Pathanamthitta; The mortal remains of Odalil Puthenvettil Thomas Cherian, a native of Elathoor East who died in a plane crash over the Rohtang Pass in 1968, will be brought to Thiruvananthapuram today.
The body, to be received by the Indian Army, will be kept in a morgue and is expected to be taken to his native place on Friday. Relatives said the mortal remains would be brought to the residence of Shaiju K Mathew, son of Cherian’s elder brother, Thomas Mathew.
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The family has informed that the remains will be escorted by the military from Elanthur market junction at 10.30 am. At 12.15 pm,Kuriakose Mar Clemis Metropolitan will perform the third order of the funeral service.
The funeral procession to St. Peter's Orthodox Church, Karur, will commence at 12.40 pm. The body will be available for public viewing between 1.00 and 2.00 pm The final service will begin at 2.00 pm, officiated by Dr Abraham Mar Seraphim Metropolitan. The body will be laid to rest with full military honors in a specially prepared burial chamber.
Elaborate parking arrangements have been made at the grounds near Karur School for those attending the funeral. Only vehicles of Metropolitans, government officials, ministers, and media personnel will be allowed to park on the church premises.
Only special guests, family members, and priests will be allowed inside the church, while others can view the service via facilities arranged in the church auditorium and the adjacent pandal.
Thomas Cherian, a 22-year-old craftsman in the Indian Army, lost his life when an Indian Air Force Antonov-12 aircraft crashed over the Rohtang Pass. The twin-engine turboprop, carrying 102 people, went missing on February 7, 1968, during a flight from Chandigarh to Leh. Cherian’s remains, along with those of three others, were recovered earlier this week during a joint operation by the Dogra Scouts and Tiranga Mountain Rescue team.
