include in your Eulogy.

If you are still lost for ideas about writing a Eulogy, then you may like to consider consulting with family and friends and other acquaintances, they should be able to shed some light and give you some valuable ideas. Writing their ideas, thoughts and memoires down on a piece of paper can also help you with the overall writing process. When you see these memories in black and white it quite often help the flow of the Eulogy come together much quicker.

Sahara Indian Funerals in Sydney are always approachable and our funeral director and staff are more than happy to sit down with you and give you suggestions on what you could include in your Eulogy. A Eulogy quite often contains content such as your feelings for that person, moments you shared, memories and anything else that you can think of that is meaningful to you or your loved one.

Some people like to use humour in their Eulogy, especially when their loved one was a funny or humourous person throughout their life. When appropriate humour can help lighten the mood and
relieve tension within the congregation of the people at the funeral that are paying tribute. The humour should always only be in appropriate situations and of good taste. You may wish to talk to other family members and friend to hear their feedback first, just in case humour may offend.

Many Hindu priests and other religious priest or celebrants suggest making a rough draft first, then having them take a look over it. This can help you to decide what content you would like t use and what content you would like to discard. Also they may also bring up religious points that you may like to add in that would commemorate their lives. Many priests have know the deceased all of their lives and may be able to share with you their very own thoughts and memories.

When compiling a Eulogy you should consider setting out your information so that it contains a beginning, middle and end, so that it flows and makes sense. Keeping your thoughts to a structured
sequencing can help your Eulogy flow and feel interesting to listen to. Once you have completed your Eulogy, make sure that you review it many times so that you feel happy and confident when you read it out loud at the funeral service. Practicing your speech a few times in front of another friendly will also make you feel confident on the day.

To give your Eulogy meaning you can also include meaningful content such as, nicknames that they were known as, when and where they were born and any special meaning that may have to you, their parents and how they met, their siblings and their names and interesting facts about their early childhood.

You can also mention in your Eulogy schools that they had attended and any achievements they had, the academic awards and qualifications they achieved during their school years and some interesting facts about their school days and early childhood.

Sahara Indian Funerals in Sydney also suggest that you add other milestones to your Eulogy such as their working career, any details about their marriage, any children they had including their names or any significant relationships they had throughout their adult life.

If the case the deceased where older, than it would be nice for you to include in your Eulogy the details and names of their grandchildren and what their grandchildren meant to them. You could also mention any hobbies that they may have had, for example they may have liked to have played sport, traveled or they had a keen interest in craft.

You can always add information such as their likes or dislikes, the type of music they liked to listen to or any saying they liked to say, or maybe they were known for their humour. Many people like to add special poem that had some type of meaning to the deceased or possibly a reading or lovely piece of music.

All of these are just some ideas that you can use when compiling a Eulogy, please remember that Sahara Indian Funerals are here for you and your family 24 hours a day 7 day’s a week. So if you need some assistance or just need someone to run things by, then our funeral director and friendly staff are always here for you. Please feel free to call us when you need us, we are only just a phone call away.