A man in Satna district, Madhya Pradesh, has announced he will hold his own Terahvi and Varshi death rituals while still alive, scheduling the ceremonies for Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Ramlotan Kushwaha of Atrabediya village in Uchehra has printed condolence-style invitation cards and begun inviting relatives, neighbours and acquaintances to the events, a move that has drawn attention across the area.
Kushwaha says the decision follows reactions to his public plan to donate his body to the Government Medical College in Satna after his death. According to him, some villagers mocked the choice and suggested he was trying to avoid the costs of traditional post-death rites. In response, he decided to stage those rites himself now, framing the action as a statement about how society treats decisions such as body donation.
Terahvi is the Hindu ritual held on the thirteenth day after a death; Varshi refers to the annual death anniversary ceremony. By printing invitation cards in the usual condolence format and organizing the rituals in advance, Kushwaha is deliberately using familiar customs to highlight the social reactions to his medical and ethical choice.
Kushwaha is known locally for conserving medicinal plants and indigenous crop varieties. His work has received state-level recognition: he was awarded a state biodiversity honour in Bhopal in 2024, and he has been mentioned on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio programme Mann Ki Baat. Supporters point to this record when defending his decision to donate his body for medical use.
The announcement has sparked discussion in Satna. Some residents interpret the gesture as a personal protest against stigma around body donation; others say they are surprised by the public staging of death rituals by a living person. The ceremonies are expected to take place on May 13, 2026, and the episode has reopened local debate about tradition, expense and changing attitudes toward post-mortem body donation.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mocked-over-body-donation-madhya-pradesh-man-plans-own-death-ceremony-11475405#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-05-10 19:31:00
