Imagine… the stars whom we watch in movies all our life, we think all day that once God reunites us with them, if we get a chance that our last “place” after death is next to them, then how would we feel? Even though this question may seem a bit strange to you, it has now become a reality in Paris. These days, the capital of France has come up with a very unique and much talked about scheme, a scheme which people are jokingly calling “Afterlife Celebrity Pass”.
In fact, the Paris Municipal Corporation has started a lottery scheme, under which common people can decide before their death where their grave will be built and next to which celebrity they will be buried. Yes, right next door! The scheme has been implemented in three of the most famous cemeteries in Paris:
1. Père Lachaise
2. Montparnasse
3. Montmartre
These are the places where many big personalities of the world are buried. Like Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf and many other famous artists, whose graves people still visit with flowers, messages and candles, your last resting place will be right next to them.
How much will it cost?
Finding a place in this “celebrity neighborhood” is not as easy as it sounds. If you are thinking that this opportunity will be easily available, then it is not so at all. According to the Paris government, to get a place near the grave of a celebrity, you will have to shell out your pocket. Its price is around 4000 Euro, i.e. around Rs 4 lakh. Apart from this, the buyer will also have to take care of regular cleaning of his chosen grave, maintenance of the surroundings, and many other responsibilities. That is, the last house has also become a kind of premium location property, the only difference is that the people living here can never shift.
Why is the government doing this?
After the launch of this scheme, this question must have come in your mind that why is the Paris government taking such a step. The real reason is the severe shortage of space in Paris. Almost all the space in the old cemeteries is full, so the local administration has started this unique lottery scheme so that the people of Paris can be buried in their own city, the historical cemeteries are well looked after and through the lottery people can get a dignified last place. As soon as this scheme was launched, there was a flood of memes, jokes and funny comments on social media. Many people gave interesting reactions and wrote – “Did not meet in life, at least the last stop should be with the star.”
