Santos: The football legend Pele, who died yesterday, is not buried in a cemetery of our imaginations. The Memorial Necropolis Ecumenica Cemetery in Pele’s beloved city of Santos is a massive 14-story building. The final resting place of the king of football is on the ninth floor. From here you can see the sea in the distance, the rainforest next door and the Villa Belmiro ground of Pele’s beloved Santos club.
This cemetery holds the Guinness record for the highest height. The family buried him in an atmosphere similar to a football stadium, exactly where Pele wanted him to be buried. Pele’s father and other family members are buried in the same cemetery.
A musical cemetery
The Memorial Cemetery is a 14-story building that can hold up to 16,000 people. The interior of the cemetery is like a five star hotel. Music is always flowing from the piano and violin. There is a chapel, restaurant and mini bar facilities for visitors. A suite room has also been prepared to accommodate those from distant places attending the funeral. There is also a special room that can seat 300 people who come to participate in the functions. Newspapers are also available in the lobby to read.
Each floor of the cemetery has 150 tombs. Up to six bodies can be cremated in each. The body decomposes completely in about three years. The body can be exhumed or the bones transferred to another location as per the wishes of the family. For this too, facilities have been arranged in the cemetery premises. Expenditure ranges from 5 to 18 lakhs and the cost of cremation in a luxury cemetery is also high. The rent is around Rs 5 lakh to Rs 18 lakh for three years. Pricing is based on the location of the building. It was inaugurated in 1991. It is estimated that after the burial of Pele, there will be a flow of visitors to the memorial cemetery.