Mohan Lal, 74, faked his own death and lay in a coffin as his body was carried towards a crematorium in the village of Konchi in India’s Gaya district to see who would show up
A bloke staged his own death to discover how many people would turn up to his funeral.
Former Indian Air Force veteran Mohan Lal orchestrated an elaborate social experiment, pretending to pass away in the village of Konchi in India’s Gaya district. Lying motionless in a coffin beneath a shroud, his body was transported towards a crematorium – all to witness the level of attention he would garner.
His scheme proved successful as hundreds of relatives and friends – believing the 74-year-old had departed this world – flocked to the village to pay their final respects. However, just as the funeral procession approached the crematorium, the father-of-two rose up and revealed to the astonished crowd that he was very much alive.
He explained: “After death, people carry the bier [a stand for carrying a coffin], but I wanted to witness it myself and see how much respect and affection people give me.”
Following his resurrection, mourners burnt an effigy in his place before a communal banquet was organised for the entire village. Mohan had previously donated a crematorium to the village, enabling residents to continue funeral rites during monsoon seasons, reports the Mirror.
These charitable acts, along with other community contributions, have established him as a highly regarded and beloved village member, a local resident informed regional media. Back in 2023, a Brazilian gentleman received a considerably less favourable reaction when he theatrically orchestrated his own farewell for the same purpose.
Seasoned funeral director Baltazar Lemos, 60, conceived the notion of staging a funeral for himself after feeling disheartened whilst conducting a service that attracted merely two mourners.
This experience prompted him to ponder how many individuals would actually attend his own send-off. He devised an intricate scheme, but it spectacularly backfired, leaving people livid at the way he manipulated their emotions.
Initially, he uploaded a photograph on Facebook showing himself outside Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, followed the next day by a social media announcement declaring his own death.
The post stated: “Early on this sad afternoon, Baltazar Lemos left us. More information coming soon.”
Understandably, this left numerous friends and relatives devastated, as they had been completely unaware of any illness.
He subsequently arranged his own memorial service at a chapel in Curitiba, Brazil, on January 18, with service details shared across his social media platforms.
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