Preparing for the final journey in Kurnool

Coffin-makers lend dignity to the dead through family occupation

Chand Basha and his son Abdullah working on a coffin at Old Town in Kurnool on Wednesday.

In a corner of Old Town in Kurnool is located a stretch of six shops, where men in their sixties put finishing touches on coffins both big and small.

While all of the coffin-makers are Muslim, their clientele is almost exclusively comprised of poor Christians.

Making a profit out of their business is not their driving force, given the very nature of the product that they are selling. For them, it is a traditional occupation bequeathed to them by their forefathers, meant to be looked at as a form of service rather than a means of making money.

“The coffins cost between ₹1.200 and ₹1,500 depending on the level of detail. We manage to earn around Rs.200 per coffin, which is just about enough to keep us afloat,” says Chand Basha, a 65-year-old carpenter who inherited the business from his father.

Mr. Basha and his ilk had seen better days, when their business was not restricted to building coffins.

“My father used to build furniture and cabinets for homes, and I used to tag along with him. We did well, until bigger carpentry shops and the plastic industry took over. Now, we are confined to just building coffins,” says the 65-year-old.

Mr. Basha will pass on the baton to Abdullah, the youngest of his three sons, who is physically-challenged.

“We attempt to lend some dignity to the dead through our work,” said another coffin-maker of a neighbouring shop.