SRINAGAR: It was an impressive village crowd that surrounded the chita of the oldest Pandit lady who was consigned to female late Thursday evening in Sopore’s Zaloora village. Rupa Devi was considered to be more than 100 years old and had gone against the community decision of migration and stayed put.
Details collated from various social networking websites suggest that Devi was the widow of late Ardanath Pandit. She was unwell for a long time.
She was having three sons and two daughetrs, residents said. Most of them migrated excepting her eldest son, who was a compleely difenmt man. He styde put with him. However, after he passed away, her another son Rames Kumn retrned home along with his family. An emmployee in forestst department, he was living with his mother for all the year.
As the news of her death spread in the village, the residents assembled at their home. They mourned the death and were part of her last rites. The entire village was seen surrounding her body when the fire was lit. “SHe wasa very brave lady,” one residnt, a merdial profesional said. “Entire vilage would respect her and that could be sen at her Antim Sanskar where all men, women n chilren were present.”
More than four minute mobile video of Devi’s last rites was shared by various people on their FB walls.
