While the followers of the Abrahamic religions traditionally bury their departed, a very large majority of Hindus practice cremation to take care of their dead. Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains (and also Indian Zoroastrians living outside India) also cremate their departed. After cremation, Hindus sprinkle the ashes into rivers, or an ocean or sea. With Pennsylvania House of Representative Dr. Arvind Venkat’s help, we now have a spot on the Allegheny River to sprinkle the ashes.
Indians started arriving in the US in small numbers starting in the 1960s as graduate students and trainee physicians. After their studies, many stayed, taking up jobs in hospitals, universities, or in corporate research labs. Then, during the IT boom starting in the 1990s and Y2K, a large number of Indians landed in the US. Today, we are totaling over three million. Even in Southwest Pennsylvania, not a magnet for Indian immigrants, Indian-origin people today are over 20,000.
In earlier years, Indians who cremated their departed took the ashes to India and sprinkle them in the water bodies of their choice. But as our numbers grew, this was not practical because of time and resource constraints.
Many who read this may wonder, why cremation at all for Hindus. One idea I find illuminating for cremation for taking care of the dead is the Indic beliefs in rebirth. Our body is only a temporary residence for our Atman (indwelling spirit, or any other name you want to give), put together by Brahman (the All-Powerful Transcendental Thing, Mother Nature, or any word you want to give).
Nature has designed our body, the dwelling place for our Atman, with a unique combination of the five elements (earth, water, air, fire, and space). During gestation and after birth, the same five elements nurture us throughout our life. When we end our life here, we leave behind the five elements one by one.
We come out of nothing; we also want to leave behind nothing. That is why, after cremation, we sprinkle the ashes into a sea or ocean, or into a flowing river. After this, there is not a trace of anything that is uniquely identifiable with us.
So, here in Pittsburgh, we have been sprinkling ashes into local rivers, often at early sunrise, not to get the attention of city officials or law enforcement personnel. Many of us were — I certainly was — wondering if we were violating any local regulations.
So, I wanted to approach local elected officials on this matter. But I did not know how to approach. And where to begin for dealing with the proverbial American City Hall bureaucracy’s labyrinth.
Then, in 2022, Dr. Arvind Venkat became the first Indian-origin elected member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the Harrisburg General Assembly, elected from District 30. When I broached the subject with Rep. Dr. Venkat at the end of 2023, he listened to the situation. Initially, he was not sure if it was possible at all to get approval from local/county/state governments. He was in the early days as a first-term member of the Harrisburg General Assembly. He told me he would look into it and asked me to send a request with some background information.
Som Sharma, our student-teacher of Vedanta and a long-time resident here active in interfaith gatherings for over 40 years, and I submitted a request to Rep. Dr. Venkat in January 2024. It had information on the number of cremations done annually in our area and the religious significance of sprinkling the ashes into flowing water bodies. Rep. Dr. Venkat, in the middle of learning the ropes as a freshman member of the Harrisburg legislature, took time to follow up on our request.
Six months later, after many inquiries among city, county, and state officials, in July 2024, the Office of Films and Event Management, a division of the Department of Public Safety in Pittsburgh Mayor’s Office, clarified to us that “activities such as this do not require a permit from the City of Pittsburgh so long as they are small ceremonies.”
So, we can perform our very last duty to our departed without any anxiety about whether we are violating any local regulations. The city officials have recommended a spot along the Allegheny River, close to the David Lawrence Convention Center. Here are the key excerpts from the letter:
“In regards to the scattering or immersing of ashes into the City’s inland water ways, activities such as this do not require a permit from the City of Pittsburgh so long as they are small ceremonies.
“The City of Pittsburgh does not regulate the scattering of ashes, but it is strongly recommended any scatterings follow all posted Environmental Protection Agency guidance on the subject.
“Recommended locations include the river walk at the bottom of 10th Street under the David L Lawrence Convention Center. If there is to be larger (30+ individuals or exclusive use of public property) ceremony or event associated with the scattering, please check with the Office of Film & Event Management at ofem@pittsburghpa.gov to determine if a special event permit may be required.”
The Three Rivers are our lifeline. Please be sensitive and do not add large amounts of biodegradable materials — such as flower garlands, etc — into the river along with the ashes. You may add only a few rose/flower petals along with the ashes to solemnize your last duty to your departed. For the official letter from the Mayor’s office, click here.
And now, with the city hall clarifying that small ceremonies like this do not require a permit from the City of Pittsburgh, we can perform our very last duty to our departed without any anxiety about whether we are violating any local regulations.
We all owe our thanks to Rep. Dr. Arvind Venkat for taking up our request in the early days of his first term, something many elected officials rather would not do before they even get their feet wet in holding any elected public office. Please feel free to send Rep. Dr Venkat your Thank You note here. END