Maharajin buaa….

Old People in and around Allahabad know about Maharajin Buaa very well and take her name with  great of respect.Her real name was Gulab Maharajin. Maharajin is a respectful address for any women who is regarded in high esteem. And yes she was respected widely in the area and  equally by famous , rich powerful, destitute and poor homeless, lonely people as well.

She was on Chandrashekhar Azad shmashan ghat in Rasoolabad  and used to carry out of cremation day and night. It didn’t matter if the dead person’s relatives were rich or not or even if the he had any relative or not, she was there standing beside them in their last journey.  It didn’t matter to her if she was paid her for services or not. Whatever people gave to her she kept. She preformed her duty dispassionately and with equal affection and equanimity.  She didn’t care if she got the money for it or not. Some give thousand, some hundred some nothing, but she cremated them like one of her own. Her motherly attitude brought her many admirers. Although she was a Brahman by birth and didn’t care for any social restrictions to carry out her service and did it selflessly.

Gulab Maharajin, was and elderly lady who was  perhaps the only woman in the country who performed kriya karmas for the dead. Although typically women are not allowed on Shmashan Ghats. Maharajin Bua paved her way through the stereotypical mindset of society and continued with the profession of her family. Her father’s name was Lakshmi Naraya Mishra. She was married later married to Shankarji Tripathi in Arail , Allahabad.

It was her  determination and grit which dented the courage of her rivals who didn’t want a woman to continue with her father’s profession, being a women. Maharajin Buaa as she was fondly called, performed fist cremation at the young age of 10. Her Grandfather and father did the same work, it came very natural for her to pick this profession when her father passed away.

Maharajin buaa passed away in 2002 at teh ripe age of 91. She performed around 13 Lacs the last rites. We talk about women empowerment today but here she was , much ahead of her time took the totally taboo profession for women in society and earned the respect of everyone. Even after she has passed away now , the management of Azad ghat is done by women only. Maaharajin buaa started a new tradition all by herself.

Interesting Incident:

I wanted to tell about an chat she had with one of my uncles in distant relation. He was called Pande affectionately by Maharajin buaa. Once my uncle went to cremate one of his friends. Maharajin buaa exclaimed, ” What Pande, you are not dead yet?” To this my uncle smiled and said, “No, not yet, but let you be alive and do my cremation and give me mukhagni”. Maharajin buaa was around 85 years then and seemed more likely to die earlier than my uncle. But She replied in affirmative.

And it so happened that much uncle died within 15days of this chat Maharajin buaa did her cremation and my uncle ‘family allowed her to do mukhagni. It is important to state that mukhagni is usually performed by eldest son and is considered a very reserved right only for family members only. But looking at the great friendship between two and motherly reputation of Maharajin buaa, they felt it as a privilege.

Incidently Maharajin buaa also died within two months after this.

You can hear many great stories about Maharajin buaa from other people in Allahabad still today. Please share if someone else knows more about her.