Kottayam: A photo of a family happily bidding farewell to their grandmother, who died of an old-age illness, has gone viral.

Turning their ire on the family for not being sad about the loss of a family member, many social media 'commentators' criticised the family for smiling in the photo.

But the family members, as well as their supporters, countered it by arguing that the best way to say goodbye to the soul of your dear ones was with smiling faces.

Mariamma, a 95-year-old native of Mallapally, Kottayam, breathed her last the other day due to an age-related illness. She is the wife of the late priest P O Varghese. The photo shows the family members sitting near her coffin with smiling faces.

After being on the receiving end for most of the day, a family member has come forward to share the real reason for the photo.

“Mariamma was my paternal aunt. According to Christian belief, after death, one goes to heaven. She led a good life and what we expressed here was our joy of her going to heaven. The body was brought home around 4 pm, and the photo was taken at 3 am the next day. All this while, each family member was praying for our dear grandma. Her children, grandchildren, and other family members shared their experiences. This photo was taken just before the family was about to take some rest. The picture, which should have stayed within the family circle, somehow found its way into social media and went viral,” Dr Oomen P Ninan, a family member, explained.

“Some on social media took it the wrong way. But we believe that our grandma would have a hopeful and happy afterlife. That’s why we bid her farewell happily.

“She was bed-ridden for the past one year. She has nine children. All of them took excellent care of her and provided all possible treatments. What is here (photo) to laugh at? This reveals only the mental state of those who circulate the photo wrongly," Dr Oomen said.

He said the family has nothing to say to people who assume how one should mourn the death in the family. "As a family member, I have one request. This photo should not be circulated anymore in this manner. What happiness do these people receive by making fun of others? It's soothing to know many people support us," Dr Oomen added.