Bhubaneswar, Sept. 30 -- In a shocking turn of events, an unusual dispute over the delay in providing three chickens as part of a traditional funeral practice left an elderly woman's body to rot for two days without last rites in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district.

The incident was reported from Nua Malia village under Chandua police station limits. The elderly woman reportedly died on Monday, but her cremation could not take place as scheduled after differences emerged over a customary ritual followed by villagers before the funeral.

According to reports, the local tradition requires certain offerings to be made to the deceased's family before the funeral procession begins. In this case, it was reportedly decided that three chickens would be...