Hyderabad, Oct. 14 -- India holds deep respect for its Armed Forces, men and women in uniform have always carried their heads high, in life and in martyrdom. But one 74-year-old retired Air Force veteran from Bihar's Gaya district took it a step further to test if he would still be remembered, by organising his own funeral, leaving his entire village stunned.

Hundreds of villagers in Konchi attended retired officer's Mohanlal's funeral procession chanting "Ram Naam Satya Hai" and playing the popular Hindi movie song, "Chal ud ja re panchhi, ab desh hua begana"in the background.

Draped in a white attire, decorated with flowers, Mohanlal pretended to be dead. When his beir was carried to the local cremation ground, he rose, shocking every...