The villagers of Barjo under Dhanwar Block of Giridih cremated the body of an 80-year-old woman, who begged in the streets for survival, with full Hindu rituals and compassion.

Under the initiative of the mukhiya, Sabdar Ali, the villagers shouldered the body of the woman to the cremation ground, and ensured that all rituals were followed.

All the villagers turned up at the funeral.

The woman, who had been living in the village for the past five years, was found dead on Friday night.

The villagers called her Budhi and used to give her clothes.

They assumed she was a Hindu and decided to cremate her with Hindu rituals.

They took out a procession accompanying her body, and cremated her at the gound at the burning ghat on the Irga river in Dhanwar.

A villager said the woman was very mild-tempered and much liked by the villagers. The villagers will observe her shradha ceremony and conduct a langar with donations from the residents.