Unclaimed ashes of Covid victims: K'taka govt arranges immersion as per Hindu traditions

Bengaluru: In a situation where ashes from a few hundred Covid victims went unclaimed, the Karnataka government has performed their mass immersion in the Cauvery river, aimed at ensuring dignity in death.

In one such ceremony, urns containing ashes of over 500 deceased from Bengaluru that were unclaimed were immersed into Cauvery river near Belakawadi in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district on Wednesday as per Hindu traditions, officials said.

Such large-scale immersion of ashes in said to be unprecedented in the state during the pandemic.

The ashes came mostly from the open cremation sites on the outskirts of the city. The government had set up those sites when Covid deaths shot up and existing facilities could not cope with the demand for cremations.

However, following the cremation, no one came forward to claim the ashes despite repeated requests and the government decided to take it upon itself to immerse the ashes, in order not to deny the deceased their last rituals in accordance with their religious tradition.

Priests were present to perform the rites together with the presence of Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Mandya District-in-charge Minister K C Narayana Gowda and senior officials.

Ashoka, who himself participated in the rituals, said it will be replicated across the state to ensure dignity in death. He added that in a similar manner. final rites of people belonging to other communities have been performed as per their traditions.

(Based on PTI input)