Maha: Family conducts funeral in candle light as power outage throws crematorium in darkness

Due to a power outage in Kalyan, Maharashtra’s Thane district, a family was bound to perform the last rites of a departed member by lighting candles at a crematorium, according to one of the relatives.

On Thursday night, he said, the cremation took place at the Vitthalwadi crematorium.

“An elderly woman member of the family died at Khadegolawali in Kalyan east late evening on Thursday. Her family members took her body to the crematorium. But they were shocked to find that there was complete darkness as the lights were not working there due to lack of power supply,” he added.

Because the family didn’t want the last rites to be prolonged, they bought some candles and carried out the cremation in that light, according to the relative.

Rahul Katkar, a local social worker, brought the incident to the attention of Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) officials and urged that corrective measures be done so that similar incidents do not occur in the future and the deceased’s family members do not have to suffer.

Civic officials were not available for comment.