Kannada literary legend laid to rest near Chamundi Hill as family, dignitaries, and admirers bid a tearful farewell.
Mysuru
Mysuru bid an emotional adieu to celebrated Kannada novelist Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa on Friday, as his final rites were performed with full state honours at the crematorium near the foot of Chamundi Hill around 12.30 pm. The 91-year-old author, revered for his profound storytelling and philosophical works, passed away on Wednesday due to age-related ailments.
Bhyrappa’s sons, S B Uday Shankar and S B Ravi Shankar, performed the last rites according to Hoysala Brahmana customs, guided by a team of seven priests led by palace priest Chandrashekar Shasthri. Dignitaries including Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, Mysuru district in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa, MLA T S Srivatsa, MLC K Shivakumar, philanthropist Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, and Mysuru DC G Lakshmikanth Reddy offered floral tributes. Journalist Vishweshwar Bhat, former MP Pratap Simha, and writer Sahana Vijayakumar joined in lighting the pyre.
A police contingent led by Inspector Shivanand presented a three-round gun salute, while the police band played the national anthem. Minister Mahadevappa ceremonially handed the national flag, which had draped Bhyrappa’s body, to his sons.
Bhyrappa’s mortal remains were earlier kept for public homage at Kalamandira and later brought to his Udayaravi Road residence for rituals. Over 150 people from his native village, Santheshivara in Hassan district, travelled to Mysuru to pay their final respects to the literary titan whose works shaped generations of Kannada readers.