
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid ongoing investigation to ascertain the exact cause of his death, Neyyattinkara Gopan Swami’s burial rites were completed by Friday.
The ceremonies began at 4 pm in a newly constructed tomb near his house in Aralummoodu. The burial rituals were conducted by monks from various ashrams.
His sons, Sananthan and Rajasenan, along with other family members, performed the ceremonies. The body was brought home from a private hospital in Neyyattinkara in a ceremonial procession led by Hindu organisations.
It was transported on an open vehicle, where the body was seated on a platform, dressed in saffron robes. The face was covered during the procession.
The newly constructed tomb has been named Rishipeedom. The new tomb, made of bricks, was filled with ash, camphor and fragrant materials before the body was lowered into the pit. It was then covered with more ash and camphor, and a slab was placed on top to seal the tomb.
The family said that prayers led by monks would be conducted at the site for the next 41 days. VSDP, All India Nadar Association and other Hindu groups coordinated the event.
Heavy police deployment, led by the Neyyattinkara DySP, was present from the hospital to the house. The family constructed a new tomb to lay Gopan Swami to rest near the earlier burial site, which the police had opened on Thursday. Stones were placed inside the tomb for the burial.
The tomb was opened on Thursday and the body was exhumed for a postmortem at medical college hospital. The police carried out the exhumation after the High Court rejected a plea by Gopan’s wife and sons to stay the order. The body had been buried with camphor, ash and other ritual materials filled up to the chest.
The preliminary postmortem report showed no external injuries or any foul play. The cause of death remains unclear. Police are waiting for results from chemical analysis, forensic lab tests, and histopathological examinations to determine if there were internal injuries or substances in the lungs. The police may question Gopan Swami’s family members again as part of the investigation.