Shanti Avedna Sadan Hospice

 The central portion where stands a circular table, from what I could make out, on which are placed the holy books of all the major religions.
Shanti Avedna Sadan, Safdarjung, New Delhi is a place for terminally ill cancer patients, run by a trust as its web site indicates. My brother, Richard, who was in the last stages of cancer (died on Jan 2, 2011) already knew about this place, as a young man from his in-laws side had died here.
We, my elder brother, Keith and myself went there to find out about Shanti Avedna. Since Keith lives in Kanpur and I in Lucknow we weren't sure how the family would handle thing when it became really difficult. The sister in charge explained everything. Patients are treated as humanely as possible....and besides being given painkillers no treatment like drip or oxygen are given. The idea was for the patient to spend the last days as comfortable as possible but not to prolong life.unnecessarily.
Richard only lived another three or four day. He was very uncomfortable the last night, Jan 4, he never complained, he never said much that night. He kept from time to time wiping his mouth with a handkerchief till after 7 am he went still. He was buried the same evening at the Paharganj cemetery.
I'm happy we didn't have to leave him...