Indore’s Jayyu ‘Maharaj’ restores dignity to the forgotten dead:Performs 6,000 last rites while helping patients over 10 years

In the crowded corridors of MY Hospital, when an unidentified patient is brought in or an unclaimed body reaches the mortuary, one name is often spoken first ‘Jayyu’. For the abandoned, mentally ill, homeless and unidentified dead of Indore, Jayyu Joshi has become the last line of dignity. Over the past decade, he has treated more than 2,000 destitute people, reunited hundreds with their families, and performed the final rites of nearly 6,000 unclaimed bodies. His journey, however, began not with recognition but with personal loss. Born in a revolutionary land, shaped by tragedy Jayyu was born in Bhabra, the birthplace of Chandrashekhar Azad. His father served in the police department, and his childhood in Jhabua district was shaped by discipline and patriotism. Then life changed suddenly. He lost his mother first, then his father. Orphaned at a young age, he left Jhabua and came to Indore alone. “I have slept hungry. I have lived without support. When you are alone, you understand pain differently,” he says. That pain slowly turned into purpose. The incident that changed everything In 2015, Jayyu saw an elderly man lying helpless on the roadside. His legs were infested with maggots. Dogs were licking his wounds. He was too weak even to shoo them away. “I chased the dogs, lifted him and took him for treatment. Worms were falling from his wounds,” Jayyu recalls. That rescue became the beginning of a mission. Early struggles: ‘People called me Yamraj’ The early years were filled with resistance. Hospitals were uncooperative. Police questioned his intentions. There was no money, no structured support, no team. “People looked at me with suspicion. Some even called me Yamraj because I handled unclaimed bodies,” he says. Gradually, support arrived. Karim Pathan, Firoz Pathan and Suresh More joined him. Today, around 15 active volunteers including both men and women from different religions and age groups work together. “Our team is like mini India. We never ask religion while rescuing someone. Only during last rites, so we can bid farewell according to their faith,” he explains. The numbers behind the compassion He has also created a digital record library of unidentified persons to help families searching for missing loved ones, even years later. COVID: when the city was afraid During the pandemic, when fear kept many indoors, Jayyu and his team remained on the ground. They arranged transport for stranded migrants, helped police catch black marketers of critical injections, managed food for nearly 500 people daily, arranged hospital beds and oxygen, and performed last rites for unclaimed COVID victims. “Death was everywhere. But someone had to stand there,” he says. A personal vow Jayyu spends nearly 18 hours daily among abandoned patients and unclaimed bodies. At MY Hospital, he is often the first person contacted when an unidentified patient arrives. He arranges ambulances, medicines, diagnostic tests and even orthopedic implants free of cost for the needy. He says a personal heartbreak years ago pushed him toward complete dedication. “I have no attachments now. I have dedicated my life to those who have no one.” The story that still haunts him One memory, however, still refuses to fade. On the Indore-Ujjain road, a tragic truck accident left 16-year-old Hemlata with one of her legs completely severed. Instead of standing by her, her family abandoned her at the hospital. With no one to care for her, Jayyu stepped in. For two months, he remained by her side, arranging treatment, ensuring her wounds were dressed, and offering her the emotional support she had been denied. During those days, she made a simple request. “Bhaiya, please celebrate my birthday on July 12,” she told him. He promised. On the morning of July 12, Jayyu and his team reached the hospital carrying a cake, determined to keep his word. But when he arrived, Hemlata had already taken her last breath. Even today, the memory unsettles him. “I still feel as if she tells me that you came late for my birthday,” he says softly. Recognition, but no national award yet Despite handling thousands of cases and performing nearly 6,000 last rites, Jayyu has not received a national-level honour. However, the Madhya Pradesh government felicitated Jaiyu and his team on Republic Day for their selfless services. He has also been honoured multiple times at the district level by collectors and at the state level during official Independence Day and Republic Day ceremonies. For him, awards are not the goal. For the abandoned of Indore both living and dead, he has become what many families could not be: a final hand to hold, and a dignified farewell.