We met Srikanth, Managing Director of  Kasi Sarveshwara Funeral Services. He’s a burly guy, clad with tattoos that you couldnt miss, but we found out how this well mannered and polite gentlemen turned his life around after a stint in the prison, and gave himself a second chance in life, with sheer determination and positive thinking.

Srikanth, Managing Director of Kasi Sarveshwara Funeral Services

Tell me more about yourself

My story was more of a man changing and mending his ways from a bad apple to a new man altogether. Yes, I was an ex-convict and now a funeral director of my own casket company. I learnt how to pick up myself from ground zero, slowly crawl, start walking and now I am running my race.
Personally, I am a very hardworking person. Trust me when I say that it’s through sheer hard I am where I am today. I have put my heart and soul to achieve what I have and I will continue to give it my all.

Tell me more about your company

Kasi Sarveshwara Funeral Services Pte. Ltd. is the most professional and dedicated casket service provider for the Indian community. We are honored with experience and knowledge, which goes beyond 20 years.

Our slogan is dignity and grace in ensuring that a deceased family requirements are professionally and timely taken care of in their painful and delicate time. We are all aware that nothing is permanent in this world and that death is inevitable in each and every one of our lives. In this time of grief and bereavement, we engage our staff members who are selfless, passionate, experienced, hardworking and devoted to carry out all the works for the funeral and ad hoc duties that the deceased family may require or need.

Our priority, in providing our services, will be to perform the last rites of your departed loved one with the accurate and correct rituals and practices of our Hindu custom as well as providing grandeur procession and send off for the last time. We are dedicated to providing the best of our services to both our new and existing clients.

We cater packages that will suit every beloved deceased family’s budgets, needs and wants for the funeral to be carried out in smooth and accommodating way for everyone.

What makes you want to take up this job?

I find this a very interesting job and I find myself dedicated to serving the departed souls. I do not see this as a job but as a service in which I am giving to the society.

Have you had any interesting encounters in your past experience?

One of the funerals which I had arranged was that of a woman who was the head of the village in India. Her funeral was a mixture of Indian and Chinese culture. The house, the stairways and the void deck was beautifully decorated with sunflowers, chrysanthemum flowers and rose petals. Her coffin was laid beautifully on top of a floating flower arrangement with the lotus.

She also was honored with a lion dance and the place was hoisted with the Chinese association flags. It was interesting to see how beautifully two cultures integrated to honor a beautiful soul.

Describe one memorable experience you have?

I was pleasantly surprised that the family of a funeral that I had arranged were so elated with the services we rendered that they gave S$1,000 tip to six members of my staff including myself.

At another funeral we arranged, we were bringing the body of a man into the house and his wife got a heart attack and passed away. It showed me the true love they had for one another and this incident stuck by me even till now.

What is the favorite part of your work?

Dealing with dead souls and explaining the whole procedures to the families. I also experience the whole process with the family from the beginning till the end. Each of this experience not only allows me to enrich myself further but also allows me to interact with many people from different walks of life which is of interest to me.

What is the challenging part of your work?

Firstly, I am constantly at the beckon and call of my clients. When there is a death and we are called to handle the funeral, regardless of the time we have to attend to the needs of the family and the departed soul. From the time a family engages our services we have to spend at least 3 days to complete the whole process due to our Hindu culture and sometimes this can be time consuming.
At the time of their loved ones departure some family members can be emotionally stricken and be difficult to deal with. As the funeral director, I have to be on guard and practice patience and humbleness at all times.

What should people take note of when they engage a funeral director?
People should not judge us by our outlook. I get many people judging me by my tattoos and by my past. I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone that if ever you want to judge me, please do so with regard to my hard work and dedication that I show to my work and not by my outlook.

With the changing landscape about the industry, we have seen quite a number of young people who is taking up this job, do you have any tips for them?

As a funeral director and a funeral home owner, I have to say that this is very well thought and written. I agree with so many of the feelings and emotions expressed here. For me funeral service is not a “job” with a corporation, or looking for the next promotion, raise, commission etc. My career is not only that, but a “Calling”. I am thankful every day to be able to serve a family and make those rapid decisions in seconds to do a small something “warming the blanket” to make a huge difference in a person’s final departure. I believe that I am an incredible, respectable and an absolute asset to my services.
Tell us one things you have learnt from your line of work?
This job can only be performed well with hard work and dedication. Money is not the main factor for me but sending a departed soul with all the rights and respect to their final destination means the world to me. I am purely dedicated to my job. I have learnt the pain, the sorrow, the feeling of losing someone you love and I know how families are sometimes unable to express how they feel. I have also learnt that sometimes it’s good to give and I have arranged many funerals without any costs as the families were poor and souls were even orphans.
Lastly, I love my job.