The Unsung Hero Of Odisha Who Ties The Bier, Performs Last Rites For Free

Cuttack: About 12 years ago, Balakrushna Sethi was busy ironing clothes, his only source of livelihood, when he saw a dead body fall during a funeral procession as the bier collapsed. The sight disturbed him and that is when he decided that he would ensure that the dead get dignity in their last journey. Since then, he started preparing biers and the rest is history.

“Death is the time of grief, families get disturbed, rituals become so overwhelming that people do not know who to contact to tie the final bier as per our customs. If someone can help such distressed families, they would be at least not bothered about the random concerns,” explains Sethi.

Riding a bicycle, he reaches homes where someone breathes the last. All he carries with him is a sharp cutting tool, arranges for bamboo poles and ropes. Even before someone calls him, he feels duty-bound to be at the place with all things needed, and offers the needful service.

From tying the coffin and embalming the body to accompanying the mortal remains to the cremation ground and collecting the ashes, he performs every last rite as if the deceased were his own kin.

Staying in the narrow lanes of Deul Sahi in Cuttack, the 58-year-old does not mind day or night, rain, biting cold, or scorching heat. If he is not ironing clothes at a gully or chhak at his makeshift shop, he is available in just one phone call, even at odd hours.

This has been his routine for the past 10 to 12 years. Fondly called “Bauri Bhai” in his locality, he does the work, irrespective of caste or religion, and that too free of cost. “During day time, I volunteer to do the work if I am aware of someone’s death in the city. But at night, people started calling me ever since they came to know that I do the job without expecting anything in return,” says Sethi wiping sweat from his forehead while tying a bier.

At times, people ask him about the procedures of the funeral rites and he guides them step by step.

“I remember once someone in the locality had passed. One person who they called to prepare the bier was demanding money while the family was not in a position to pay. That too left a mark on me and I thought whenever I do such work, I will not ask for money,” says he, matter-of-factly.

He believes people serve society in different ways. Preparing the ‘kokei’, the term for bier in Odia, for Sethi was also a service. “At such times, families are already broken. Not everyone knows the rituals. Why should they suffer more? That is why I do this work,” he says.

Though he does not ask for money, people offer him many things in return along with cash. “I iron clothes and earn money to keep my family running. The funeral work is something I do for my own satisfaction,” he states, adding that he also accompanies the procession till the cremation ground. “If need be, I also conduct other rituals with the family’s approval,” he adds.

Sethi was active at all hours of the day when COVID-19 pandemic struck and many people vouch for his work. Though relatives stayed away, Sethi stood for hours in the cremation ground to burn the pyre. He claims to have performed the last rites of many, including strangers, ensuring that no one departed without dignity.

His wife, Lina Sethi, stands firmly by him. “When someone calls him, he wakes up from slumber to attend to the call. He would even leave his ironing work halfway but never say no to funeral works. People respect him for this,” she says.

Residents of Deul Sahi echo the sentiment. Madhusudan Bhola, a local, says, “In our most difficult moments, Bauri Bhai is the first to arrive. He treats every family like his own. The best part is he does not need to be called most of the times, he just arrives.”

In a world usually driven by self-interest, Balakrushna Sethi has set a precedent on serving humanity even in death. He stands by people who grieve, shoulders their responsibility and returns home content. “I do my work, my service. Rest is unimportant,” he concludes.