'Wanted to see who would come': Ex-Air Force officer conducts his own funeral in Gaya, throws community feast

Mohanlal also hosted a community feast following the symbolic cremation, where villagers shared a meal in his honour. (Image: X)

In Konchi village, part of the Guraru block in Bihar’s Gaya district, a 74-year-old retired Air Force officer, Mohanlal, organised his own funeral procession while still alive, saying he wished to see who would attend his final rites.

Mohanlal, who has served as a Warrant Officer in the Indian Air Force, lay motionless on a flower-decorated bier as villagers carried him through the streets towards the local cremation ground. The procession featured a marching band, chants of “Ram Naam Satya Hai”, and the song “Chal Ud Ja Re Panchhi, Ab Desh Hua Begana” playing through the loudspeakers.

The unusual ceremony drew hundreds of residents from nearby villages, many of whom had been personally invited by Mohanlal himself. Upon reaching the Muktidham (cremation site), he stepped down from the bier, and in his place, an effigy was set alight. The funeral rituals were performed in full, and the ashes from the effigy were later immersed in a nearby river.

Speaking to villagers and local media, Mohanlal explained his motive for arranging the event. “When a person dies, they cannot see who attends their funeral. I wanted to experience this myself and understand how much respect and love people have for me,” he said.

Mohanlal also hosted a community feast following the symbolic cremation, where villagers shared a meal in his honour, according to a report in Dainik Bhaskar.

In Gaya, Bihar, a 74-year-old retired Air Force Officer staged his own funeral to see who truly cared for him. He wore a white cloth and laid like a corpse on the funeral. When hundreds of people gathered, he woke up and revealed that it was done to test the people. pic.twitter.com/qwKCcXMecq

— Gems Of India (@GemsOfIndia_X) October 14, 2025

He said the idea had been with him for years. “After retiring from the Air Force, it was my wish to serve my village and society after serving the nation,” he said. “During the rainy season, there used to be great difficulty in cremating bodies here. That’s when I decided to construct a proper Muktidham.”

According to Mohanlal, he had used his pension to fund the building of the cremation ground so that villagers could perform last rites with dignity and comfort. “When it was finally completed, I thought it would be fitting to inaugurate it with my own symbolic final journey,” he said. “Seeing so many people walk with me today has made me truly happy," Dainik Bhaskar reported.

Mohanlal lives with his extended family and continues to contribute to community projects. His wife, Jeevan Jyoti, passed away 14 years ago. He has two sons — Dr Deepak Kumar, a doctor based in Kolkata, and Vishw Prakash, a teacher at a higher secondary school — and a daughter, Gudiya Kumari, who lives in Dhanbad.

Relatives and residents praised his gesture, describing it as both unusual and inspiring. Akhilesh Thakur, a family member who attended the event, said, “When we received the information, we immediately went there. We took part in the entire procession. He is a very social person, and many people from surrounding villages came to show their respect. He performed all the rituals himself and looked at peace. No one objected to it.”

Another villager, Upendra Yadav, called the event “a unique example of community spirit”. “He is a social worker, and what he did was something we have never seen before. Hundreds of people participated with enthusiasm,” he said.