Screenshots: Farewell to the Chief ( 3 )

The Funeral

The funeral for the Reverend was carried out with solemn dignity at the Nirwana Memorial in Semenyih, Selangor. The ceremony was on schedule despite the thunderstorm which arrived at 5pm. About 5,000 devotees attended the funeral.

It's the first time Buddhists in this part of the world have witnessed the use of a pyre to cremate the body of the Chief. It's a funeral ceremony conducted steeped in Buddhist tradition, in the footsteps of the Buddha Himself

A 40-foot pyre was constructed for the cremation, with sandalwoods donated by the devotees, and other costs be sponsored by the Sri Lanka temple based in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. According to the temple's Chief Monk Ven. Saranankara, the idea for the pyre was mooted as the late Chief Venerable was not a mere "ordinary person", says BuddhistChannel.tv.