Columbarium

What is a columbarium?

A columbarium is a wall, room, or building used to store urns that hold the ashes of the dead and cremated. There are columbarium niches within these structures, which are individual urn compartments containing ashes from cremations.

The differences between a columbarium and a mausoleum

Any memorial building designed to hold the bodily remains of the deceased is the definition of a mausoleum, indicating caskets as opposed to urns for cremation. The memorial structures erected to accommodate urns have historically been referred to as columbariums.

The first mausoleum was erected for the Persian King Mausolus and is considered one of the world’s ancient wonders. Even though they have changed over the years, mausoleums have always been designed to hold the bodies of the dead, be it certain groups of people or members of the family.

The earliest columbariums owe their origins to the Romans. They weren’t used to house human remains back then, however. It wasn’t until hundreds of years later that they were used for ashes, first by Buddhist monks, who constructed them into large ornate temple-like structures.

Why should you invest in a columbarium?

Many cemeteries face shortages of land. For cemeteries concerned with running out of internment space, the columbarium may provide an innovative solution.

Reduce the cost of maintaining and watering cemeteries. Using xeriscape landscaping features inside and around the columbarium garden to save water and lawn mowing costs. Reflect on the use of plant material that can survive in drought times.

Columbariums are able to provide interment options for the family to cremate. In the columbarium garden settings and along pathways, smaller family columbaria can be installed to provide convenient access for visitors as well as meet the needs of families who wish to be interred together. Compliment a number of family columbaria with the bigger commercial columbarium.

Make your cemetery stand apart from others by investing in a custom design unique to it. People recognize the construction of quality columbaria when they see it. Never underestimate the publicity a noteworthy columbarium concept can draw. Choose a supplier of columbariums who is prepared to go that extra mile to invest in innovation.