Udupi, March 9, 2013 : Vanaja Poojarti, a woman hailing from Beedinagudde in Udupi can be described as a woman of grit by all means. She has been part of a profession which not many women may dare to venture. She has been working as a caretaker of the Hindu crematorium at Beedinagudde since the past 22 years and has taken this as a full time profession.
Hailing from a poor, backward class family, Vanaja Poojarti had ably assisted her husband Poova Poojari who was a caretaker of this crematorium for 12 long years and took up this challenging profession after the demise of her husband.
Vanaja who is a mother of two daughters, has been doing her work with sincerity since the past several years and even takes the initiative in cremating unclaimed bodies, by spending from her own pockets. There have been instances when she had helped some poor family to cremate the body of its member.
She has so far received over 73 awards and felicitations.
Vanajakka even recalls how some political parties had even appealed to her to join their party. She says she turned down the offer saying she would like to serve the society as a whole and not restrict her activities merely to a party.
Courtesy: gulfkannadiga