Turning graveyard into a 'gateway to heaven'

T. Iswar Rao of Rayagada in Southern Odisha is a teacher in RSEWS Primary school. However, his interest in social services has edged him to do something for a burial ground located nearby.

Rayagada:A teacher by profession, an Odisha man has taken up a hobby of making a graveyard look like the 'Swargadwar' in the temple town of Puri. Decorating and redefining traditional crematorium grounds is what gives this teacher immense pleasure besides teaching students.

T. Iswar Rao of Rayagada in Southern Odisha is a teacher in RSEWS Primary school. However, his interest in social services has edged him to do something for a burial ground located nearby.

Since there was no good burial ground in nearby areas for the cremation of dead bodies, Iswar with his own effort has started work to make the Siriguda cremation ground as a ‘Swargadham'.

He first started the work by levelling a four acre deserted piece of land with his own money and then with the cooperation of the local people, he constructed a high statue of Lord Shiva, three main gates, a platform to burn the bodies, a platform to perform ‘puja’ (rituals) and a bathing platform there.

And now he is trying to make arrangements in the coming days to keep the dead bodies for a long duration under an air-conditioned facility and also to make available a vehicle to bring dead bodies from the towns and nearby areas for burial there.

Besides, he is also trying to ensure that the people coming to the burial ground for the last rites of their near and dear ones do not experience any problem. According to him, his aim is to see people be able to cremate the bodies and go home without spending any money.

Not only the construction work but also whenever he finds leisure time, he goes to the burial ground with spades in his hand and in the extremely hot sun, he cleans the undesired plants and then plants new seedlings there which he carries with him. Likewise, whenever he finds time he also takes care of the garden of the school.

Not only the burial ground, but he also loves nature deeply. This is proved from his work in planting seedlings on the school premises and taking care of those plants.

For this, he has received awards like “Prakruti Mitra” (Friend of Nature) and “Brukshya Mitra” (Friend of the trees). But even after doing all this he still cherishes a dream to make the burial ground, where people are not afraid to go, a “Swargadham” (a heavenly abode).

He is being highly praised by the local people for his endeavour.