Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 7: Believe it or not! With a complete lockdown in place, remains of over 40 dead bodies kept at a crematorium here, await lifting of lockdown to attain ‘moksha’ (salvation).
In the past ten days in the city, at least 41 people died but unfortunately their ashes are kept at the cremation house as the families were not allowed to move out of the district due to lockdown.
As no commercial vehicles are plying on roads due to complete restrictions imposed except those engaged with essential services or to make emergent purchases, the next of kin of people died are unable to carry the ashes for immersion at Haridawar or to Beas in Punjab.
“As per Hindu belief, ‘moksha’ is must for dead and it is impossible unless the ashes are immersed in water with all rituals,” said a family member, lost a loved one.
She said that they have stored the ashes of their father at the cremation ground and will immerse only after they will be allowed to proceed to Haridawar.
Meanwhile one of the employees of ‘Sewa Bharti’ said that in the past ten days, 41 people were cremated at ‘Jogi Gate’—largest cremation grounds of Jammu city and out them, four people took the ashes for immersing them in River Chenab in Akhnoor and at Har Ki Paudi along the banks of River Tawi here.
He said that one family took the ashes to Purmandal in Samba district.
“The ashes are stored in lockers at cremation ground,” he said and added presently ashes of 37 persons are kept in the lockers and they have a capacity of storing about 100 such small containers of ashes.
“In case the lockers get full, the ashes are kept inside a room at the crematorium,” he added.
A religious preacher said, “there is a myth in Hindu religion that unless the ashes are not immersed, the dead will not get ‘moksha’ but the fact is that after 13 days, by performing all rituals, people can carry on with their routine activities and the ashes can be immersed anytime they want to.”
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