City undertakers take a hit during lockdown

The lockdown restrictions in the city have been keeping the workers in Chennai Corporation crematoriums busy, as the residents are forced to conduct last rites within two or three hours after the death.

Caretaker of one of the burial grounds in the Royapuram zone said that earlier the relatives of deceased persons would bring the bodies only the next day to cremate or bury. "Usually, they would wait for close relatives to reach. But now, due to the lockdown and travel restrictions, they bring the bodies on the same day. We have to prepare crematorium or burial within a few hours after the death," the caretaker said.

The government has already imposed restrictions for conducting funeral after the outbreak of COVID-19. According to the guidelines, only 15 to 20 persons would be allowed at the residence or at the burial ground, if the deaths occur due to other reasons. For the deaths due to coronavirus, the officials follow a separate protocol.

Apart from these restrictions, local police are coercing the relatives to bury or cremate the bodies within two to three hours, a sanitary inspector said. As far as the normal deaths are concerned, relatives are allowed to conduct last rites based on their faith. But social distancing and masks are mandatory during the funerals.

However, id a person dies in the vening, relatives have to wait until the next morning as the burial grounds and crematoriums in the city function only between 6 am to 6 pm. "Despite the government restricting the number of persons carrying the bodies to burial grounds, some relatives fail to adhere. But we can’t do anything about this as they are bereaved. Also, the officials would ask us to wait beyond 6 pm if any death reported due to COVID-19," the caretaker added.

There are more than 50 burial grounds in the city, and the Chennai Corporation provides burial and crematorium services free of cost.

From giving the first morsel of rice, celebrated as ‘annaprasanam’ to mark the milestones in life to the death of a person, the role of priests can never be undermined. Traditions and customs of a Brahmin household typically involve their participation in several important occasions. The national lockdown has brought into focus many interesting facets that reflect the “forced” changes that a family or practitioners of traditions have had to make.

For instance, consider the case of a family which was in bereavement after its senior-most member passed away earlier this month. “Be it arrangements prior to cremation or the customary 13-day rituals to be followed, it was a novel experience altogether,” said a participant, on condition of anonymity. A small gathering of just the near and dear and a few onlookers marked the farewell. The presence of a few mask-donned priests was a surprising element, though the local authorities and cooperative people made it possible to follow the orthodox customs in giving a “send-off” unlike many reported instances of people being given virtual farewells to the dead.

Interestingly, in this case, the “enterprising” sons, a banking-IT professional and a businessman, were backed by all the stakeholders to execute the 13-day rituals in the most befitting manner possible, even during such uncertain times.

Chanting mantras, prepared food, impromptu requests for coffee and tea, using the necessary ingredients like ghee, honey, milk, silver items for daan (donation), saris, dhotis and flowers and also performing ‘homam’ was done for this senior citizen.

On the 13th day, a witness to the ‘subam’ event, saw the participation of 21 priests, where social distancing norms were adhered to even while there was no compromise on the ritual front. “Hats off to the family for being able to mobilise resources and giving a perfect send off to a person, who has done great service to the family and was known as a noble soul.

Garuda puranam recital on the 13th day explains the journey of the soul and the veteran priest did so in the most engaging way, citing corona examples to make the gen-next, present in the audience, understand the sum and substance of karma,” said the person, who went on to add the lockdown meant the priests could pocket “extra” money.

Usually, such ceremonies are laborious, done with a lot of devotion, dedication and fear of the after-effects of not following the scriptures and ‘karmic’ outcomes. A conservative middle-class family would incur about Rs 1.5 lakh as charges to perform death rituals but in this case, it went past Rs 4.5 lakh. But more than the money, it was the relief of executing the rituals in a coordinated, cohesive manner and practising social distancing norms, that led to a set of ‘happy’ stakeholders in testing circumstances, without any compromises on traditions. Video clips and pictures were also taken that were shared with those family members and well-wishers near and far ashore, who could not participate in person.