Hindu Last Rites in Malta Stuck in Bureaucracy

Los Angeles/Oct 01, 2026
NRipress.club/Ramesh/A.Gary Singh

Although the cremation issue was raised in Malta Parliament in 2017, there is still no operational crematorium in Malta, and if everything goes on schedule, optimistic estimates place it around 2029.

Malta, not having a mechanism for the cremation of deceased Hindus, was forcing the community to bury their loved ones in contradiction of their long-held beliefs that burial hindered soul’s journey; Hindu statesman Rajan Zed said in a statement in Nevada (USA) today.

Although the Planning Authority approved the outline permit a few days back, a full permit is still required, which would involve crossing many bureaucratic hurdles. The law allowing cremation was passed in Malta Parliament in 2019, but a working crematorium is still nowhere in sight to the public for cremation of their loved ones, resulting in Hindus feeling abandoned; Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stated.

Rajan Zed emphasized that the Malta Government’s endless procrastination and continuous bureaucratic foot-dragging on this basic religious necessity was not merely a construction or planning issue—it was a matter of human dignity, religious freedom and equal treatment. A modern European nation should not leave grieving families without a dignified way to bid farewell to their loved ones according to their faith. Malta must act now, not promise action for another distant year.

Zed called upon the Malta Government to set firm, public timelines for the crematorium, remove all avoidable obstacles, and ensure that no community was left waiting years to perform the final rites its faith demands. Bureaucratic inertia must not be allowed to override the dignity of the dead or the religious rights of the living.

Rajan Zed also urged the Malta Government to subsidize cremations abroad till a proper crematorium is built and available for usage in Malta.

Basic cremation abroad reportedly starts from €4,000, but added options can raise the cost. Many non-Hindus in Malta now reportedly also prefer cremation over burial. Pet cremation, however, is available in Malta. With a functioning crematorium in Malta, direct cremation will reportedly cost about €1,900.

If the Government was presently unable to offer subsidy for cremations abroad, then in the meantime, Hindus should be allowed to cremate their deceased on traditional open pyres in Malta. For this purpose, the Malta Government should allot a cremation ground near a body of water where Hindus could cremate their deceased on open pyres; Zed indicated.

Rajan Zed further said that Malta should show some maturity and be more responsive to the hurt feelings of its hard-working, harmonious and peaceful Hindu community; which had been in the country since the 1800s and had made a lot of contributions to the nation and society; and continued to do so.

Zed pointed out that cremation had been a pre-BCE tradition prescribed in ancient Hindu texts. Cremation signified spiritual release, helped severe ties to earthly life and gave momentum to the soul for its continuing spiritual journey. World’s oldest extant scripture, Rig-Veda, told us: Agni, set him free again to go to the fathers.
 It was simply heartbreaking for the community to perform something in clear violation of their faith. Being able to follow one’s faith traditions was a fundamental human right, Rajan Zed stressed.
 Funeral rites/ceremonies were one of the main samskaras (sacraments) of Hindu life. In majority cases, Hindus were cremated, except infants and ascetics. After some ancient rituals at the cremation, remains (bones/ashes) were ceremoniously immersed into holy river Ganga or other bodies of water, helping in the liberation of the deceased. In Hinduism, death did not mark the end of existence; Zed noted.
 Rajan Zed exhorted Dr. Robert Abela, Dr. Ian Borg, and Miriam Dalli; Malta’s Prime, Health, and Environment ministers respectively; to speed-up the crematorium process so that Hindus could send-off their loved ones with proper rituals-traditions-customs.
 As an interfaith gesture, Zed also urged Charles Jude Scicluna, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malta; and Mario Grech, Roman Catholic Cardinal from Malta (who is also Vatican Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops); to come out in the support of Hindu brothers and sisters on this issue. As a dominating majority in Malta, Catholics also had a moral responsibility to take care of minority brothers/sisters from different faith backgrounds, and should thus also seek equal treatment for all. Equality was the fundamental tenet of Judeo-Christian faith, of which Catholicism was a significant part.
 A crematorium is not a luxury or a distant aspiration; it is an urgent and essential public service that would enable grieving families to fulfill their sacred obligations without discrimination, financial hardship, or avoidable emotional trauma, Rajan Zed says.
 Interest about cremation has reportedly been increasing in Malta. Many people have already registered their wish for cremation with Camilleri Funeral Directors International, paying the registration fee of €295 each. Interestingly, cremation was reportedly prevalent in Malta from prehistoric to late Roman times.