Complete reference guide
Looking for in-depth reference? Read the complete guide in our Resources section — 14-part reference document with legal citations, timelines, temple coordinates, and multi-language glossary. Also available as PDF.
Vargas-London coordinates Hindu antyesti rites, Sikh gurdwara services, Jain funeral traditions, and Buddhist ceremonies for families across North Texas. Family-witnessed cremation, pandit and priest partnerships, and every stage of the traditional antyesti sequence. 24/7.
Looking for in-depth reference? Read the complete guide in our Resources section — 14-part reference document with legal citations, timelines, temple coordinates, and multi-language glossary. Also available as PDF.
Vargas-London coordinates Hindu antyesti rites, Sikh gurdwara services, Jain funeral traditions, and Theravada & Mahayana Buddhist ceremonies for families across the DFW metroplex. Our facility accommodates family-witnessed cremation, pind daan, mukhagni, and every stage of the traditional antyesti sequence. We have long-standing relationships with the DFW Hindu Temple, Ekta Mandir, Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple, Guru Nanak Sikh Society, and the Sikh Gurudwara Sahib, and we work with pandits and priests from every major South Asian community in North Texas.
"South Asian" covers many distinct traditions that share some elements and diverge on others. Our staff is trained to ask the right questions upfront rather than assume:
In DFW, the full antyesti can be performed within the timelines Texas law permits. We support each stage, with the pandit leading the ritual and our staff handling logistics. The complete sequence at a high level:
Before transfer, the family may wish to perform initial preparation — placing the body on the floor head-north, lighting an oil lamp, applying tulsi water, or reading from scripture. Our transfer team waits for the family to complete these steps when they choose to do them.
We transfer to our Dallas facility. For families who want to perform bathing and dressing themselves, we provide a preparation room; for those who prefer we handle it, we do so without cosmetic alteration — simple clean clothing, usually white or the garment the family provides.
At our facility or at the family's home. The body is typically laid head-north, feet-south, on a low bed or bier. Family and community come to pay respects, offer flowers, and perform aarti. Our staff steps back during this period.
The body is carried out feet-first, signifying the final journey. We provide the bier or a plain wooden casket per family preference. The procession to the cremation facility is coordinated so that family cars can follow.
Our partner crematory accommodates family-witnessed cremation with a private viewing room. The eldest son (or designated family member) performs mukhagni — the symbolic first offering to the fire — and the cremation begins in view of the family, with the pandit present if the family wishes.
The following day, cremated remains are collected in a clean urn by the family or the pandit. We provide a simple, respectful urn or container at no cost.
Post-cremation rites performed at home or at the temple, typically across 10–13 days. The pandit leads; our role is complete unless the family needs logistical help.
Most families plan a trip to scatter remains in the Ganges at Varanasi, Haridwar, or Prayagraj within months or years. Others choose local scattering (Lake Lewisville, Trinity River, the Gulf of Mexico) or home storage in a shrine. We hold the urn securely for the family for as long as needed while arrangements are made.
Sikh tradition honors death as a transition, not a loss. Our role supports the family through:
We coordinate regularly with the Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Plano and Sikh Gurudwara Sahib locations across DFW. Our staff understands kesh, kanga, kara, kachera, and kirpan and will not violate these articles of faith during preparation.
Jainism places the highest emphasis on ahimsa (non-violence). Our role in a Jain funeral includes:
Buddhist traditions vary significantly. We do not assume; we ask.
The DFW South Asian population centers are:
Our published prices apply to every family. For a Hindu, Sikh, Jain, or Buddhist service with cremation and family support, the typical Vargas-London service fee is $895 for direct cremation or $2,495 for memorial cremation with a service. Family-witnessed cremation is available at no additional charge. Urns are provided at no cost; upgrades are priced on our urn page. Pandit, priest, or monk honoraria are paid directly by the family to the religious professional.
For families planning to return cremated remains to the Ganges or a family temple in India, we provide the urn in transportation-ready packaging, a signed death certificate translation (as needed), and coordinate documentation for international flight. Cremated remains are allowed in carry-on luggage under TSA rules with proper documentation, which we provide. Many families travel within weeks; others wait a year or longer. We hold the urn securely for as long as the family needs.
Yes. Our partner crematory has a dedicated family viewing area and supports mukhagni. The eldest son (or designated family member) can perform the symbolic first offering, and the family can remain as long as they wish during the cremation process.
Yes. Our staff asks about specific regional or community traditions at intake and adjusts accordingly. Whether your family follows Iyer, Iyengar, Nair, Brahmin, Reddy, Kamma, Marwari, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, or any other tradition, your pandit leads the ritual and we follow.
Texas law requires a 48-hour waiting period between death and cremation. In Hindu tradition, cremation ideally occurs within 24 hours; we achieve it on day 3 given the legal waiting period. The 48-hour wait is used for family gathering, home rituals, and viewing. Sikh and Jain traditions also typically complete cremation on day 3.
Yes. Texas permits ash scattering on uninhabited public land and private property with owner permission. Lake Lewisville, Trinity River, Lake Ray Hubbard (from a boat, a reasonable distance from shore), and the Gulf of Mexico are all acceptable. We provide a biodegradable urn for water scattering at your request.
We hold the urn in our secure facility for as long as the family needs — days, weeks, months, or years. When you are ready to travel, we provide a travel-compliant urn, TSA documentation, and any translations needed for Indian customs.
No. Pandits are religious officiants and are independent of the funeral home. We coordinate with the family's chosen pandit, or make introductions if the family does not have one. Our staff knows the pandits most commonly requested in DFW.
With the family's guidance. Interfaith Hindu-Christian, Hindu-Muslim, Sikh-Hindu, and other combinations are common in DFW. We hold multiple services or combined services as the family wishes, and coordinate with multiple clergy when that's the plan.
Call (214) 738-4276 for immediate at-need response, arrangement questions, or to discuss traditional rites with our team. We work with pandits, priests, and monks in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean through translators when needed.
24 hours a day, every day of the year. The first call is always free and without pressure — whether it's urgent now or a question for later.