Gujarat villagers use AC car for dignity to dead in funerals

With death being inevitable, everyone wants a dignified exit and farewell from this world. This has become possible for the villagers of Vadodara district’s Shinor taluk in Gujarat, who use a specially-designed air-conditioned vehicle to transport the bodies for the last rites to the crematorium.

Possibly this is the first village of Gujarat that uses an air-conditioned vehicle to carry the departed. The Shaktikrupa Charitable Trust located in Mota Fofalia village of Shinor is running this vehicle.

Talking about the Trust and its work, Jitubhai Patel, Managing Trustee told the media: “Our trust is giving medical services to people for years in the area. We came to know that villagers were finding it difficult to carry dead bodies to crematorium and had to use tractors to take bodies to the crematorium. Tractor has some limitations as during summer and rainy seasons, it’s difficult for people to bid proper farewell to their dear ones.”

Interestingly anyone can use this vehicle and it is absolutely free. It has been designed with glass covering on the sides so that family, friends and relatives can have the last darshan of the dead person.

Further since hiring a permanent driver for the vehicle is expensive, it can be driven by anyone who knows four-wheel driving.  So a volunteer is always at the wheels.

Patel went on to add: “We felt the need of a specially designed vehicle to help these people to perform the last rites with dignity. Also, during my foreign tours, I saw people spend thousands of dollars for these types of funeral services. Hence, we designed this special vehicle to help people from rural areas to take out the procession in a respectful way and perform the last rites of their dear ones with dignity.”