In the bustling city of Bhubaneswar, where ancient temples meet modern aspirations, four women are quietly rewriting the story of compassion. Madhusmita Prusty, Smita Mohanty, Swagatika Rao, and Snehanjali Sethi are not your typical heroes. They don’t wear capes or seek applause. Instead, they carry a profound sense of duty, a heart full of empathy, and a mission to honor those who leave this world unnoticed. These women have taken it upon themselves to perform the last rites of unclaimed bodies, ensuring that every soul, no matter how forgotten, finds dignity in death.
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A Calling Born from Compassion
The story begins in the heart of Odisha’s capital, where the hum of daily life often drowns out the silent cries of those who pass away alone. Unclaimed bodies—people who die without family, friends, or anyone to mourn them—often end up in morgues or cremation grounds, their lives reduced to mere statistics.
For Madhusmita, Smita, Swagatika, and Snehanjali, this reality was unbearable. They couldn’t stand the thought of someone’s final journey being marked by neglect. It all started when Madhusmita, a social worker with a deep-rooted belief in service, came across a news report about unclaimed bodies piling up in local hospitals. “It broke my heart,” she recalls. “These were people who had lived, loved, and dreamed, just like us. How could we let them go without a farewell?” Her words struck a chord with Smita, Swagatika, and Snehanjali, friends who shared her passion for making a difference. Together, they decided to act.
These were people who had lived, loved, and dreamed, just like us. How could we let them go without a farewell? – Madhusmita
The First Step: Overcoming Fear and Doubt
Taking on the task of performing last rites for strangers was no small feat. The women faced skepticism from their families and friends. “People thought we were crazy,” Swagatika says with a chuckle. “They’d ask, ‘Why would you touch a dead body? Isn’t that someone else’s job?’” But for these four, it wasn’t about whose job it was—it was about doing what felt right. Their first experience was daunting. The group arrived at a local cremation ground with a body from a government hospital. The air was heavy with the smell of burning wood, and the weight of their responsibility pressed down on them.
Snehanjali remembers feeling nervous. “I had never seen a dead body up close before,” she admits. “But when I looked at the person lying there, I thought, ‘This could be someone’s father, mother, or sibling. They deserve respect.’” With trembling hands but steady hearts, they performed the rituals, chanting prayers and ensuring the body was cremated with care. That day, something shifted within them. What began as an act of courage became a lifelong commitment.
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Each woman brings something unique to this sacred mission. Madhusmita, the group’s anchor, is a natural leader who coordinates with hospitals and local authorities to identify unclaimed bodies. Smita, with her calm demeanor, handles the emotional weight of the work, offering prayers and comforting words during the rites. Swagatika’s organizational skills ensure that every detail—flowers, incense, or firewood—is in place. And Snehanjali, the youngest, brings boundless energy, inspiring the team to keep going even on the toughest days. Together, they’ve created a seamless system. Hospitals and police stations now know to call them when an unclaimed body is found.
The women gather, collect the body, and perform the last rites according to Hindu traditions, adapting where needed to respect the deceased’s possible beliefs. They’ve even learned to navigate the paperwork and logistics, ensuring everything is done with dignity and efficiency.
Stories of the Forgotten
Over the years, the women have performed last rites for hundreds of souls—each one leaving a mark on their hearts. There was the elderly man found on a park bench, his identity unknown but his weathered hands telling a story of hard work. There was the young woman, barely in her twenties, whose life ended too soon. “We don’t know their names or their stories,” Smita says softly, “but we give them a moment of love, a moment of recognition.”
One memory stands out for the group. They once received a call about a body that had been lying in a morgue for weeks. It was a middle-aged man, abandoned by his family after a long illness. When they arrived, the hospital staff warned them that the body was in poor condition. Undeterred, the women cleaned the body themselves, wrapped it in fresh cloth, and performed the rites with the same reverence they would give a loved one. “It felt like we were giving him back his humanity,” Madhusmita says, her eyes glistening.
Facing Challenges with Grace
The work is not without its challenges. The emotional toll can be heavy, especially when the deceased is young or the circumstances of their death are tragic. There are days when the women return home exhausted, their hearts heavy with the weight of loss. Yet, they find strength in each other. “We cry together, we laugh together, and we keep going,” Snehanjali says. “This is our way of giving back to the world.” Social stigma is another hurdle.
In a society where handling dead bodies is often seen as the job of specific communities or professionals, the women have faced judgment. “Some people don’t understand why educated women like us would do this,” Swagatika explains. “But we believe every life matters, and every death deserves respect.” Financially, the work is a labor of love. The women pool their own money to cover the costs of cremations, from buying wood to arranging transport. Occasionally, kind-hearted locals or organizations chip in, but the group relies mostly on their own resources. “It’s not about money,” Smita says firmly. “It’s about doing what’s right.”
A Ripple Effect of Kindness
What started as a small act of compassion has grown into a movement. The women’s work has inspired others in Bhubaneswar and beyond to rethink how society treats its most vulnerable. They’ve begun conducting awareness campaigns, encouraging people to volunteer or donate to support their cause. Young students, retirees, and even local businesses have joined hands, offering help in whatever way they can. Their story has also caught the attention of the media, earning them recognition as symbols of selflessness. In 2023, they were featured in YourStory’s list of women who touched hearts with their extraordinary work. But for Madhusmita, Smita, Swagatika, and Snehanjali, the real reward is the peace they feel knowing they’ve made a difference.
A Legacy of Love
As the sun sets over Bhubaneswar’s cremation grounds, the four women stand together, their hands folded in prayer. The flames rise, carrying a soul to its final rest. For them, this is not just a ritual—it’s a promise. A promise to honor every life, no matter how forgotten. A promise to remind the world that dignity doesn’t end with death. Their work is a testament to the power of compassion, proving that even in a busy world, there’s room for kindness.
Madhusmita, Smita, Swagatika, and Snehanjali may not call themselves heroes, but to the souls they’ve laid to rest and the hearts they’ve touched, they are nothing less than angels. As they walk away from the cremation ground, they carry no regrets—only the quiet satisfaction of knowing they’ve given someone a farewell they deserved. And in that act, they’ve shown us all what it means to be truly human.
