Pleasant Surprise: 'Dead' mother reaches home

Chennai, Sep 23 :(IANS) Vadivelu, a 48-year-old man and his family were in for a pleasant surprise after his 72-year-old mother, Chandra, walked to his home three days after the family thought that she was 'dead' and gone. Chandra, who often visits temples, had went to a temple at Hanumanthapuram, 22 km from her residence in Ambedkar Nagar, Chennai, on Monday. She had decided to visit more temples located at some distance, and did not communicate with her home. As she did not return, Vadivelu lodged a complaint with the Guduvanchery police station that his mother was missing. Next day, on Tuesday evening, he received a call from the police station that an old woman's body was found on the railway track after being hit by a suburban train. The police informed him that the body was kept at Chrompet Government hospital and asked him whether it was his mother's body. Vadivelu noticed that the sari was similar to the one that was worn by his mother, and on that basis, he identified the body as that of his mother. The relatives received the body and they buried it after final rites. To the entire family's and relatives' surprise, Chandra walked into the home on Thursday morning. She was also in for a shock as the roads leading to her home were pasted with her photos, and an obituary. The body received from the hospital was later exhumed by the police and revenue officials and sent to the Chrompet general hospital.