Hindu couple cremated at church's cemetery in Kerala

A church in Kerala has allowed the funeral of a Hindu couple at its cemetery as the deceased did not have their own land and the rented premises they were staying was waterlogged.

The St George Forane Church at Edathua in the Alappuzha district of Kerala had sent the message of harmony through the novel gesture of allowing the funeral rites as per Hindu customs on the premises of the church cemetery.

Sreenivasan and Krishnaveni, residents of Mariyapuram near Edathua, who died in a gap of about one month, were cremated on the church's premises. Both were in their eighties. While Sreenivasan died following Covid-19 last month, his wife Krishnaveni died on Tuesday following an aged related illness.

Edathua panchayat president Mariyamma George said that on both occasions the rented premises on which they were living were waterlogged and hence the church authorities were approached for space to conduct the funeral.

Vicar of the church Father Mathew Chooravadi told DH that it was for the first time that funerals of members of other communities were being conducted in the church's cemetery. The church is for the people of the locality who are living cordially. Hence there were no objections from anyone in allowing the funeral of the couple in the church's cemetery.

Parish committee member Bilby Mathew said that the funerals were held as per Hindu rituals and the ashes were collected by the relatives.

The couple had their roots in Tamilnadu. They came down to Kerala for business purposes several decades back and were now financially weak also.