The Last Rite Done Right: Help Members Of Enactus IIT Delhi Give People A Dignified Cremation

India is a country with rich culture and tradition. Every ritual has a deeper meaning and cremations are no exceptions - they are considered to be the beginning of the journey to moksha or freedom. However, there are thousands of people in India who are not given a respectable and dignified last rite because many of them can't afford the expenses of cremations, and are left with no other option. There are more than 87000 documented unclaimed dead bodies to date in India.

ENACTUS IIT DELHI considers the cremation of unclaimed and poor people very special because they believe that the last rite is the last samskara in a series of traditional life samskaras which starts from the conception in our Hindu tradition and contributes to our life journey for a peaceful moksha.

The innovative members of IIT Delhi wanted to help those who couldn’t afford a dignified cremation, and thus, Project Arth was born.

Arth is a social initiative by Enactus IIT Delhi, a NGO with a team of 50+ members working on creating an impact. Arth’s purpose is to create logs for cremations and help people get the last rite they deserve. They can also help make gaushalas financially sustainable in the process.

The logs they are using for the cremations are made from our pious Indigenous cow's dung which not only helps in completing the Antyesti or Anth-Kriya but it also contributes towards the sustainability of Gaushala.

“We realized that all the cow-dung that was going to waste can be put to good use for a better environment, a dignified cremation, and a better life for our cows. These Gaushala’s take in injured and abandoned cows. They have nowhere else to go, so the work being done there is so important. There are also so many people who don’t even get a respectful cremation...we want to make this affordable for everyone.”

Until now, Arth has supported more than 11,000 cows and generated more employment among women in remote areas of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. They also take care of all the Hindu Cremation’s religious sanctity that is being offered in the presence of 5 basic essential tattavas: Vayu, Jal, Agni, Dhara, and Aakash



The members of Enactus IIT Delhi have not let the pandemic stop them. They want to continue working hard towards giving people a dignified cremation. You can support them on their journey.