JOIN USIvar Madom which is located on the banks of the Bharatapuzha river at Pambady in Thrissur district has been the favourite cremation ground of many Hindu poets, actors, politicians and ordinary folks for years. The trust’s new development programme offers the new facility to those aged above 60 years with a residence in Kerala to register for his cremation by paying Rs 4,000.
“We offer ambulance facility, mobile freezer and a person to conduct the post-death rites. However, we will register the person only after a thorough interview to ensure that we don’t burn our fingers by taking up the cremation’’ trust member Ramesh Korappath told Deccan Herald.
Persons who register will have to furnish details like identity card, detailed address and can even provide information on who should conduct their post-death rites. The trust would take care of everything once information on the death is conveyed to it.
According to 40-year-old Ramesh who has been cremating the dead for the past 16 years at the madam, the scheme is intended for a large number of people who are living alone. There has also been demands from people especially those residing outside the state for a similar facility. “There are people who do not want their body to be even touched by their relatives after death. Some people have even come here for getting an assurance that their body would be cremated with dignity. This scheme is a result of such demands,’’ Ramesh said.
With a tradition of having attended to about a lakh of bodies so far, Ramesh still oversees the cremation of at least two orphaned bodies among the over 50 which arrive there every day. The average expenses of the cremation add up to Rs 1,800 for a body. The registered members will not have to wait in queue and will get preference in cremation once the scheme gets through.