A Look Inside Kerala's Flamboyant Funeral Industry Where No Price Is Too High

A Look Inside Kerala's Flamboyant Funeral Industry Where No Price Is Too High
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From community to commercial: funerals in central Kerala have seen a gradual change in the last few years, turning a solemn grieving process to a professionally organised event.

Sanjay George Mathew, owner of the event company Coconadu Event Management in Thiruvalla, describes how until a few years ago, weddings in Kerala were smaller affairs where food for all the guests was home-cooked, whereas now they’re catered by professional companies. “There are always new trends emerging like this, and the same thing is now happening with funerals,” he says, drawing a parallel. His company, which does several occasions apart from funerals, is one amongst many that aggregates different services, organising the entire funeral from start to finish. What used to be a sombre community occasion, with neighbours and loved ones chipping in with food and other help, now sees little community involvement, and more westernised rituals. While close relatives grieve, funerals have become a social event for the rest.

Mathew continues to note the changes that have emerged in these ceremonies, talking about how transporting the body from the home to the church used to be done in an ambulance, but now the chosen vehicle is a cooled glass case. Black or dark coloured flowers have been replaced with white decorations, some funerals now have themes and matching outfits for the loved ones of the deceased, and sorrow, prayers, and condolence messages are now orchestrated by event management professionals. From florists to audio system providers and live instrument players, several different businesses are cashing in on such commercial funerals, and it doesn’t just stop there.

Niranam Rajan, a 53-year-old kathaprasangam (story narration) artist has now joined the business as a funeral manager having worked close to 2,000 Christian funerals, and is now moving into the space of Hindu and Muslim ones as well. He initially stumbled upon the gig when he volunteered to sing at a funeral once, and delivered soulful songs followed up by kathaprasangam, which is usually reserved for street corners, festivals or markets. “When I entered this field, kathaprasangam was facing an existential crisis. It was a matter of survival, and the funeral event just clicked,” he said. The performer’s full package, complete with a custom-made hearse featuring glass panels, an audio system, belting out of sorrowful songs and a band to lead the procession, costs Rs. 50,000. Still, his stake is low compared to the event management companies who make between one and ten lakhs per event.

Still from a Youtube uploaded funeral service, as streamed by VSquareTV.

Owing to gushing oil wells in the Gulf region, approximately two million Malayalis from different parts of Kerala, though primarily from the central regions, migrated to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and so on in the 1960s, filling the need for cheap labour. A smaller population also found their way to the US and different parts of Europe, leaving central Kerala home to families of migrants. When a family member dies, the Malayali diaspora outside of the country can’t always make it back for the funeral ceremonies in time. That’s where live video streaming services come in, bringing the ceremony to an online platform for various family members across the globe to virtually attend. On the other hand, the family members who do make it back to Kerala in time for the funeral appreciate the convenience of having a professionally orchestrated event, since they don’t always know where to get tables, flowers and so on, nor anything about church rituals or government formalities.

“It started around 2009-10, about six or seven years ago,” says Sooraj VS [translated from Malayalam to English] who runs the Thiruvalla-based live streaming production house Live Mobicast, talking about this trend of virtual funerals in Kerala. Mostly Christian families choose such elaborate funeral facilities, along with a smaller population of Hindu ones. Sooraj informs us that his streaming charges start at Rs. 15,000 per event, and go up depending on how long or large the funeral is. Live Mobicast is one amongst several other such companies, namely LiveStreamPro, VSquareTV and so on, who use the internet to upload these videos which are accessible anywhere in the world.

Tomb decor options advertised on Red Carpet Events, an event management company in Kerala

Mathew of Coconadu Event Management started this service himself when his cousin of his passed away in the UK, where such elaborate ceremonies are common. Upon seeing the facilities there, he decided to bring the concept to Kerala. And lucky for him, there was enough demand for his supply. He tells us that such elaborate funeral services are common amongst businessmen and the rich, or upper middle class families and higher. Ajeesh Saniyil, System Administrator at the live streaming company VSquareTV, elaborates that while most of the families are wealthy ones, it isn’t restricted to them either, “I have conducted several funerals for respected pastors and evangelist. They didn’t belong to well off families, but the respect they garnered led to other families in the community covering the funeral costs.”

As it happens with any new tradition, these evolving funerals have garnered mixed reactions. While some commend the power of technology to help connect families across the globe during tough times, others dislike the ostentatious ‘show’ that these otherwise solemn events have turned into. Saniyil confides that he’s often heard family members criticising the fact that their intimate moments of pain or suffering are being broadcasted for the world to see. We learn from Mathew that older generations of both Hindu and Christian families resent such drastic changes, while older priests aren’t too happy about such elaborate funerals either. He goes on to tell us how he does not advertise or have business cards for the funeral event management service he runs, and mostly works through referrals. When asked if he’s ever received criticism for cashing in or commercialising someone’s death, he maintained that he runs a business and works for money, just like everyone else, and he caters to a growing demand.

In a society where commodification is the name of the consumerist game, human relations, family moments, community occasions and everything else come with a price tag. Apparently, even death.

[Note: All interviews were conducted in Malayalam and translated to English.]

With inputs from Krupa Joseph

Representational feature image via Folomojo

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