Bengaluru: The mortal remains of 111-year-old Sree Shivakumara Swamiji was given full state honours and laid to rest on Tuesday. Lakhs of people thronged the Siddaganga mutt that was headed by him for over seven decades to pay their last respect. The seer had made immense contributions towards the education sector and for children.
His mortal remains was placed in a chariot made of rudrakshi and was carried from the ground where it was kept for public view to the final resting place in a procession, amid chanting of slogans by disciples in praise of the seer. Siddalinga Swamiji, junior pontiff, said that the seer was buried in a sitting posture at the Samadhi, according to Veerashaiva/Lingayat traditions. The swamiji had written down the procedures that needed to be followed for his last rites
Eminent personalities present during the burial ceremony were Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy CM G Parameshwara, former Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah and B S Yeddyurappa, Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, state Home Minister M B Patil. Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former Chief Minister S M Krishna, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy were among those who paid their last respect earlier on Tuesday.
Since the morning, the Kumaraswamy and most of his cabinet members and the leader of the opposition, Yeddyurappa, had camped in Siddaganga.