Kollegal (Chamarajanagar): Death almost comes calling for villagers in Mamballi every time a person dies in their village limits. Villagers’ risk their own lives to inter the dead and the trend has not changed for decades, simply because the village lacks a burial ground.
For villagers in Mamballi, located 6 km away from taluk headquarters Kollegal, burial of the dead is a herculean task every time. Inhabited by 10000 people, ironically the village is also the home town of local legislator S Jayanna. The practice followed for over 8 decades is to bury the dead in the Gomala land/government land across the river.
Villagers have been ferrying dead irrespective of their caste and creed across river Suvarnavathi to give a “place of rest,” facing all forms of turbulence en route. They had built a temporary bridge using logs to cross over during difficult times. However, the bridge now in a precarious condition is unable to support the living, leave alone the dead!
Villagers seek administration’s intervention for a permanent solution on one side and divine intervention on the other so that their life’s journey lasts beyond the last journey of their near and dear ones!
