Audio & Video

Podcasts & Interviews

In conversation: interviews and long-form discussions with Minakshi Dewan

Series

Podcasts archive

Swishing Mindsets
YouTube

Swishing Mindsets

Last rites can be wonderfully life-affirming as they guide a family through the ultimate sendoff and bring a community together. A lot of common themes run across India’s various belief systems, explains Minakshi Dewan, author of https://www.amazon.in/Final-Farewell-..., Understanding the Last Rites and Rituals of India’s Major Faiths, published by HarperCollins. Listen in as she talks about her experience of visiting Haridwar where the family ‘tirth purohit’ showed her records from 1941, handwritten by her great-grandfather. She mentions a conversation with an outspoken Parsi priest who offered cremation services over sky burials to his community and was dragged to court for it. Women, she notes, are stepping up increasingly to perform last rites defying patriarchal norms. In future, she also sees the trend of funeral agencies picking up, as seen in the West.

Listen / Watch →
Project Spark
Spotify

Project Spark

Project Spark is a platform to converse with voices that have the desire to spark change. Change of any kind. What matters is the grit that the owner of that voice showcased and that’s the story we'd like to bring alive. All of our sparkables will be that of women. Sparkles of women from every walk of life. And we will find out what empowered them to find that voice to spark change. And somewhere along the way, inspire you to use your voice to spark change.

Listen / Watch →
Books and Beyond
Spotify

Books and Beyond

How are mourning practices in India varied? Are mourning rituals gendered? In this episode of Books and Beyond, Tara speaks with Dr. Minakshi Dewan about her book The Final Farewell: Understanding the Last Rites and Rituals of India’s Major Faiths. After her father’s death, Dr. Minakshi chose to personally perform the Antim Sanskar, a ritual traditionally reserved for male family members. This experience, combined with her period of grieving, led her to explore the funeral rites traditions in India. Tara and Dr. Minakshi delve into the customs surrounding funeral rites in India, examining the varied religious rituals, the gender roles involved in mourning, and the environmental impacts of these practices. Tune in and learn more about the $2.5 billion Death Care Industry in India, the role of professional mourners, the portrayal of grieving women in Bollywood, and the evolving landscape of funeral services in the country. Books mentioned in this episode: Fire on the Ganges : Life Among the Dead in Banaras - Radhika Iyengar Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End - Atul Gawande Samskara - U. R. Ananthamurthy Death in Banaras - Jonathan P. Parry Movies Mentioned in this episode: Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi - Seema Pahwa Rudali - Kalpana Lajmi Pagglait - Umesh Bist Applications for The Bound Publishing Course 2026 are now open. The Bound Publishing Course is a 3-month intensive course on book, magazine, and digital publishing. Through live sessions, workshops, and industry-facing projects, participants gain practical publishing skills and exposure to careers across the industry. Cohort size: 50 seats First round of acceptances: 15th June 2026 Applications are reviewed on a rolling bas ‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Listen / Watch →
The Death Studies
Spotify

The Death Studies

What's the episode about? In this episode, hear Dr. Minakshi Dewan on last rites and rituals in India, gender, faith, religion, funeral pyres, sky burial, caste, gender, discrimination and the professionalisation of rites and funerals Who is Minakshi? Dr Minakshi Dewan is a researcher and writer with a PhD degree in social medicine and community health from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a master's degree in social work from TISS Mumbai. She possesses extensive experience in health, gender, and community mobilization with grassroots and international development organizations. She has contributed chapters in academic publications on tribal health and healing rituals. Her writings have appeared in leading Indian and international publications and address a range of issues, including, health, human rights, the environment and culture. She has also written a non-fiction title for children. The Final Farewell: Understanding the Last Rites and Rituals of India’s Major Faiths, is her debut non-fiction book with Harper Collins, India. How do I cite the episode in my research and reading lists? To cite this episode, you can use the following citation: Dewan, M. (2024) Interview on The Death Studies Podcast hosted by Michael-Fox, B. and Visser, R. Published 1 September 2024. Available at: www.thedeathstudiespodcast.com, DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.26886349

