How Mumbai's undertakers navigate coffins, cemeteries and morgues

Updated On: 06 December, 2023 09:00 PM IST | Mumbai | Nascimento Pinto

Even as most people come across accidents and deaths every other day, talking about it is very difficult. With Day of the Dead observed earlier this month, mid-day.com spoke to Mumbai undertakers to understand more about how they live life among the dead

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Every year, Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2 around the world. It is the day that corresponds with All Souls Day, observed by the Catholic community in the city. Photo Courtesy: Sunil Colaco

"People aren`t really comfortable talking about death, but it is a part of life. It is written in every person`s life," shares Lester D`souza Jr, who meets us after returning from a funeral, which he had just provided services for in Vasai. While others may shudder when sitting amid coffins and crosses, the 24-year-old is calm because it has become a part of his life to deal with death. Even though he took over the business only four years ago, the Naigaon resident has been surrounded by coffins, cemeteries, crosses and gravestones for as long as he can remember. After all he was only three years old when his parents set up Lester D`souza Undertakers in Vasai. Today, they happen to be one of the go-to people for the service in the Vasai-Virar region since 2002. But what is life like around death?

Every year, Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2 around the world. It is the day that corresponds with All Souls Day, observed by the Catholic community in the city. Unfortunately, most people do not like to talk about death among the living. Ironically, they want their family, relatives and friends to have a grand burial and that is where the undertakers come to the fore. While they are always behind the scenes, the undertakers play a crucial role in carrying out the funeral service properly, so that the family can grieve like they have too. For D`souza, it is also about continuing his family`s legacy, which started out of the sheer need to help give the dead a dignified burial.

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