Mohan Lal had a question that most people never get to answer: if he died, who would actually show up?
The 74-year-old former Indian Air Force veteran from the village of Konchi in Bihar had been thinking about it for a while. He wanted to know how much respect and affection people had for him, not after the fact, but while he was still around to see it. So he decided to find out.
He enlisted his relatives to help spread word through the village that he had died. A proper funeral was organized. A decorated bier was prepared. And Mohan Lal, very much alive, was carried through the streets of Konchi on it while hundreds of villagers turned out to pay their respects.
When the procession reached the crematorium, he sat up.
The crowd, understandably, was stunned. Some were confused. Some were amused. Some were probably furious. But Mohan Lal had his answer. He had seen exactly who came, who walked alongside him, and who cared enough to show up when they thought he was gone.
He later explained his reasoning. “After death, people carry the bier,” he said, “but I wanted to witness it myself and know how much respect and affection people give me.”
To make it up to everyone who had turned out, he then threw a feast for the entire crowd
The 74-Year-Old Man Who Attended His Own Funeral to See Who Would Show Up
