Union Minister attends final rites of Bhyrappa

Mysuru: Kannada’s towering literary figure and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. SL Bhyrappa was laid to rest on Friday with full state honours at the foothills of Chamundi Hills in Mysuru. The celebrated novelist, who passed away following a cardiac arrest on September 24, merged with the panchabhootas in an emotional farewell witnessed by family, admirers, and dignitaries.

Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi attended the funeral as the official representative of the central government.

Carrying the condolences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Joshi first visited Bhyrappa’s resi-dence at 11 a.m., where he conveyed the Prime Minister’s message to the family and offered floral tributes on behalf of the Centre. Later, he joined the final rites at the Rudrabhoomi cremato-rium near Chamundi Hills and paid homage.

“India has lost a great intellectual, writer, and researcher,” Prime Minister Modi had expressed in his condolence message earlier, acknowledging Bhyrappa’s vast contribution to Indian literature and cultural thought.

Bhyrappa’s mortal remains were placed for public viewing at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru on Thursday, allowing thousands of admirers to pay their respects. Later, the body was moved to Mysuru, where arrangements were made for a final viewing at the Kalamandira before the cre-mation.

Known for his philosophical depth and controversial explorations of history and society, Bhyrap-pa was not only a celebrated author but also revered as a public intellectual who connected deeply with grassroots communities. His passing has triggered an outpouring of grief across Karnataka and India’s literary circles.