A photograph of an Indian family smiling at a funeral has gone popular on the internet. The shot was taken at the funeral of Mariyamma, a 95-year-old woman who had been bedridden and ill for nearly a year. She had nine children and 19 grandkids, but most of them were at their family home when she passed away.
On social media, the ‘happy’ picture is being criticized. At least 40 members were spotted smiling as they posed for a “family portrait” around the coffin.
“As we sat around her body, we reminisced about her. We were so inspired by her life and extremely proud of her. Harsha Elsha Joseph, the granddaughter of Mariyamma, told the Times of India, “We all chose to take that portrait with smiles on our faces because there was nothing sad to feel about grandma, as she lived a full life.”