Deve Gowda’s wife Chennamma laid to rest with state honours

HASSAN: The last rites of Chennamma, wife of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, were performed on the family land at the foothills of Mavinkere Hill’s Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at the hometown Haradanahalli Khyathanahalli on Monday evening with full state honours. Chennamma had passed away last Saturday at Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru after suffering from lung infections.

The mortal remains were taken to the burial pit in a palanquin where the eldest son H D Ramesh performed the funeral rites. At the burial site, they purified the area by sprinkling holy water from the Ganga and water brought from the three temples built by Chennamma was sprinkled. Finally, Deve Gowda sprinkled water on the mortal remains.

After dignitaries paid floral tributes, the police paid tribute by firing three rounds of gunfire in the air as a as the national anthem played. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar bowed at former PM Deve Gowda’s feet and paid respects and the national flag was handed over to Union Minister Kumaraswamy.

Before the funeral, Kumaraswamy and H D Revanna kissed their mother’s forehead and the family members placed the mortal remains on a palanquin. Anita Kumaraswamy broke down in tears remembering her mother-in-law.

Later, Deve Gowda said, “As per Chennamma’s wish, the burial has been done here and the family also wanted this. Our sons-in-law and all of us took this decision together. I had intended to do it elsewhere. I wanted to leave this land for farming, but my children decided that the funeral should be done at this place. My wife was Annapurna. This is not an exaggeration. It is hard to digest that she has left me. My wife was very devout. That is why they decided to do it here. She always fed those who came to us hungry”.

Earlier, in the day, Chennamma’s mortal remains were kept for public viewing at HD Revanna’s residence in Holenarsipur and thousands came for Chennamma’s final darshan. Women and elderly people were seen waiting at the cremation site.

Bhagya, a woman remembering Chennamma with tears, “I had Chennamma’s final darshan at H D Revanna’s residence in Holenarasipura. I am waiting to see Chennamma’s face one last time. Chennamma was none other than Goddess Annapurneshwari. She fed thousands of people, she helped everyone. She used to talk to everyone with love,” she said with tears in her eyes.

A team of priests came from Srirangapatna had come to perform the last rites, but the police allowed only a few priests inside. As per the advice of a Vaastu expert, the burial site has been finalised. The funeral was led by Kannan Swamiji of Sri Tirumalagiri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Swamy Temple, JP Nagar, Bengaluru.

Those present included Union ministers V Somanna, Manohar Lal Khattar, Pralhad Joshi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP leaders R Ashoka, B Y Vijayendra, B Y Raghavendra, Basavaraj Bommai, Dr C Sudhakar, Govind Karjol, MLA Suresh Gowda, Zameer Ahmed, Magadi Balakrishna, Kunigal Ranganath, Balakrishna, MP Manjunath, Nirmalananda Swamiji, Nanjavadhuta Swami, Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, Energy Minister K J George,
Food Minister K.H. Muniyappa, MLC N. Ravikumar, Cheluvarayaswamy, MP Shreyas Patel, Dr. C.N. Manjunathm, B.N. Mallesh Babu, MLC Suraj Revanna, DGP-IGP Saleem, DC Latha Kumari, former ministers S Anjaneya, D C Thammanna, A. Manju, C.S. Puttaraju, Swaroop Prakash, Cement Manju, Samruddhi Manjunath, Sharanagowda Kandakuru, Bhojegowda, T Saravana, Munirathna Naidu, Ganiga Ravi, Shivareddy, Magadi Balakrishna, C S Nadagowda, Kunigal Ranganath Narayan Gowda, among others.