Malkangiri: Defying the age-old tradition that allows only sons to cremate their father, three girls here broke the stereotype and shouldered the bier of their father to cremation ground and performed the last rites, a report said Tuesday.
The matter came to the fore after Sukant Kumar Pattnaik, a resident of 119-Colony in the district headquarters town,, died of heart attack in the wee hours of Tuesday. He was earning his living by running a cycle repairing shop in the town.
Sources said Pattnaik was admitted to Malkangiri district headquarters hospital with a cardiovascular ailment. He was later shifted to SLN Medical College and Hospital when his condition deteriorated. He, however, died Wednesday after a heart attack. The incident has become the talk of the town.
Neighbours and relatives rushed to his house on learning about his death and paid their last respects to him. However, the trouble started when no one came forward to perform his last rites. People kept discussing as to who would light the funeral pyre as the deceased had only three daughters and no sons.
However, his three daughters Sasmita, Smita and Sangeeta decided to perform the last rites of their father and came forward to shoulder the bier to the cremation ground.
It was an unusual sight for the residents as they saw the three siblings carrying the bier on their shoulders to the cremation ground.
After their arrival in the cremation ground, the youngest daughter Sangeeta performed the rituals and lit the funeral pyre in presence of onlookers and neighbours.