DAVANGERE: Former minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa was on Monday evening laid to rest next to his wife Parvathamma at the Kalleshwara Rice Mill with state honours, including a gun salute by police and chanting of mantras by seers from several mutts.
The ‘Kriya Samadhi’ – samadhi covered using vibhuthi, bilva patre and Ganga jal, without using mud – was done in presence of thousands of his followers and leaders of various political parties. Later, two stone slabs were used to cover the samadhi and a lamp was lit on the tomb. The last rites were conducted by Shivashankarappa’s sons SS Bakkesh, SS Ganesh and district in-charge minister SS Mallikarjun. His daughters-in-law, including Davanagere MP Dr Prabha Mallikarjun, daughters and grandchildren were also present at the funeral and paid their tributes to the departed soul. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar handed over the tri colour placed on the body of Shivashankarappa to his son Mallikarjun.
Kedara seer Jagadguru Bhimashankaralinga Shivacharya Swamiji, Rambhapuri seer Jagadguru Veerasomeshwara Shivacharya Swamy, Taralabalu Jagadguru Dr Shivamurthy Shivacharya Swamiji, Sanehalli mutt seer Dr Panditharadhya Shivacharya Swamiji and Siddalinga Mahaswamiji of Siddaganga mutt were among prominent seers who attended the funeral.
The body of the country’s senior most MLA, who breathed his last in Bengaluru on Sunday, was brought to his native Davanagere city in a special ambulance in the wee hours of Monday. After the family members conducted rituals, the body was taken to the Government Highschool ground in the city around 10am, where thousands of his followers, seers, educationalists, politicians and other people paid tribute to the departed soul.
The funeral procession began around 3.30pm from the Government Highschool ground to Kalleshwara Rice Mill, where the arrangements had been made for the burial.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had a long relationship with Shivashankarappa arrived in Bengaluru on a special flight and then flew to Davanagere to attend the funeral. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former CM BS Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, JD(S) leader HD Revanna, Shivamogga MP BY Raghavendra, cabinet ministers, former ministers, Congress, BJP, JD(S) MLA’s,
former MLA’s also attended the funeral. Also present was the Akhil Bharath Veerashiva-Lingayat Mahasabha’s interim president Eshwara Khandre and minister MB Patil.