SINGAPORE, Dec. 29 -- A long-standing plea from Singapore's Hindu community has been answered with the opening of a sheltered seaside facility at Changi Beach, offering families privacy and protection from the elements as they perform final rites for their departed loved ones.

According to The Straits Times, the one-storey Karma Kaariya Nilaiyam, announced five years ago, was officially launched today next to Carpark 2 at Changi Beach.

Funded and managed by the Hindu Endowments Board, the building houses four private halls that can be booked online for post-death Hindu rites, or Karumathi prayers, typically observed on the 13th or 16th day after cremation.

Previously, families would arrive at the beach before dawn, laying mats on the s...