Transporting Deceased Bodies From Their City of Residence To Their Villages or Ancestral Homes

It’s a curious tradition, isn’t it? Someone spends their entire life building a home and living in a bustling city, far from their "ancestral home." Yet, when they pass away, their body is transported back to their village or state of origin.

Why do we do this?

For many, it’s rooted in cultural and traditional beliefs. In some societies, the idea of returning to one's "roots" or "home soil" is seen as the final act of connection to one's lineage and heritage. But if you ask me, it feels like an unnecessary exercise in sentimentality and a waste of time and resources.

Think about it: If someone lived their whole life in a city, built memories, raised a family, and possibly even owned property there, why isn’t that place considered their home? What makes the village or “hometown” they left behind decades ago a more valid resting place than where they spent their life?

For me, home is anywhere a person finds peace, fulfillment, and belonging. It’s not about ancestral ties or where your great-grand-parents lived; it’s about where you create your life. If I live in a city, invest in it, and build my world there, then that’s my hometown — with or without a cultural stamp of approval.

Of course, I understand that others might feel differently. For some, honoring these traditions brings comfort and closure. It’s fine to have a different opinion, but we shouldn’t feel pressured by expectations to conform to traditions that might no longer fit our realities.

In the end, we should focus less on where someone is buried and more on the life they lived and the impact they made. Home is not just a geographical location; it’s where your heart finds rest, whether in life or death.

What do you think? Would you want to be buried where you lived or in your “hometown”? Let’s talk about it!