Cremation venues shifted to avoid immersion of ashes in Ganga

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 6

As the administration has imposed blanket ban on the movement of any commercial vehicle, many people who died due to different ailments after the imposition of the lockdown were cremated at Purmandal in Samba district, instead of their native places, by their family members.

Bereaved families were forced to take this step to avoid the centuries old ritual of immersion of ashes in Haridwar as the river Devika at Purmandal is considered as scared as the holy Ganga.

As per the local belief, bodies cremated on the bank of river Devaka attains ‘moksha’. Earlier, only inhabitants of Samba district used to cremate bodies at Purmandal, but after the lockdown, the residents of adjoining districts like Jammu and Kathua have also started to cremate their near and dear ones at the same place as there is no need of taking ashes to Haridwar after cremating bodies at Purmandal. As per Hindu belief, ‘moksha’ is a must for the dead and it is impossible unless the ashes are immersed in water with all rituals.

Famous as Chhota Kashi-Purmandal is a village located near the Devika river in Samba district. The village and its temples are a pilgrimage site for the Hindus, who believe that bathing in the river cleanses the soul. Some people have stored ashes of their family members at the cremation grounds in the city, while many others had decided to perform the last rites at Purmandal.

Ashes of some bodies have been kept at different crematoriums in Jammu city and the kin are waiting for the lockdown to end so these can be immersed.