From classroom to crematorium, with a brief stop at a health centre in between, Tumpa Das’s journey reflects a life shaped by struggle, resilience and defiance of social norms. Braving deep-rooted social stigmas, she chose a profession traditionally dominated by men for centuries.
Thus, Tumpa Das, a 30-year-old woman, began her journey as a dom at Purandarpur Shamshan Ghat (crematorium) in the Baruipur area of South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, making history as the state’s first woman to take up the profession.
Traditionally, doms handle the process of cremation during Hindu funeral rites, a role almost exclusively performed by men. Tumpa is probably the second female dom in India after Yamuna Devi of Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, a septuagenarian who broke similar barriers decades ago.
Her journey into the profession began in 2014–15 after the sudden death of her father, Bapi Das, who himself worked as a dom at the same crematorium, located around 40 kilometres from Esplanade, the heart of Kolkata.
With the passing of her father, the sole earning member of a family of five, Tumpa was forced to discontinue her studies after Class X due to severe financial hardship. In an attempt to support her family, she took up a job as a nurse at a local health centre in the Baruipur area. However, the modest salary proved insufficient to sustain her mother and siblings.
Eventually, she stepped into her father’s role and joined the Purandarpur crematorium as a dom. Accepting the profession was far from easy, particularly for a woman in a field rarely associated with the female community. Initially, she faced strong resistance from her own family, relatives and neighbours. Yet she remained determined to continue her father’s work, disregarding social disapproval. “In our society, girls are not deemed fit for the role of a dom,” she explains.
Her profession even affected her personal life. A recent marriage proposal was called off after the prospective groom’s family learned about her job. However, the rejection only strengthened her resolve, even though the work remained physically and emotionally challenging, particularly when handling dead bodies at the crematorium.
In the early years, the work was especially difficult as she operated a traditional wood-fired furnace, a long and physically demanding process required to completely cremate a body. About seven years ago, the installation of an electric furnace at the crematorium brought her some relief from the physical and psychological strain associated with the earlier system.
“Burning a dead body in front of my eyes was not what I liked to see every time,” she said in recent interviews. Her daily responsibilities include handling paperwork, operating the furnace and handing over ashes to bereaved families. She works around 12 hours a day, beginning at 8 am. After more than a decade in the profession, fear is no longer part of her routine.
“I am no more scared about dead bodies. It’s some of the living people who do,” Tumpa says. Despite the long hours and demanding work, her monthly salary remains only Rs 5,000. “Under any circumstances, what may come, I am not going to leave this job ever in life, even if I have to remain unmarried,” Tumpa asserts. Her work has gradually given her an identity she refuses to relinquish.