Chennai, Oct 18:
Tens and hundreds of people bade a tearful adieu as the mortal remains of veteran music composer and singer Thenisai Thendral Deva, who passed away yesterday, was laid to rest with full state honours at his native Sakkaramallur village at Arcot in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday evening.
His son and popular music composer Srikanth Deva performed the last rites and the sandalwood casket containing his mortal remains was interred in a pit with a 21 gun salute and the bugle sounding the last post.
Earlier, people from various walks of life, including political leaders, including actor-turned-politician Chief Minister Vijay, DMK President M.K.Stalin, his son and actor-politician Udhayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, DMDK leader Ms.Premalatha Vijayakanth, actor-director and NTK Founder Seeman, Ministers, actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, music composers, directors, producers, lyricist Vairamuthu and artistes from the Tamil film world paid their last respects at his Chennai residence.
Tamil Nadu Governor R.V.Arlekar, Chief Ministers and leaders of various parties and prominent personalities and actors, actresses and condoled his death and credited him for giving Tamil cinema the gaana beat which became popular across th eworld.
A large number of people also filed past his body and paid their homage all through the day yesterday. His body was taken to his native village today afternoon, where a large number of people paid their last respects after which it was laid to rest with full state honours.