Gulf NRI who built his own grave laid to rest in it
Gulf NRI Nakka Indraiah, who had built his own grave years ago in his native Telangana village, was laid to rest in the same spot. Rising from poverty to wealth, he remained deeply rooted to his village and contributed generously to social causes
Dubai: A Gulf NRI, Nakka Indraiah, who had prepared for his own final resting place while alive, was laid to rest in the same grave on Saturday.
While most people fear even the mention of death, the Dubai returned man had calmly accepted it, choosing and preparing the place where he would be buried. He had built his own grave in his native village of Laxmipur in Jagtial mandal of Jagtial district a few years ago at a cost of Rs.10 lakh, using premium quality marble and architectural design, constructed by a specialised masonry team from Tamil Nadu, villagers said.
Maintaining the marble monument required delicate care, and Indraiah would visit it every day to clean and polish the marble and water the landscaped plants surrounding the grave, they added.
Indraiah, who had been unwell for a week, died recently and was buried on Saturday in the same grave he had developed over the years. Incidentally, it was his wife who passed away first, and since that was after the construction of the tomb, she was the first to be buried there.
Indraiah had come to Dubai in the pivotal phase of the 1970s, when the emirate began developing and attracting migrant labour. Illiterate, he started his journey in the Gulf as a construction labourer before going on to establish his own company.
Born into a landless labourer family from a poor Dalit background, Indraiah lost his father at a tender age and began working as a child labourer under a local landlord. He later moved to Mumbai before finally settling in Dubai, where he spent the major part of his life and went on to become one of the wealthiest persons in his village.
Driven by emotion and a strong attachment to his roots, Indraiah returned to his native village, where he once struggled even for a meal. He built a school building on a vast tract of land and also constructed an impressively designed entrance arch for the village.
He built a church after converting to Christianity and taking the name John, and was also the largest donor for the construction of the village temple and mosque. He further contributed generously to several other noble causes in the village.