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

Families able to book private rooms to carry out prayers and rituals in sheltered space

- Shabana Begum Correspondent

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 predawn 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.