Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

Airportthe­med crematoriu­m to ease final journey

- Hiral Dave hiral.dave@htlive.com

AHMEDABAD: One is called Moksha (salvation) Airlines and the other Swarg (heaven) Airlines, and both are promising turbulence-free travel to the world beyond, with a smooth landing.

But the offers come with riders: The supposed plane rides are meant only for departed souls and the destinatio­n is wherever afterlife takes the dead.

Modelled on an airport complete with departure and arrival lounges with two replica aircraft in attendance, the Antim Yatra (final jour- ney) crematoriu­m in south Gujarat’s Bardoli, some 300 km from the state capital Ahmedabad, is like no other in the country.

To be inaugurate­d by the end of October, the crematoriu­m resembling an airport terminal is aimed at lessening the pain of bereavemen­t, powered also by belief that the passage to salvation for the departed souls will be smoother. “People are more than happy in accompanyi­ng you to the airport than to crematoriu­ms,” said Somabhai Patel, chairman of the Rupaben Sitaram Trust that operates the crematoriu­m.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? Replica aircraft at the Antim Yatra crematoriu­m.
HT PHOTO Replica aircraft at the Antim Yatra crematoriu­m.

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