Giving Dignity To Dead: Karnataka Woman Living In Crematorium Has Cremated Over 4000 Bodies In A Decade
While living in the crematorium, Sudharani has cremated more than 4000 bodies, many of orphans and elderly abandoned by their families in old age homes.
Published : October 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM IST
Davanagere: Living amidst the dead is surely not for the faint-hearted but Sudharani of Davanagere in Karnataka has been doing it for almost a decade. Not only is she living on the premises of a crematorium but she has been cremating the dead all these years.
In a society where cremating dead bodies is seen as a noble and pious act, she surely has accumulated a lot of nobility and piety through her work. To be precise, she has cremated more than 4,000 dead bodies at Vaikuntha Trust crematorium on PB road and these include the bodies of orphans and the elderly abandoned by their families in old age homes.
During the Covid pandemic, she set an example by performing the last rites of the dead when even their immediate family members were scared to go near. There were occasions when she single-handedly performed all the post death rituals right from tying the body to the bier to lighting the pyre.
Sudharani is originally from Dodda Magadi village in Mayakonda Panchayat. Married to Siddarameshwara Swamiji of Vijayapura, she joined as a manager at the Vaikuntha Trust on PB Road and has been taking care of the last rites of the dead since then.
"I was scared initially but got used to it after cremating a couple of bodies. During the Corona period, I cremated 100-120 bodies per month. Usually, there are 30-35 bodies cremated every month," she told ETV Bharat.
Whenever anyone dies in orphanages in the area, Sudharani is the one to cremate the body. She is the one who brings the dead body in a vehicle, bathes it and then lights the pyre after performing the rituals. She also immerses the ashes in the Tungabhadra River that flows nearby.
"Many times, even relatives are reluctant to perform the last rites of the people who are orphans or abandoned," she said while pointing out that girls should not shy away from performing this duty. She believes that people have to be taken care of while they are alive and each of them deserve dignity in death.
She said, "I came to Davangere from Vijayapura in search of a job and joined this Vaikuntha Trust as a manager. However, I became busy with the work of cremating dead bodies. My husband also works as a manager here. The entire crematorium is being maintained by us."
She disclosed that earlier those who performed this task would drink alcohol while performing the cremation. But she has replaced such persons and is performing the job in a dignified manner. She said she feels blessed to be entrusted with this job, something which women are not supposed to be doing.
"Cremation is not an easy task. One has to stand in front of the fire for hours to make sure that the body burns to ashes. Even setting up the pyre of wood is not an easy job. The body can take up to three hours to burn after which we hand over the ashes to the family members," she said.
Her husband Siddarameshwara Swamiji said, "This is a service to the society. We get peace and joy in this work. God has given us the opportunity to perform this service."
Siddarameshwara is proud of his wife's courage. Recalling the Covid times, he said, "They (hospitals) were sending bodies infected with Corona. Ambulances lined up. The families of the deceased would call us to say that they would not come for the cremation. We cremated the bodies day and night. People say there are ghosts and demons but these are all myths. Sudharani has cremated bodies even at midnight. She is brave and carries out the task alone."
Chetan, who drives the hearse van bringing the bodies to the crematorium, said, "Seeing Sudharani Amma gives me courage. It has been a year since I joined the job and there is no fear now. I help Sudharani Amma conduct the last rites. Sudharani Amma is very brave. After I bring the dead bodies and put them there, she does all the work herself."
"This Vaikuntha Trust crematorium was started in 2000 by Moti Rama Rao and Nallur Shantaram to benefit the poor. Nallur Raghavendra's mother gave three acres of land for the purpose. People from all communities come here," said Siddarameshwara Swamiji.
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