Hyderabad, June 13 -- As one travels along village roads and highways across Telangana, it is common to spot simple concrete benches placed under trees or by the roadside. While they offer weary travellers and elderly villagers a place to rest, these benches carry a deeper emotional significance.

For decades, families in many villages have been installing benches in memory of their deceased loved ones. The practice is rooted in the belief that providing a public utility in the name of the departed soul earns goodwill and blessings, which are believed to benefit the deceased in the afterlife.

These memorial benches, usually costing around Rs 2,500 to construct locally, are often engraved with the name of the person being remembered. They...