Life Celebration in Ottawa
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The family of Inderjit Handa invite you to join us in honouring him with a Celebration of Life. This gathering will be an opportunity for all to come together in an offering of gratitude and farewell; to grieve, honour and celebrate his life and collectively wish his soul a peaceful onward journey.
As a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, teacher, entrepreneur, community member, neighbour and friend, Inderjit’s dharma was connecting with and caring deeply for others. In this spirit of caring and connection let us gather together in remembrance and lighten the burden of our loss by sharing our most cherished memories.
We hope that you can join us. Please RSVP on the form below if you are able to attend.
Return to the Ganga
Niravapanjali is a sacred ritual in Hinduism where after the cremation rites, the ashes are ceremonially immersed in holy water by the closest relatives, so that the soul may rise to heaven.
For many generations our ancestors have brought the ashes & bones of our loved ones to the Ganga River at Haridwar. Inderjit told that of one his earliest memories was a pilgrimage to Haridwar after a death of a family member. And so it was Inderjit’s wish to follow this ritual. His son Alex accompanied by Inderjit’s niece Neeru followed in the footsteps of their ancestors to make this pilgrimage.
Cremation
In the Auroville Forest, a traditional funeral pyre was prepared with care by the Farewell team. Family was invited to decorate the pyre with flowers and incenses. The pyre was lit by his son Alex, daughter Tanja and great-nephew Rahul. Those in attendance sang mantras. When leaving, each person said a prayer to break the relationship with Inderjit’s earthly body and wish his soul a good voyage to the next life. This was a ceremony of great beauty and emotion. It was a deeply human experience knowing that since pre-history this was how our ancestors departed.
Viewing
Inderjit’s body was in viewing at the Farewell temple in Auroville. Family were able to be with his body one last time. Prayers were said. And his soul was assured that it could depart peacefully. It was one last chance to say Thank you & Goodby. The team at Farewell were angels. The took great care and provided great comfort to the family. We thank them with all of our hearts.
The video below is a virtual viewing.