Group of female inmates of Aadharshila Vriddhashram in Naini
In three old-age homes in Prayagraj, 23 residents died in the past year. Families came to claim the bodies of only 11; the remaining 12 were given their final rites by the institutions. At Aadharshila Vriddhashram in Naini, 19 residents died over the year. Kumar said the ashram has 174 inmates including 74 female elderly.
Because the same relatives had not maintained contact with the elderly during their lifetime, the institutions said such instances were particularly painful. Stay updated with the latest Prayagraj news.
Manager Sudhir Kumar said inmates of the ashram hail, besides UP, from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. “Out of the 19 elderly, who breathed their last in the ashram, we performed last rites and rituals for the departed souls,” he said. Shivam of Dhanraj Vriddhashram said the family of one inmate took the body home for the last rites, although they never visited during his lifetime. “For the elderly in these homes, the need is far more immediate: they are waiting not for rituals after death, but for their families while they are still alive,” said Kumar.
The contrast is more evident during the ongoing fortnight of ‘ Pitru Paksha ’ when thousands perform rituals for departed parents at Sangam, while these living parents spend their final years without a visit from their own families. Many continued to wait for their children and relatives, particularly during illness and in the final stage of life. But when some families were informed about the deaths, they asked the institution to perform the last rites. The situation was similar at Tara Sansthan in Tagore Town and Dhanraj Vriddhashram in Daraganj, where two residents died at each facility during the year. At Tara Sansthan too, relatives took the body of one deceased resident home for the last rites despite having remained absent while the person was alive. In some cases, relatives contacted the institutions after the deaths to enquire about bank deposits, pensions, insurance and property-related formalities. Download the TOI App.
Prayagraj : As the entire world remembers and honours senior citizens on International Day for Older persons on Thursday, there are many inmates of old-age homes in Prayagraj who lie in wait to meet children they raised.