Garo priest Janik Nokrek has been cremated in his village in Tangail’s Madhupur upazila.
He breathed his last at his home in Chunia village of the upazila on Friday after suffering from various diseases. He was cremated on Saturday.
Locals used to call Janik Nokrek, who claimed he was 115 years old, the living legend of the Garo community.
Jayenshahi Tribal Development Council President Eugene Nokrek confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune on Sunday afternoon.
According to sources, Janik Nokrek was born at Udaipur in Tripura, India. He settled in Madhupur after marrying Anita Mree.
Although all the members of his family converted to Christianity, the priest had maintained the Sangsharek rituals, the traditional Garo religion.
The followers consider Goddess Bakba Brahmi as the mother of all living creatures. They believe that no one should harm nature.
In his lifetime, he had performed various puja and religious ceremonies. He also witnessed the rise of British rule and the partition of India in his youth.
He walked 40 kilometres, from Madhupur to Mymensingh, on a dirt road to attend Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi’s public meetings.
He also met Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in January 1971 during his stay at Dokhla Bungalow in Madhupur forest.
Eugene said the priest had a vast knowledge about the ancient culture and tradition of the Mandis and used to practice them.
Janik Nokrek also used to lead various traditional festivals of Mandis in Madhupur, he added.
After almost four decades, cremation happened in the Mandi Para area. Janik’s funeral was conducted by the present priest Dinesh Nokrek.