Nagpur: All preparations had been made for the funeral, but the only person who refused to be part of it was the “corpse”.
Mourning turned into celebrations at Ramtek in Nagpur, Maharashtra, after Gangabai Sakhare practically sat up on her bier, moments before it was to be carried to the crematorium, to celebrate her 103rd birthday with the mourners.
The episode began on Monday evening after Gangabai – a great grandmother to many – appeared to have passed away.
After all her body movements ceased, Gangabai’s relatives started preparing for the last rites. Relatives and friends were informed and they started reaching her home by Tuesday morning.
The old lady was dressed in a new saree, and cotton plugs were placed in her nostrils as per tradition. Relatives then proceeded to tie her hands and feet to the bier and that was when the “miracle” occurred.
Her grandson, Rakesh Sakhare, suddenly spotted a twitch in her feet and alerted others. As soon as the cotton plugs were removed from her nostrils, Gangabai started taking deep breaths, as reported by NDTV.
The mourners could not believe their eyes at first, but mourning soon transformed into a celebration. The hearse was sent back, and the mourning tent was promptly dismantled.
It was then that someone mentioned that it was Gangabai’s birthday and a cake was procured. The mourners left happy, with neighbours calling the 103-year-old a “living miracle.”
The news spread fast and before long, people from neighbouring villages started flocking to the house to meet the centurion who cheated death on her birthday.
