‘Dead’ woman wakes to life at Puri’s Swargadwar moments before final rites

In a shocking turn of events, a woman believed to be dead returned to life just moments before her funeral pyre was to be lit at Puri’s Swargadwar cremation ground on Monday. The incident has left locals stunned and raised questions about how she was declared dead in the first place.

The woman, identified as P. Lakshmi (86) of Polsara in Ganjam district, had reportedly been undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Ganjam. According to family members, she was declared dead and arrangements were made to perform her last rites at Swargadwar.

However, as relatives and others prepared for the cremation rituals, signs of life were noticed. Witnesses said there was movement, and upon closer observation, it became clear that the woman was still breathing. The shocking discovery stopped the cremation instantly.

“We thought she was dead. She was not breathing. So, we hired an ambulance and brought her to Puri for the funeral. However, we saw her breathing once again at Swargadwar. So, we rushed her to Puri hospital,” a relative stated.

She was immediately rushed to Puri Medical College and Hospital, where doctors confirmed that she was alive and began emergency treatment. Her condition is now being closely monitored.

The miraculous turn of events has spread rapidly, with many calling it a ‘rebirth’. It has also triggered discussions about the need for stricter medical confirmation before declaring a person dead. Locals at Swargadwar described the moment as both terrifying and heartening, as the woman’s ‘life returned from the brink’.

Authorities have not yet commented on how the misdiagnosis occurred.