Swargadwar, the sacred cremation grounds located in the holy city of Puri in Odisha, is facing an acute shortage of firewood, causing distressing delays for grieving families conducting the last rites of their departed loved ones. Considered one of the most revered sites in Hindu tradition for attaining salvation, the facility is struggling to manage daily operations due to severe supply chain disruptions caused by heavy and uninterrupted rainfall across the region. As a result, families bringing deceased relatives are forced to wait for hours before cremations can begin.
Unprecedented Morning Delays Highlight Growing Operations Crisis
The severity of the crisis came to light early Tuesday morning when six bodies arrived at Swargadwar between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM for funeral rites. Due to an absolute exhaustion of firewood reserves at the facility, none of the cremations could commence until after 9:00 AM. Bereaved family members were left waiting in distress for over three hours amidst inclement weather conditions. Local residents and shrine attendants noted that such a prolonged pause in funeral proceedings due to a total lack of fuel has rarely been witnessed at the site in recent memory.
Rising Demand vs Supply: Daily Requirement Reaches 20 Tonnes
Operational statistics underscore the massive scale of funerals conducted at Swargadwar every day. More than 100 bodies are brought to the holy grounds daily from various parts of Odisha and neighboring states. A standard traditional pyre requires between 1.5 quintals to 2 quintals (150 to 200 kilograms) of dry firewood per body. Consequently, the cremation ground needs a consistent supply of 15 to 20 tonnes of timber each day. However, current deliveries managed by the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) have fallen dramatically short of this requirement, draining the site's buffer inventory.
Monsoon Rain Interruption and Alternative Timber Arrangements
According to forest officials, ongoing monsoon downpours have severely impacted forest logging, drying processes, and transportation routes. Addressing the situation, Swargadwar manager Siddhartha Roy stated that the administration is currently relying on supplies of Casuarina (Jhau) wood arranged through the Odisha Forest Development Corporation. In instances where immediate cremations are necessary, families are being permitted to procure firewood from private external vendors to avoid further delays.
Funeral Volumes Double in Five Years While ₹90 Lakh Modern Furnace Project Lags
Pressure on Swargadwar infrastructure has escalated significantly over recent years. Five years ago, the facility handled approximately 50 cremations daily, a figure that has now surged beyond 100. Following the major redevelopment of Swargadwar, a proposal was drafted to construct a modern eco-friendly cremation furnace valued at ₹90 lakh. However, bureaucratic bottlenecks and delays in fund sanctioning have stalled the execution of this vital modernization plan, leaving the grounds entirely dependent on traditional firewood pyres.
Public Calls for Effective Harishchandra Scheme Implementation
To alleviate the strain on Puri, local community leaders and members of the Swargadwar Seba Samiti are urging broader systemic reforms. Following the emergence of the shortage on Monday, the committee immediately alerted the OFDC administration. Stakeholders emphasize that effective implementation of the government-sponsored Harishchandra Scheme, combined with upgrading rural cremation grounds at the village and block levels, would significantly reduce the heavy influx of bodies into Swargadwar. Devotees and local priests have collectively appealed to the state authorities for an urgent resolution, calling for uninterrupted timber supply lines and immediate clearance of the stalled ₹90 lakh modern furnace project.
