18/05/2026
“Women don’t belong at cremation grounds,” they said.
So Asha Bansika walked in and gave 200+ abandoned souls a dignified farewell.
In Rayagada, Odisha, 36-year-old Asha has spent the last three years cremating unclaimed bodies from the district hospital, many abandoned due to poverty or loneliness.
Her reason is deeply personal.
Years ago, her own family struggled to cremate her younger brother because they could not afford it. The pain never left her.
So when she began seeing unclaimed bodies lying in the morgue, she made a promise:
No one should leave this world without dignity.
Despite earning just ₹11,500 a month as a hospital attendant, Asha spends from her own pocket on firewood, flowers, clothes, and other funeral essentials.
Even after exhausting shifts, she continues to perform last rites for strangers society forgot.
In a place where women are often discouraged from entering cremation grounds, Asha is breaking age-old taboos with humanity, courage, and compassion.
[Asha Bansika, Odisha, Women breaking stereotypes]
