THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Writer Madhavikutty (Kamala Surayya), who died early on Sunday morning at Pune, will be laid to rest with full state honours at the Palayam Juma Masjid, Thiruvananthapuram, on Tuesday morning.
Her body will be brought to Nedumbassery Airport on Monday at 7.20 am from Pune.
Cultural Affairs Minister M A Baby left for Pune on Sunday afternoon to accompany the body back to Kerala.
From Kochi, the body will be taken to Kerala Sahitya Akademi where it will be kept for public homage till 11.30 am.
It will be later kept at Ernakulam Town Hall for public homage from 12.30, following which the body will be brought to Alappuzha and Kollam for public tributes. It is expected to reach Thiruvananthapuram by 7 pm and will be given public homage at the VJT Hall.
The burial will take place on Tuesday morning.
“The body will be cremated at the Palayam Juma Masjid as per the request of her family members. It was her last wish that her body should be buried at the mosque,” M A Baby said.
M D Nalappad, Madhavikutty’s son, spoke to Baby in this regard on Sunday morning. Baby extended all help from the state government for performing the last rites of Malayalam’s eminent poetess.
Earlier while mourning the death of Madhavikutty, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said the demise of the writer was an irreparable loss to the world of letters, not only to Kerala but to the whole world. Her death was a great loss to English and Malayalam literature.
Palayam Juma Masjid Imam Jamaludeen Mankada said on Sunday that all arrangements are in place for the burial of Kamala Surayya.
The writer who converted to Islam at the age of 65 will be laid to rest in the mosque compound. After the burial rites at 8 am women will offer prayers, followed by special burial prayers led by the Palayam Imam. This will be followed by government salutations. After the burial prayers will be held for a second time, led by the Imam.