He had given me a specific list: he wanted only white lilies, no other flowers and no wreaths on the coffin. "I had a rare opportunity-to discuss with a VIP in Kerala when he was on his death bed at the hospital. He adds that it's not unusual for rich folk to have a list of do's and don'ts for their own funerals included in their wills, with lawyers standing by to ensure they are taken care of. I organised the event, and that's how I started organising funeral services," Kannampuzha explains. He wanted me to handle the funeral services of his father, who had expired. Then, I received an emergency call from my client, telling me that I should arrange the event for the next day-with some modifications. We had discussions about the event, which was scheduled to take place a month later. "One of my clients had asked me to organise his son's holy communion. In places like these, a death is an occasion for a family reunion-as well as an opportunity to show off.Įxecutive Events organised its first funeral for a VIP three years ago. Many other areas, like Kumbanad, Pullad, Kozhenchery and the suburbs of Thiruvalla are known NRI pockets too, inhabited mostly by older folk and minors. But many others are jumping aboard the bandwagon, and to service this rising demand, several event management companies specialising in funeral services have sprung up in NRI towns.Īmong them is Pathanamthitta, about 100 km northeast of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, known for its sizeable NRI population.
It was the Christian communities in Kerala-18.4 per cent of the 33.4 million strong population-that first opted for funerals as stylish as the jumbo weddings that are trendy these days. And just like that, Kerala is slowly adapting to mega-stylish funerals, organised by event management companies. The targets for the funeral business are NRIs, and those rich enough to spend millions of rupees burying their loved ones. The competition to make the last journey a memorable event has even given a springboard to this thriving sector. And so, a thriving service industry has sprung up in god's own country, offering a bouquet of ways to mark the ending of a life - in style.
0 kommentar(er)
