Mum, Dad and Adam wanted to be celebrated together at the time when all of them had passed.

Their ashes have been used to create a memorial bracelet for me to wear and they have been planted with roses gifted by friends in our garden.

The remainder of the ashes were scattered on the River Thames in a private ceremony on Christmas Eve 2023 at 3pm to 'You'll Be in My Heart' - Phil Collins

A candle was lit, and the following prayer was kindly chanted by Swami Ambikananda Saraswati in the original Sanskrit for their onward journey:

The first verse we chant on behalf of ourselves ~ reminding ourselves of the reality behind the material. The final three, we chant on behalf of the deceased. The reason it is chanted Sanskrit is because it is believed that it is not just a language conveying meaning, it also creates a vibration.

Śānti Path Mantra

AUM pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam
pūrnāt pūrṇam udacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate ||

Translation:
That adaḥ is full; this idam is full;
This emerged from That;
But still, both remain
Full, whole and perfect.

Mantra 1

AUM Īśāvāsyaṁ idam sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat |
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā ma gṛdhaḥ kasyasvid dhanam ||1||

Interpretive Translation of Mantra One :
That singular Presence which is sovereign
Assumes all forms in this ever-changing world.
Therefore, become detached and covet nothing.
Ask yourself, ‘To whom does this bounty belong?’

Mantra 16

pūṣann-ekarṣe yama sūrya prājāpatya vyūha raśmin samūha |
tejo yat te rūpam kalyāṇatamaṁ tat te paśyāmi yo'sāvasau puruṣaḥ so'hamasmi

Interpretive Translation of Mantra Sixteen :
O Protector of the universe,
Lonely visionary who travels across the sky,
Remove the brilliance of your light
That I may see that glorious form – That Indweller –
Then I too can declare :’ I am That.’

Mantra 17

vāyur-anilam-amṛtam-athedaṁ bhasmāntaṁ śariram |
om krato smara kṛtam smara kṛato smara kṛtam smara

Interpretive Translation of Mantra Seventeen :
Now, in this moment, let my breath merge with the all-pervading Breath,
Let this seemingly solid body be reduced to ashes.
Om.
O enjoyer of all of this, remember past actions, remember.

Mantra 18

agne naya supathā rāye asmān viśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān
yuyodh-yasmaj-juhurāṇam-eno bhūjiṣṭhāṁ te namauktim vidhema

Interpretive Translation Mantra Eighteen:
O God of Fire, you who knows all ways, lead us to the way of good,
The way of greatness and wholeness.
Remove from our path the vices that lead us along the crooked way.
These words of prayer we offer to you,
We offer them again and again.