Bringing dead bodies inside village border not allowed

IT sounds weird, but here at Semarla village of Khargone district, entry of body of a person those who died outside the village boundary in an accident not allowed for cremation.

IT sounds weird, but here at Semarla village of Khargone district, entry of body of a person those who died outside the village boundary in an accident not allowed for cremation.

The village falls under Barwah tehsil of Khargone district, about 70-kilometre from the district headquarters with total population figures around 1,500 and the villagers following the age-old tradition since decades fearing that entry of dead body could bring bad omen for village.

Villagers cremating their near and dears outside the village without bringing them at their home for final adieu.

Narrating the age-old tradition, Tantu Bheel, 75, who born and brought up in the same village said, “The tradition is being going on before his birth and could be continue even after his death as villagers strongly believe on that”.

Bheel said decades ago, the same village facing severl natural calamities and the whole village was in trouble.

At that time, village head and senior members of panchayat called priest from neigbouring village Rarkot to solve the problem. At that time, priest performed hawan and poojan and asked people not allow entry of body of a person those who died in an accident outside the village as it could bring problem for the whole village.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Semarla village sarpanch Jagan Thakre admitted that the village is being following age old tradition.

“How could we oppose this as villagers have strong faith on this”.

“We don’t want people bid adieu their near-and-dear at other place in absence of their relatives, friends and others. For this, we had developed a place and crematorium outside the village boundary. If anybody died outside the village in an accident, we people gather their and took out funeral procession from the place upto the crematorium and cremate his/her body with proper honour,” Thakre said.

When contacted tehsildar Avadhesh Chatruvedi who assume charge about an year back said, “I had visited village several time, but never had discussion with the villagers on the same.”

“Being an administrative official our priority is to solve villagers grivences related administrative work. This is age old practice and we can’t interfere in that,” he said.

Sources informed that, Semarla is not only village in the area, but several other villages following the same practice as they believe that it could bring bad omen for village.