This is the heartwarming moment an Australian man honoured his late father's wish to have Hindu final rites in India.

Matthew, a photographer from Australia, visited a temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to perform the religious ritual on March 20.

Footage shows the loyal son performing the Pind Daan - a ceremony held to pay respects to the departed - while being guided by the locals.

Matthew said: 'It's very beautiful. It was a blessing to get to come here to do this. It's a very powerful thing to do, to say goodbye to somebody you care about in this way at a very special place. It has so much significance, and I was very lucky.

'My father was a very spiritual man, but not a religious man. We grew up in a Christian family, but we believed always in something that is much bigger than everybody. And when he died, he really wanted to be cremated, and we did this in a Christian way when he died, because this was my mother's wish.

'But I think my father was a bit of a dramatic person maybe, and I think he would very much have appreciated something like this.'

The Aussie added he will spend a week visiting the major temples in the area before returning to Australia.