Poet Vinayachandran cremated with full state honours

The funeral of noted Malayalam poet D Vinayachandran, who died on Monday, was held with full state honours at his village in West Kallada on Tuesday. His brother D Venugopala Pillai lit the funeral pyre at 11.30 a m.

The last rites were held at the property where his ancestral house-Kottarathilveedu at Koyikkal Bhagam, Kadapuzha, near West Kallada-once stood. Vinayachandran left behind an unfulfilled dream of building a ‘nalukettu’ on the property, to spend his old age.

Earlier, scores of people from across the state, including prominent writers, politicians and admirers, bid farewell to the beloved poet. The body of the poet was brought to Kadapuzha by 7 p m on Monday, after it was kept at the Town Hall for the public to pay their last respects.

The body was then kept at the Navodaya Library, Kadapuzha, with which the poet shared an amicable bond. On Tuesday, the library witnessed a steady flow of people who came to pay their last respects to the poet, which included MLAs Benoy Viswam and Kovoor Kunjumon, writer Zachariah, Kerala Sahitya Akademi executive member D Benjamin, poets Ezhachery Ramachandran, Kureepuzha Sreekumar, Chavara K S Pillai, Gireesh Puliyoor, M R Jayageetha, BJP state president V Muralidharan, DCC president Prathapavarma Thampan, CPM district secretary K Rajagopal, CPM state committee member P Rajendran and Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangam general secretary V N Murali.

His stepmother Radhammayamma, sisters B Srideviyamma, B Srikumariyamma, B Remadeviyamma, brother D Deepankura Sen, students, friends and local people attended the funeral. A condolence meet was held later at the Navodayam Library.