Sanjay George Mathew, an entrepreneur who founded Coconadu Event Management, Thiruvalla, in 2010, received a call from a United Kingdom-based Malayalee seeking the details of funeral services offered by his firm. The man at the other end of the phone asked for every detail, ending by seeking a costing.
“He also wanted the cost of including a procession from the hospital to home and then to the church, all accompanied by a motor cavalcade of black Royal Enfield bikes,” said Mr. Mathew. “He nonchalantly added that his father had been admitted in a private hospital in Kochi, and was on the ventilator, so he was readying for the funeral service in a few days.”
Thanks to Kerala’s burgeoning non-resident diaspora, especially from the Christian community, the funeral ‘market’ in Kerala is getting bigger with more personalisation involved. Generally, the cost of the service ranges from ₹50,000 to ₹10 lakh. Individual elements can take costs up. For instance, a casket is available at ₹4,500 but also at ₹1 lakh, depending on the wood and other accoutrements.
