Academics
What are the beliefs associated with death in India? How do final rites and rituals reveal the misogyny and caste-based discrimination that plague the country? Who are the people involved in managing the deceased and laying them to rest? What are the economic and environmental costs of saying that final goodbye? Powerful and enlightening, The Final Farewell offers a glimpse into a world that is misunderstood and feared With compassion and sensitivity, Minakshi Dewan explores the many ways in which some of the country's major faiths treat the dead: this includes avoidance of human remains, believed by some to be spiritual pollutants; the worship of bodies at the pyre; professional mourners hired to wail loudly for the dead; and musicians devoted to celebrating life at funerals. Based on thorough research, keen observation, personal interviews, The Final Farewell is a reminder to honour those who came before, and to work towards a better world to leave behind.
Dr Minakshi Dewan is a researcher and writer with a PhD degree in social medicine and community health from Jawaharlal Nehru University and masters in social work from TISS Mumbai. She possesses extensive experience in health, gender, and community mobilization with grassroots and international development organizations. She has contributed chapters in academic publications on tribal health and healing rituals. Her writings have appeared in several Indian and international publications, like the Deccan Herald, The Telegraph, and Devex, among others. She has also written a non-fiction title for children. This is her debut book with HarperCollins.
Minakshi DewanAdd a review
Login to write a review.
Customer questions & answers