Funeral cum burial a costly affair now

Sellers jack up rates of shrouds, camphor, rose water, flowers, grave-digging

RAWALPINDI:

While inflation isn’t sparing any item or service nowadays, the shrouds for funeral and burial items have also become much more expensive for the residents of Rawalpindi.

Particularly, poor families are facing many difficulties in burying their loved ones as funeral items especially shrouds have become record expensive in the open market. The complete set of a good cotton shroud is available for Rs3,500, and a poor quality cotton shroud is being sold for Rs3,000.

The sellers are charging Rs550 per kg for flower petals and Rs400 for rose flowers, yellow common flowers, mixed green leaf and mixed flower petals. The price of candles is currently Rs300, a camphor (kafur) box Rs350, and the rose water is Rs250 per bottle.

A grave sheet with artificial flowers is being sold at Rs900, a good quality sheet at Rs1,200, while a fresh flower sheet is being sold at Rs1,800. The graves are dug in Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 in cemeteries, while bricks and compensation of gravediggers have been increased to Rs5,500.

The burial rituals have become a headache for poor families, who are seen borrowing money for the funeral process. The expenses of food and drinks after the burial are added expenses.

Feroze Malik, who sells shrouds, says all types of cloth including white woven cotton have become much more expensive in the last two years or so. “We mix two qualities of fabric in the shroud that is sold at lower rates and provide free of cost shroud to the deserving after verifications,” he added.

According to Feroze, they are running a non-government organisation (NGO) with the help of donations to provide free shrouds.

He further said fully prepared shroud sets were provided within 24 hours of the burials.