A ‘dead’ grandfather came ‘back to life’ moments before his family set fire to him on a funeral pyre in India.

Deepak Singh, 72, collapsed at his home in the city of Bhilwada in India's north-western state of Rajasthan in front of his horrified relatives after he went to feed his cows.

Soon after his family received confirmation that he was dead they prepared his burial pyre and began a traditional chant which caused the O.A.P to stir, then wake up.

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Preparation: Relatives of the man who was believed to be dead saved him when he woke up after hearing the sound of them wailing while he lay on a funeral pyre

Doctor: Earlier a local doctor was called to the family's home where he told them their grandfather was dead

Sleeping? Deepak Singh, 72, seen here, was believed to be dead and was prepared for burial according to Hindu customs

His doting grandson, Banda Nalwa, 26, explained how the family believed he had died earlier that day.

He said: 'He seemed fine when he woke up in the morning and said he was off to do his chores.

'But as he started walking over to where the cows are he suddenly fell to the ground. I rushed over and couldn't see any signs of life. I couldn't feel a pulse and his heart seemed to have stopped.

'I called the rest of the family and they agreed. We thought he was dead.'

A local doctor was called to the house and he too confirmed Singh was dead. In accordance with the Hindu religion, the family began preparing the pyre which dates back thousands of years.

After laying him out on the pieces of wood and cloth, Singh's relatives gathered around him and began their death wail, the customary practice of saying farewell to a loved one.

Nalwa added: 'As the volume of the wailing increased I suddenly saw my grandfather's body move. At first I thought it was my imagination, but then he opened his eyes and sat up.'

Mistake: Deepak Singh is helped from the death pyre after his family mistakenly belived he had died earlier in the day while feeding his cows

Miracle: Relatives of the man who was believed to be dead stand around as they take in the fact that he was actually just in a deep sleep all along

Realising their mistake, Nalwa and his uncle Gulshan, 56, quickly helped the pensioner off the pyre.

Nalwa said: 'Thank God we didn't set the pyre alight as it seems he had just fainted. We were very lucky.'