‘Dead’ man comes alive during last rites in Pudukai

TIRUCHY: A 60-year-old farmer, who was declared dead, came alive after his son poured milk into his mouth as a part of funeral rituals in Pudukkottai on Friday.

Shanmugam, a farmer from Murandampatti village of Karaiyur near Ponnamaravathi in Pudukkottai was undergoing treatment for heart and lungs disorder for the past 19 days in a private hospital at Ponnamaravathi. He was under ventilator and on Thursday, his condition deteriorated and the hospital had reportedly asked the family members to take him back home.

Subsequently, the hospital sent Shanmugam back in an ambulance. When the ambulance was nearing Murandampatti, Shanmugam went into an unconscious state and so the family members thought that he had passed away. They informed the relatives, while they were on the way to the house. As the villagers gathered at Alampatti village, the entrance of Murandampatti and performed a ritual and took the ‘body’ of Shanmugam to the house placed ‘it’ at the verandah of the house and continued the ritual ahead of the ‘funeral.’

Meanwhile, Subramanian, Shanmugam’s son who was readying for Sabarimalai pilgrimage, removed his ‘maalai’ and poured milk into the mouth of Shanmugam. Unexpectedly, Shanmugam moved his hands slightly and the family members who were surprised raised their voice and soon Shanmugam reacted to it and sat up little later.