The Hindu : Kerala News : Pala cremated with State honours

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Kerala

Pala cremated with State honours

Staff Reporter

— Photo: H. Vibhu

HOMAGE: Teachers of Alphonsa College, Pala, pay homage to poet Pala Narayanan Nair when his body was placed at the NSS Hall on Thursday. The poet had taught at the college during 1967-72.

VAIKOM: Poet Pala Narayanan Nair was cremated with full State honours at his T.V. Puram residential courtyard on Thursday after noon.

The poet, who was 97, died on Wednesday at a private hospital at Kaduthuruthy following old age-related health problems.

His body was kept at the Municipal Office complex in the morning for public to pay homage. Forest Minister Benoy Viswom, Left Democratic Front convener Vaikom Viswan and NSS general secretary P.K. Narayana Panicker paid homage to the poet there.

Later, the body was taken to the NSS Hall.

People from various walks of life bid farewell to their favourite poet.

His body was taken to T.V. Puram at 12.30 p.m. The ambulance carrying his body was stopped at the Satyagraha Memorial School and Little Theresa School for children to pay respects.

The body was kept at T.V. Puram panchayat office also for sometime.

The poet’s eldest son, Sreekumar, lit the funeral pyre. Minister for Public Works Mons Joseph represented the State government at the funeral.

P.C. Thomas, MP., K.M. Mani, Thomas Chazhikadan, V.M. Vasavan, Ramachandran Kadannappally, MLAs, Sharmila Mary Joseph, Kottayam District Collector; Radhakrishna Menon, BJP State general secretary; Uzhavoor Vijayan, chairman, Vikalanga Kshema Corporation; and poet Chemmanam Chacko, were among those who visited the residence of the poet before the cremation.

Tributes paid

Governor R.L. Bhatia has expressed profound grief at the demise of Mahakavi Pala Narayanan Nair.

In a message issued here he said that Pala was a poet of the highest order who eulogised Kerala and its glorious heritage in glowing terms.

His magnum opus ‘Keralam Valarunnu’ is an evocative work that celebrates the earthy and ethereal beauty of Kerala, tracing its many-splendoured past and prospective future.

He conveyed his heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family and his admirers.

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