How to Send Asthi to Kashi for Online Asthi Visarjano

 For many families who have recently lost a loved one, the wish to immerse the asthi in the Ganga at Kashi is clear, but travel is not always possible. Distances of 1,500 to 2,500 kilometres, elderly parents at home, work commitments, or the reality of being settled abroad — any one of these can make a trip to Varanasi within the traditional 10 to 13 day window difficult. Considering these constraints, online Asthi Visarjan in Kashi has become a structured way to complete the ritual without the family having to travel. The asthi is sent to Kashi by post or courier, a Pundit ji receives it, the full vidhi is performed at the ghat, and photographs and video are shared with the family.

What "online" actually means here

The word online refers to the booking, the sankalp, and the proof — not to the ritual itself, which is performed physically at the Ganga in the traditional manner prescribed in Garuda Puran. Once the asthi reaches Kashi, the Pundit ji conducts the sankalp by phone or WhatsApp video call with the chief mourner, takes the names of the gotra and the departed, and performs the immersion at a chosen ghat such as Raj Ghat. The religious purpose — release of the soul at Kashi — is served in full. Families looking at the complete booking flow can refer to the online Asthi Visarjan through post on Pitradev.

Packing and sending the asthi

After cremation, the asthi — usually 50 to 100 grams of bone fragments and ash — is transferred from the traditional matka to a sturdy plastic or metal container with a tight-fitting lid, wrapped in a clean white or saffron cotton cloth tied with kalava, and placed inside a corrugated cardboard box cushioned with newspaper or bubble wrap. Inside the package, a paper with the name and gotra of the deceased in English along with the sender's name and phone number is sufficient. No death certificate or special declaration is required.

The delivery address used for Pitradev's service is Shashank Mishra, A 10/32 Prahlad Ghat, Kashi, Varanasi, India, Pin code 221001, with the receiver's phone number shared at the time of booking. India Post Speed Post is the most reliable option for domestic dispatch at ₹100 to ₹400, reaching Varanasi within 2 to 5 working days. Private couriers such as DTDC, Blue Dart, and Professional Couriers are a viable alternative at ₹400 to ₹800. For NRI families, USPS is preferred from the United States and Bombino from the Gulf, the United Kingdom, and other international locations.

What happens at Kashi

Once the asthi is received, the Pundit ji places a confirmation call to the sender, confirms the date of Asthi Visarjan (generally the next day unless changed by the sender), and takes the sankalp details. On the day of immersion, the sankalp is conducted by phone or WhatsApp video call, after which the Pundit ji proceeds to the ghat. At the ghat, the full vidhi is performed as prescribed in Garuda Puran — the asthi is transferred to a fresh earthen pot, carried by boat to the middle of the Ganga, mantras are recited, til, jau, and pinda are offered, and the pot is lowered into the river while the names of the departed and the family are spoken aloud.

Each step is recorded as photographs and videos and shared with the sender on WhatsApp as the ritual progresses. A live WhatsApp video call from the ghat can also be arranged if requested at the time of booking. A complete record of the ritual reaches the family within 24 to 48 hours.

Closing

For families who cannot travel within the traditional window, online Asthi Visarjan in Kashi is a complete and religiously valid way to ensure the asthi reaches the Ganga at the most sacred of all ghats. Many families also choose to perform Pind Daan after the Asthi Visarjan; the Asthi Visarjan in Varanasi guide and the Pind Daan in Varanasi and Kashi page cover the broader ritual and the natural next step. The larger purpose — releasing the soul and honouring the departed at the city that has been honouring departed souls for thousands of years — remains the same, whether the family is present at the ghat or sending the asthi from far away.