The body of 78-year-old Gopan Swami, exhumed earlier for a post-mortem examination following legal and public scrutiny of his family’s claim of ‘samadhi,’ was reinterred in a grand religious ceremony at his residence in Neyyattinkara on Friday.

Family members, alongside Hindu organizations such as the Hindu Aikya Vedi and Vaikunda Swami Dharma Pracharana Sabha, conducted the reburial, referring to it as a ‘Maha Samadhi.’

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The rituals included elaborate ceremonies, and a newly erected shrine called ‘Rushipeetham’ now stands at the site of the controversial memorial in the family’s courtyard.

The reburial was marked by a religious procession, where the remains of Gopan Swami, seated cross-legged and wrapped in a red cloth, were transported from the mortuary to the family home in an open-top vehicle adorned with flowers. Supporters and relatives showered flowers on the body during the journey.

The ceremonies, led by Sanyasis (monks), concluded at 4 p.m. on Friday. Addressing reporters, family members and leaders of Hindu organizations claimed that the earlier controversies surrounding the ‘samadhi’ were driven by communal motives. They asserted that the Maha Samadhi was a symbolic response to detractors questioning Gopan Swami’s spiritual legacy.

The controversy began on January 9, when neighbors reported Gopan Swami missing. Days later, his family disclosed that he had “attained samadhi” and had been secretly buried in a sitting position beneath a concrete slab, covered with ash and incense.

Following public outcry, the Kerala High Court ordered the exhumation of the body, which was carried out by the Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police on Thursday.

The exhumed body was sent to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College for a post-mortem examination. The inquest report noted no visible injuries or signs of unnatural death, though the exact cause will only be determined after the detailed post-mortem report is released.

Despite the earlier controversies, Friday’s reburial ceremony proceeded smoothly, showcasing the intricate balance between faith, law, and public perception in the case of Gopan Swami’s ‘samadhi.’