Death Of A Sikh

Upon death of a Sikh is it a hukum or a mere rite/tradition to close the kitchen of the grieving party until after the cremation proper? Should it happen at all? This baffles me with no logic at all,as guruji does not condone such observances,for people eat from the neighbors. Merely not lighting a fire in such circumstances is no omen, or is it?

DEAR BAYANT JI
PLEASE DO NOT GET INTANGLED IN THE `MANMAT' IN SIKHISM WE DO NOT HAVE ANY THING LIKE THIS. LIGHTING A MATCH OR ANYTHING AT ALL, THESE ARE ALL HINDU RITUALS WHICH HAVE MADE THERE WAY INTO SIKHISM.
IF A LOVED ONE HAS PASSED AWAY WE SHOULD RICITE THE GURUS BANI,WE SHOULD BATHE THE BODY WHILE RECITING THE BANI ALL THE TIME, AFTER THE CREMATION, TAKE HUKAMNAMA, THIS IS ALL THAT THE SIKH IS REQUIRED TO DO
KHALSA KHAS KAHAVE SOI
JA KE HERDE PARMNA KOI.

Thank you Tarlochan ji.
I had formed the same reasoning,but wanted a learned opinion such as
yours.
Waheguru hor uchi mat bakshe,te sukhi raho.

Waheguruji ka khalsa waheguruji ki fateh,

Adding a little Sikh history to your subject of how these hindu ritual practices came into the sikh mould.
Actually the 140-150 years after Sri GuruGobind Singh Jee were tumultous for the SIkhs as they had to struggle to even survive. The Mughal era which was at it's demise left no stone's unturned to wipe the sikhs off the face of this planet. Prizes were announced for anyone who dared to bring a sikh-head. This resulted in the Sikhs to move to jungles,deserts etc and make a wandering living. IMAGINE THE TROUBLES THEY MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH.
Now the vacated Gurudwaras came into the handsof Samradayik & Nirmale Sadhus who had a respect for The Guru Granth Sahib and they looked after the Gurudwaras.
Then came the end of the Mughal empire and the SIkh Raj came into being in Punjab. Great Kings like Maharaja Ranjit SIngh and many others took special interest in improving the state of the Gurudwaras. A lot of land and money was entrusted to the Gurudwaras which made the Sadhus taking care of the Gurudwaras greedy, and the fall of character that accompanies greed reflected in them also. They became corrupt. Sikh rulers did not bothered to improve this internal state of the Gurudwaras.
Although these Sadhus used to respect the Granth and did it's prakash everyday, they were essentially HIndus and slowly Idols of our Gurus also began to be worshipped. All Hindu rituals related to Idol-worship started to be performed in the Gurudwaras. And as is the mannerism of these Pandits they managed to convince the ordinary sikh that these rituals were actually a part of our Guru's teachings.
No offence but that is the sole reason why even today all those useless rituals that our Guru's preached against, are being practiced by our Sikhs, and I think it is from this that several doubts have surfaced in our people, and this question put up by BAYANT is the result of that.
Please beware that our's is the simplest religion that ever existed on this planet. It only emphasizes simran as the path to achieving God. Everything else happening around us and every other belief is just a eye-wash. A mere source for greed to prosper.
Please forgive anything untoward.

I remember learning a long time ago that the dead body is supposed to be washed with fresh yogurt(curd). Has anyone else heard this? Is there any validity to it? Or is it just another Hindu corruption that has crept into Sikhi?

DEAR BAYANT JI,
YOUR MOST WELCOME
IN SIKHI THERE IS NO PLACE FOR MANMATS OR MANMATIS
GURUS HAS GIVEN US VERY SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS TO STAY AWAY FROM THE BRAHMICAL (BIPRAAN KI REET) PRACTICES.
FOLLOW WHAT GURU ORDERS AND BE AWARE OF THE SO CALLED PREACHERS WHO ONLY HAVE VERY BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF SIKHISM.

I am more than enlightened and enriched by the wisdom of my sikh premis
who dedicated their sat vichaar in true reverence of our gurus.May waheguru
prosper your spiritual thinking and strengthen the godly links.
My veer,Pritpal ji,tussi great te kamaal di sachi commentary post kitti.
I am certainly indebted to you all.
Rab raakha.

DEAR BAYANT JI
IT WAS MY PLEASURE

GURFATHE
TARLOCHAN

animatedkhandaDear Bayant, I second Sr Tarlochan Singh Ji's views.The Sikhs have got sunk into a lot of Durmat and manmat.I note you are from Fiji, a lot hinduism has crept into the Sikh customs there.During my visit to Fiji last year I was shocked at the state of the Gurduara practices as well.But we shall not go into that.