When the Naidu family from Lynbrook, northeast of Melbourne, lost 65-year-old Narayan, his niece Rejina began planning his funeral.
“Traditional Hindu funerals go on forever, around 13 days, the same as weddings,” she told SBS News.
“There are prayers every night, [but] obviously that couldn’t happen".
COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings and international flights forced her to make some difficult decisions.
“My uncle was the youngest of 15 brothers and sisters. So you can imagine how many siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews wanted to be here," Rejina, 40, said.
“We have family in Fiji, Canada, New Zealand, to name just a few of the countries. Most of them would have definitely [flown in]. So it was devastating for them, not being able to attend.”
The family instead opted for a live-streaming service by Classic Funeral Services in Dandenong.
Rejina Naidu arranged her uncle's funeral ceremony. Source: Supplied
It allowed the extended family to watch the open-casket Hindu ceremony in August, held at the company’s private chapel, and 400 people joined the broadcast in Australia and around the world.
“It gave them a little bit of closure, just to be part of it,” Rejina said.
“It was just amazing how many family members thanked me for it.”
Narayan ‘Nigel’ Naidu was an active participant in Melbourne's Hindu community.
Narayan Naidu's funeral service was watched by 400 people around the world. Source: Facebook
“My uncle was very well known. He used to be a cook, so he loved catering for weddings at the temple and various charity events,” Rejina said.
He migrated to Melbourne from Fiji as a young man and died from a heart attack after battling an infection.
Restrictions remain on gatherings
Funerals held in metropolitan Melbourne are still restricted to 10 attendees, not including babies and the people required to conduct the funeral.
The state government advises mourners should wear a face mask and maintain social distancing.
Some families are opting for a small service now and delaying a larger memorial for a later date, as they struggle to process their grief.
“Grieving is hard as it is. And it's harder during the pandemic,” Rejina said.
Rejina is a high school teacher who migrated to Australia from Fiji 20 years ago. In Fiji, her elders would have planned the funeral ceremony.
“The bans are just devastating. They change the whole concept of how we grieve. Usually, we hug each other and cry. But we can’t due to these rules.”
The Naidu family were also forced to delay the funeral by several days due to difficulties sourcing funeral garments, including new clothes for the deceased, an important Hindu tradition.
“This is the only funeral that I've planned in my life, and during [the pandemic] it was very difficult," Rejina said.
“Everything was closed under Stage 4 lockdown. So it was just a nightmare trying to get it organised.”
Supporting families through grief
Roshni Mandri from Classic Funeral Services is a Hindu funeral director who assists families in mourning.
“It's a special feeling, helping the grieving family,” she said.
She also helps to explain the complex and changing rules covering ceremonies and social distancing due to COVID-19.
“You have to explain how many people can attend, how many people can travel in the car and what can happen at the crematorium.”
Roshni is a former fashion designer and began directing Hindu funerals three years ago. Many of her funerals are now being live-streamed worldwide.
Roshni Mandri assists Hindu families to plan funerals. Source: Supplied
“It’s how people get connected, and especially during a time of deep grief when families need a lot of support.
The funeral for Narayan Naidu was live-streamed by Melbourne celebrant Steve King, whose wedding business has pivoted to live-streaming funerals.
After spending a decade “fighting for marriage equality in Australia”, he founded a business called Equality Marriage Celebrant in 2017 but has performed very few nuptials this year.
“Each week I have around five funerals booked in and most have relatives overseas. So that means streaming out worldwide,” he said. 
A recent Hindu funeral he conducted was watched by a vast extended family in India.
Celebrant Steve King pivoted his wedding business to live-streaming funerals. Source: Supplied
“More than 9,500 joined in. It blew me away,” he said.
“We know that everybody watched," Rejina said of her uncle's funeral.
"It was a devastating loss, but it was beautiful at the end, it was beautiful.”
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at . supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
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