Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Few kilometres away from Ahmedabad airport lies a one-of-a-kind facility for the dead! Set in a dilapidated building at a graveyard in Chharanagar, the 'Ashes Bank' run by the Chhara community hosts the final remains of the dead, in containers.
This, unlike a typical 'bank', where people use it for financial or medical purposes, has gained the distinction for its unique proposition. Those entering the facility are greeted with tins/cans, containing ashes of deceased along with name-labels for easy identification.
The Chhara community has been following this practice for many years where they 'deposit' the ashes, bones and flowers of their beloved ones after the cremation of the bodies. Caretaker Don Bajrangi Chhara told that some relatives keep the ashes for few months while others leave them for years.
"There are many containers here containing 15 to 20-year-old ashes. The relatives of the dead collect the ashes for immersion in the river whenever it suits them," told Don Bajrangi.
Today Chharas, part of the larger Bhantu community, are majorly present in states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
The Chharas were labelled “born criminals” by the British and were confined to a prison labour camp in 1933.
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They remained there till 1952 when the Criminal Tribes Act was finally repealed after which those formerly notified as “Criminal Tribes” were considered “de-notified.” For this reason, Chharas are now referred to as “De-Notified Tribes” or DNTs.
