Hundreds of people gathered to bid a tearful adieu to Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair at his house in Njalakurissy, in Vellinezhi, here on Tuesday.
The funeral pyre was lit by Ramankutty Nair’s eldest son Narayanankutty at 3.15 pm. The Kathakali exponent was also accorded a gun salute and cremated with full state honours in the compound of his house.
Water Resources Minister P J Joseph, who visited the house of Ramankutty Nair said that the death of the maestro was an irreparable loss to the state.
He added that Ramankutty Nair had been instrumental in not only keeping the art form alive but also promoting it among the new generation. District Information Officer C Ayyappan placed a wreath on behalf of Cultural Minister K C Joseph. Among those who paid their last respects included MLAs V T Balaram, C P Mohammed, K S Saleekha and Shafi Parambil. Hundreds of disciples of Ramankutty Nair, including stalwarts like Kalamandalam Gopi, Kuttan Asan, Kalamandalam K K Vasudevan and ‘melam’ artist Mattanur Shankarankutty, and the public also poured in to pay their last respects.