The focus group discussion and the in‑depth interview revealed several end of life practices in the rural areas **such as Thalaikoothal, feeding the ill with holy water and sand etc.**[6] The rituals that are practised are as follows: **1. Oil bathing otherwise called as “Thalaikoothal”… in which the terminally ill person is given an oil bath using gingelly oil and cold water several times in a week…**[6] “All these rituals **hasten death** by causing hypothermia, renal failure, and aspiration pneumonia, etc… The study has brought out the various end‑of‑life practices that are followed in **rural areas to hasten death of their dear ones who are terminally ill.**”[6]

“Thalaikoothal is one of the Indian traditional practices of **senicide or involuntary euthanasia, by their own family members**, observed in some parts of the southern districts of Tamil Nadu State of India.”[2] “‘Thalaikoothal’… is practised in **more than 40 villages of the State and is still popular among the locals.** The practice is part of traditional places in various districts such as Virudu Nagar…”[2] “Although it is illegal, **the practice continues to occur at the same rate, but surreptitiously…** Even with all of these efforts building up over time, **this horrible ritual has changed in nature and is currently claiming lives with deadly injections, sleeping medications, and pesticides.**” (paper dated 2025, describing ongoing practice)[2]

"Thalaikoothal is one such practice happening in some rural communities of Virudhunagar, Madurai, and Theni districts of Tamil Nadu." The authors describe it as a senicide ritual involving oil massage, cold water bath, and forced intake of tender coconut water leading to renal failure and death in 2–3 days. They note: "Although it is rare, it requires significant attention to prevent further incidence of more such cases" and later state that "although it is illegal, the practice continues to occur at the same rate, but surreptitiously."

“Though **thalaikoothal is illegal in India**, the practice has long received **covert social acceptance as a form of mercy killing**, and people rarely complain to the police.”[3] “Investigation revealed the practice to be **‘fairly widespread’ in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Dozens or perhaps hundreds of cases occur annually.**”[3] “In 2010, after an exposé in Virudhunagar district, the administration **set up teams of officers to monitor the senior citizens.**”[3]

Summarising criminological research, the chapter notes that "in a 2016 study conducted by M. Priyamvadha, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology at Madras University, it was found that thalaikoothal, a customary practice of senicide, is prevalent in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu."[5] It explains that the practice involves members of the younger generation killing aged family members "by giving them a lethal oil bath followed by drinks of coconut milk" and frames this as a socio‑legal problem in contemporary India.[5] The chapter situates Thalaikoothal within broader debates about euthanasia and elder abuse, describing it as a customary but unlawful practice that persists in certain communities.[5]

“Thalaikoothal in Tamil Nadu, India, is one such form of **geronticide** identified in contemporary times… In contrast, the practice of **Thalaikoothal is still prevalent.**”[5] “This narrative could explain the popularity of Thalaikoothal in the villages of **Usilampatti, Vadipatti, Thirumangalam, and Melur in the Madurai district**… It is identified that the **village population, where the practice is prevalent, considers it their duty to help the elderly die once they are very weak.**”[5] The article discusses the representation of Thalaikoothal in Tamil films as reflecting an ongoing social practice of enforced death of elderly relatives.[5]

The academic article describes thalaikoothal as "a practice that has risen in Indian society, especially in the southern rural villages of the region of Tamil Nadu" and identifies it as a modern instance of senicide, the killing of the elderly.[4] The author argues that thalaikoothal is performed as "a solution to many problems arising in the Indian society due to rapid social change," linking its persistence to socioeconomic pressures on families caring for infirm elders.[4] The discussion positions thalaikoothal as a contemporary problem, not just a historical curiosity, embedded in current rural Tamil social structures.[4]

A humanities paper examining geronticide in Tamil Nadu states that the ritual of Thalaikoothal is performed on ill and infirm older people in the southern part of the state. Citing earlier criminology research, it describes how elderly people are given an oil bath and forced to drink tender coconut water, causing organ failure and death within two days. The paper notes: "Performed on old and frail bodies, this ritual continues to have covert social acceptance…" and later comments that, unlike some historic death‑fasting customs that have declined, "the practice of Thalaikoothal is still prevalent."

