Family, friends and supporters gathered on Friday to celebrate the life of activist and humanitarian Tulsi Vagjiani, whose resilience and compassion touched people across the UK.
Close to 100 mourners attended the funeral service in person, with many others joining online to pay tribute to Vagjiani, who survived a devastating plane crash as a child before dedicating her life to supporting others.
The service began with prayers in keeping with Hindu funeral traditions, followed by emotional tributes from loved ones reflecting on her strength, humour and impact on the community.
Vagjiani survived a plane crash at the age of 10, suffering burns to 45 per cent of her body. Despite years of bullying and harassment because of her appearance, family members said she never allowed those experiences to define her.
Her Masi (maternal aunt), described Vagjiani as someone who believed deeply in self-worth and inner strength.
She said: “The measure of life is not in years, but the love given and received. By that measure, her life was extraordinary.
“Tulsi believed strongly in self-worth and inner strength. No matter how much people may try to put you down, you must rise above it, stand tall and never lose your self-respect.
“If love alone could have kept her here, she would have lived forever.”
Sonal Sonal, a family member, said Vagjiani’s positivity remained unchanged regardless of the challenges she faced.
“One thing about Tulsi was that no matter what life threw at her, it never stopped her from having fun,” she said.
Mourners wore bright colours throughout the service following a request from the family. Blue, Vagjiani’s favourite colour, featured heavily among attendees.
Sonal added: “We will see her in everything blue.”
Karissa Vagjiani reflected on the personal moments she shared with her loved one.
“Some of my favourite memories are the random ones that probably mean nothing to anyone else,” she said.
“We once got lost in the woods trying to go to an event, her voice notes, her ranting, messaging each other every morning and night.”
Following the service, attendees gathered with the family to lay flowers and share memories.
Saira Arif, who met Vagjiani through a speaking panel two years ago, said the turnout reflected the number of lives she had touched.
“Tulsi was such a light, and she touched so many people,” she said.
“In fact, she always helped others when she needed it the most.”
Friend Leyton Benta said Vagjiani’s influence extended far beyond those closest to her.
“There is both so much and so little that I can say, she truly was an incredible person,” he said.
“If we were to talk about the kind of person she was and how much of an impact she had on others, we would be here for hours.
“No matter how much or how little you knew her, she had an impact on everyone’s life.”
Vagjiani’s family have also published a donation link in her memory supporting two charities close to her heart: Kidney Care UK and Dan’s Fund for Burns, which supports burn survivors across the UK.
