In Hinduism, cremation is traditionally the most important part of the funeral rites. Hindus believe the body must be destroyed to force the soul to separate from it.

But many crematoriums have had to build makeshift funeral pyres due to the pandemic.

Here & Now's Tonya Mosley speaks with Prakash Rao Velagapudi, chairman of the Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple in Frisco, Texas, about the religious beliefs behind cremation in India.