“Thalaikoothal is the traditional practices of **killing old people of the family by his or her family…** Thus, we can say it is a ceremony where **children kill their aged parent on a date fixed by them.**”[4] “The practice of Thalaikoothal was highlighted when a 60 years old man named Selvaraj… of Ramasamipuram Village, Virudhunagar died suddenly on 18th June, 2010… Even The News Nation Team while doing the sting operation **found that this practice was prevalent in the poverty‑stricken [areas] of Tamil Nadu from 1980s.**”[4] The paper describes the method (oil bath and tender coconut water) and frames Thalaikoothal as an unconstitutional, illegal practice used to kill elderly or bedridden relatives under the guise of mercy.[4]

In Tamil Nadu, family members do away with elderly relatives whom they can no longer look after. Called thalaikoothal, it involves giving the old person an oil bath and then making them drink several glasses of tender coconut water.[8] This practice of killing the elderly was highlighted in an episode of Satyamev Jayate which described it as a regional custom in parts of Tamil Nadu and discussed its illegality and ethical issues.[8]

“Thalaikoothal (தலைக்கூத்தல்) is a traditional form of **senicide or involuntary euthanasia** carried out by family members in certain villages of southern Tamil Nadu. According to Wikipedia, the procedure usually involves giving the elder an extensive oil bath early in the morning followed by drinking several glasses of tender coconut water… This can lead to kidney failure, high fever, seizures, and death within one or two days.”[1] “The practice gained wider attention in early 2010… Investigations revealed that **thalaikoothal is ‘fairly widespread’ in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, with dozens or perhaps hundreds of cases reported each year.**”[1] “Although thalaikoothal is illegal in India, it has long been **covertly accepted as a form of mercy killing**, and complaints to the police are rare.”[1]

The piece describes thalaikoothal as "a traditional, illegal practice of involuntary euthanasia, or senicide, that has been observed in some parts of the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India" and explains that it "is one such practice happening in some rural communities of Virudhunagar, Madurai, and Theni districts."[1] It characterises the ritual as "a quiet, ritualised way some families in parts of rural Tamil Nadu end an elder’s life" beginning with an oil massage, cold water bath and repeated glasses of tender coconut water, and notes that it continues covertly driven by "the economic burden of caring for elderly people" and property disputes.[1] The article stresses that prosecutions are rare because the act is framed as custom, occurs in private, and sits in a "grey and dangerous legal space" despite being incompatible with the right to life and dignity.[1]

The thalaikoothal is a practice that has risen in Indian society, especially in the southern rural villages of the region of Tamil Nadu.[4] The practice is a form of senicide, that is, a suicide or killing of the elderly, performed as a solution to many problems arising in the Indian society due to rapid social change.[4] Researchers have largely ignored the practice of thalaikoothal; an exception is the work of Pyali Chatterjee (2017), who tackles the issue from a legal and ethical standpoint.[4]

A Reuters‑syndicated report (referenced by other sources) describes Thalaikoothal as a **regional practice of ‘euthanasia’** among some families in Tamil Nadu, India, involving oil baths and tender coconut water to hasten death of elderly relatives. The story notes that the practice, though illegal, has come into the spotlight following specific cases and suggests it is **still carried out in some villages** as a covert method of ending the lives of infirm elders. It frames Thalaikoothal as part of ongoing debates in India over euthanasia and the treatment of the aged poor.[7]

The chapter examines the representation of the practice of “Thalaikoothal” in two recent Tamil films.[6] Thalaikoothal, which literally translates to the act of pouring water on the head, is depicted in contemporary cinema as a still‑relevant social issue in rural Tamil Nadu, where families consider it as a way to end the suffering of elderly relatives.[6] By analysing these films, the chapter argues that media representations have helped bring to public attention an otherwise hidden practice of senicide in the region.[6]

The academic and journalistic sources on Thalaikoothal consistently describe it as a **covert, ongoing practice** in some rural parts of Tamil Nadu, used to hasten the death of elderly, bedridden, or terminally ill relatives. They emphasise that it is **illegal under Indian law**, but persists due to poverty, lack of support for elder care, and social beliefs about mercy killing and dignified death.[2][3][6] Reports from the 2010s and a 2025 legal/criminological paper indicate that while public awareness and policing increased after exposés, Thalaikoothal has **not disappeared and continues surreptitiously**, sometimes using newer methods like injections or pesticides to achieve the same end.[2]

The video description states: "Thalaikoothal is the practice of involuntary mercy killing of elderly people" and invites viewers to "find out more about this shocking tradition" in the context of Tamil Nadu.[8] The accompanying narration (summarised) explains that this ritual, involving oil baths and forced liquids to hasten death, is still known in some rural communities and is widely condemned as inhuman despite being defended by some as mercy killing.[8]