Listen / Watch →

Features

Interviews archive

Discovery of an Author
YouTube

Discovery of an Author

In this insightful episode of Discovery of an Author, we are joined by Dr.Minakshi Dewan, author of The Final Farewell: Understanding the Last Rites and Rituals of India’s Major Faiths. Minakshi takes us on a journey through the diverse and deeply rooted traditions that surround death in India’s major religions. We explore the symbolism and stories behind these rituals, the evolving roles of women in these practices, and the slow yet significant reforms shaping this sacred space. Minakshi also opens up about the personal loss that led her to research and write on this profound subject. We discuss the caste-based roles entrenched in these rituals, highlighting how the most menial and challenging tasks often fall on the lower segments of society. Additionally, she reflects on the lack of literature on this topic and the importance of bringing these conversations to light. This episode offers a compelling look into the intersection of culture, faith, and the human experience of saying goodbye.

Listen / Watch →
Lallantop on Mr Ratan Tata’s last rites
YouTube

Lallantop on Mr Ratan Tata’s last rites

India's famous businessman Ratan Tata died on 9 October at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital. Ratan Tata was 86 years old and was ill for some days. Ratan Tata belonged to the Parsi community, but still his last rites were performed according to Hindu customs instead of Parsi. Why did this happen and how are last rites performed in the Parsi community?

Listen / Watch →
Jist News
YouTube

Jist News

Death is universal, but the beliefs and rituals surrounding it are unique. In this thought-provoking podcast with Meenakshi Dewan, we delve into the lesser-explored aspects of India’s last rites and rituals across major faiths. From uncovering how misogyny and caste discrimination manifest even in death to discussing the environmental and economic costs of funerals, this episode sheds light on uncomfortable truths. We also explore a rarely discussed topic: How are transgenders cremated in India? This powerful discussion offers an enlightening perspective on death, rituals, and their implications for society. Watch now to break the taboo and understand the final farewell like never before. The Final Farewell is published by Harper Collins.

Listen / Watch →
ABP News
YouTube

ABP News

In this episode of Wassup Aabir, catch Minakshi Dewan having an in-depth conversation around the last rites of various Indian faiths and religion. They spoke about Hindu Antim Sanskar, Tower of Silence in Parsis, Cremation, Open Pyre Buring etc. They also spoke about the relevance of Rudalis, mortuary workers, last rites or funeral industry of India etc. You will also hear about the various unique last rites rituals of India and how last rites are done in kinnar or hijra community. ABP Live Podcasts is the one stop destination for all kind of Podcasts, Explainers, Interviews and Audio Stories. It is a new age millenial brand which serves raw and entertaining content from the world of News, Bollywood, Sports, Pop Culture and Literature. ABP Live Podcast covers trending news on Entertainment, Sports, Lifestyle to Business. It also features special shows and interview segment consisting of Car Mein Patrakar, Itihas Gawah Hai, Clear Cut, Bollywood Binge and Beyond. ABP Live Podcast gives you Daily News Updates with Top Headlines of the Day, Sports analysis and many more.

Listen / Watch →
Print Soft Cover
YouTube

Print Soft Cover

Open fire cremation, to the last rites followed in the kinnar community and right of cremation as a right, Minakshi Dewan talks about the many layers to funerals in India, at the launch of her book 'The Final Farewell', a ‪@harpercollins‬ publication — in conversation with Tina Das in ThePrint #SoftCover

Listen / Watch →
Lallantop Kitabwala
YouTube

Lallantop Kitabwala

Video Interview on Lallantop Kitabwala.

Listen / Watch →
Aaj Tak Padhaku Nitin
YouTube

Aaj Tak Padhaku Nitin

मौत शाश्वत सत्य है. इंसान जिस शरीर के ज़रिए इस दुनिया के हर कामकाज निपटाता है उसे एक दिन छोड़कर जाना पड़ता है. इस काया का निपटान भी अलग अलग तरीके से होता रहा है. हर धर्म, इलाके, संस्कृति का अपना तरीका है जो कई बार हैरान करता है तो कई दफे सोचने को मजबूर. इस बार पढ़ाकू नितिन में 'अंतिम संस्कार' जैसे टॉपिक पर बैठकी जमी डॉ मिनाक्षी दीवान से.

Listen / Watch →