Tech to the future: Chennai crematory will beam funerals live via Wi-Fi

CHENNAI: Technological advancements can enhance quality of life and relieve it of the boredom of daily existence on terra firma but — whatever one’s persuasions may (or may not) be on the subject — there’s no telling if any of the hi-tech inventions now taken for granted will be extant, or of any use, once one leaves behind this mortal coil.
But along comes an innovation that people will remember the departed by once they’ve departed for new hunting grounds.
The Velangadu crematory, administered by Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO), will soon be Wi-Fi enabled, allowing family and friends of the departed from across the globe to be virtual participants at the funeral.
On show will also be a refurbished facility that gives dignity to the dead: After the corporation handed over the crematory’s administration to ICWO in March 2014, the organisation spruced up the premises with 125 new flowerpots, new seating arrangements, wall art, cameras, 24-hour security and a cooler for visitors.
“On the day of the funeral, family members of the departed will be able to locate the coordinates of the crematory,” ICWO founder-secretary A J Hariharan says. “A fast and free Wi-Fi connection will help them easily share directions and possibly live-stream the proceedings for loved ones who couldn’t make it.”
ICWO will take account of public response to the project and, based on positive feedback, may extend it to other crematories that it administers in Otteri, Balakrishnapuram and Kannan Colony in Alandur.
ICWO hopes the initiative, which Rotary Club of Meenambakkam will sponsor for a year, will also break stereotypes.
“There is a stigma attached to women attending rituals in the crematorium, let alone work in them,” Hariharan says. “We currently have 11 members working in the Velangadu crematorium and that includes four women. We trained them. A lot of work is involved because there is, after all, no day that people do not die. We conduct an average of six cremations a day or more than 150 a month.”
Two women, Praveena Solomon and R Divya, run the Velangadu office currently and their responsibilities include recording cases they receive on a day-to-day basis and maintaining relevant data related to them.
“We were hesitant to work here at first because we feared hostility from our families and society at large,” Praveena says. “But we’ve come a long way and now take pride in what we do. We think of your work as an important responsibility and try to make the whole process smooth and hassle-free for bereaved families.”