What are the rules for Asthi Visarjan according to Hindu scriptures?

Hindu scriptures lay down clear rules for Asthi Visarjan. The Garuda Purana (Preta Khanda 15.30-31) prescribes that the sixth pinda must be offered at the time of bone collection, and that the bones should be immersed in the sacred Ganga within 10 days of cremation — this grants the deceased the same merit as dying on the banks of the Ganga itself. Key rules include: (1) collecting bones on the 2nd or 3rd day after cremation per the Antyakarmadipaka, (2) avoiding Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays for bone collection per Yama as cited in the Nirnayasindhu, (3) avoiding even-numbered tithis and the performer’s own birth nakshatra, and (4) maintaining strict purity of the urn during travel to a distant tirtha. Our pandits ensure every ceremony follows these scriptural rules precisely.