De Ja Gow laid to rest, sans rituals

 The mortal remains of writer De Jaware Gowda (De Ja Gow) who passed away on Monday, was laid to rest, sans any rituals, but with state honours on the premises of Kuvempu Vidyavardaka Trust at Jayalakshmipuram here on Tuesday.

His son Prof J Shashidhar Prasad, a former vice-chancellor of University of Mysore, performed the last rites without any rituals associated with funerals. The mortal remains were buried next to the grave of the writer’s wife Savithramma on the rear of the school building on the premises.

Later, Prof Prasad told Deccan Herald: ‘We are theists, but don’t believe in practicing rituals except worshipping with incense sticks. My father was also against such practices’.
As a mark of honour, policemen fired three shots in the air and the police band played the national anthem before observing a minute’s silence.

Revenue and district in-charge Minister V Srinivas Prasad laid a wreath and paid his last respects.

A host of dignitaries including former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, former chief ministers M Veerappa Moily and S M Krishna, Minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree, former chairman of the Legislative Council B L Shankar, Nidumamidi Mutt seer Sri Veerabhadra Channamalla Swami were present during the funeral.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Cooperation Minister H S Mahadev Prasad, former minister P G R Sindhia, writers S L Bhyrappa and Hampa Nagarajaiah paid their last respects to De Ja Gow at the open air auditorium of trust building where the body was kept. Earlier in the day, the body was brought in a procession from De Ja Gow’s house at Jayalakshmipuram to ‘Vishwa Chetana Kala Nilaya,’ a cottage in the same locality, where he wrote most of his works.