Rourkela: At a time when people shun unclaimed bodies, here is a man who has been cremating unknown and abandoned corpses for over 11 years.
That’s not all, the 50-year-old Krishna Sahoo, a resident of Netaji Marg near Old Stationm, even performs ‘Pinda Dan’ (ritualistic offerings to ancestors) for the bodies as he believes it would liberate their souls.
A sudden turn of event in 2006 made him begin this job and so far he has cremated 813 unknown bodies, said the father of two.
“Krishna Bhai is certainly a role model for the society and others should come forward to join him,” said Sushant Kumar Nayak of Chhend Colony.
Krishna receives call from not only Rourkela but from places like Lathikata, Bishra, Biramitrapur, Kuanrmunda, Mandiakudar, Kanshabahal, Bandhamunda of Sundargarh district and Orissa-Jharkhand border regions to perform last rites of unclaimed bodies, it was learnt.
Cremating the bodies has become a sort of passion for Krishna, said his wife. Be it rain, summer or winter, they don’t make any difference to him. He promptly sets out to do his job ignoring resistance from the family, she added.
Krishna has set up ‘Doota’, an organisation to spread the message of selflessness. Several youths and educated persons of the city have joined his group which has inspired him to carry on with the job, Krishna said.
He has cremated hundreds of bodies at Vedbyas Ghat on the outskirts of the Steel City and buried a few. However, he never asked money from any one. It costs about `1,700 to perform the last rites of a body and he spends it from his pocket, said Krishna, adding, he had offered mass Pinda Daan of 754 people whom he cremated, at Gaya in Bihar September 26, 2016.
The death of a 60-year-old beggar in May 2006 night had made him take up the mission, Krishna said when asked about how he began it. The body was found abandoned near his house for two days but none including local police bothered to cremate it. Appalled over the attitude of people towards an unclaimed body, he along with a couple of neighbours cremated the body.
He has not only been felicitated by the Governor and top officials, he was invited to a special programme in Tamil Nadu and honoured for his unselfish activities.
“I don’t care about the opinions of people. I would continue to carry on with the mission till my last breath as it gives me pleasure and peace,” said Krishna. PNN
