Women volunteers ease burden at Pune crematorium ensuring last rites for Covid-19 victims

At the Vaikunth crematorium in Navi peth, 25 women from various professions, are on the job, so to speak, working in five-hour shifts basis, with five members in one batch

Preparing the pyre at a crematorium is not most people ever imagine having to do.

Women volunteers at the Vaikunth crematorium collect wood and dung cakes to prepare the pyre before the bodies arrive. (HT PHOTO)

With the number of deaths due to Covid-19 putting tremendous pressure on crematoriums in the city, a group of women ve volunteered to help all-men’s team with crematorium service.

At the Vaikunth crematorium in Navi peth, 25 women from various professions, are on the job, so to speak, working in five-hour shifts basis, with five members in one batch.

The job of these volunteer is to collect wood and dung cakes to prepare the pyre before the body arrives. After the body is cremated, the next day, the women are tasked with preparing the urns for the ashes and keeping it ready for the relatives. The women also keep the crematorium clean.

“From mid-April to May 15 – there was heavy rush at the crematorium. Earlier, only men were doing this job and later, we also got a chance to provide this service,” said Vaishnavi Rathi, a 23-year old interior designer.

Swaroop Vardhni and Seva Sahayog are the two NGOs through which women enrolled for this service.

“It was overall a very different feeling when I started, as generally women don’t go to crematorium for the last rites. The worst part is, no one from the family, due to Covid, was allowed to attend the last rites, so we made sure we gave a respectful goodbye to departed souls,” added Rathi.

Women also recite prayers for departed souls and perform all the rituals that a family member would normally do.

“With constantly standing near the pyre, it was hard to work with PPE kits. We made sure we sanitised ourselves from head to toe before returning to our homes,” added Rathi.

Anuprita Lele, another volunteer, said “Many married women also took part in this initiative and worked really hard to serve the society. With the body completely wrapped we could not understand to whom we are paying our last tributes. We just focused on doing things in an organised way.”

With Covid death numbers now lower, the women’s service at the crematorium is currently on hold.