Cremation is the process of reducing dead bodies to basic chemical compounds in the form of gases and bone fragments. This is accomplished through burning—high temperatures and vaporization. Cremation may serve as a funeral or postfuneral rite that is an alternative to the interment of an intact body in a casket. Cremated remains, which are not a health risk, may be buried or immured in memorial sites or cemeteries, or they may be legally retained by relatives or dispersed in a variety of ways and locations.

In many countries cremation is usually done in a crematory (or crematorium), but others may prefer different methods. An example is the common practice of open-air cremation in India.

Public cremation in Kathmandu, Nepal

A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term cemetery (from Greek κοιμητήριον: sleeping place) implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are the place where the final ceremonies of death are observed. These ceremonies or rites differ according to cultural practice and religious belief.

Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island

A cemetery in Kyoto, Japan

Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore, England

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : Crematoria, mortuaries and cemeteries