The situation
When a family member passes away, many practical things must happen quickly, at the moment when people are least able to think about them. One of the first is to inform relatives and friends: who has passed, and when and where the prayer meeting, besna, uthamna, chautha or other gathering will be. Families want the message to be dignified, in the language their relatives read, often with a photograph.
OIOA’s card maker was built with these moments in mind, not only for celebrations.
Cards for remembrance
OIOA has six card types for loss and remembrance:
- Shok Sandesh: an announcement of the passing.
- Shradhanjali: a tribute.
- Prayer Meeting: the date, time and venue of the gathering.
- Jain Shok Sandesh
- Muslim Funeral Card
- Parsi Remembrance
Each can be made in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Odia, Tamil, Kannada, Assamese, Telugu, Malayalam or Urdu. Choose the community or neutral wording and the message library suggests respectful text appropriate to it. You can edit every word.
Step by step
- Open Cards and choose Shok Sandesh or Prayer Meeting.
- Choose the language and the community (or neutral).
- Pick a layout: classic family notice, formal two-section notice, or ceremony information first.
- Add a photograph and choose a frame. Add the name, and if you wish, born and passed dates.
- Fill in the date and time, venue and signed by (for example “The family”).
- Check the details with a family member, then save as an image or share directly to the family’s chat groups.
Make sure everyone knows when to gather
- Create a Family event for the prayer meeting, with the date and time. It rings as an alarm on every member’s phone, or only on selected members’ phones. See Family.
- If friends or neighbours are part of a Group, such as a society or association, post the details there too.
Afterwards: remembering on the right day
Many families observe the first-month, first-year and yearly remembrance on their own calendar. In the Family Tree:
- mark the person as deceased, with the date or death tithi, which asks for a short reason so the record is clear;
- add a traditional remembrance with the month, paksha and tithi the family observes.
Then set a calendar note that repeats by community date, so you’re reminded the day before each year. See remember elders by tithi.
With care
Please double-check names, dates and venue details with the immediate family before sharing, and share only where they’d want it shared. Card photos stay on your phone while you make the card. OIOA’s cards page has more on designs and backgrounds.