Kottayam: The funeral procession of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, a beloved leader and revered figure in Kerala, commenced from Thiruvananthapuram to Kottayam in the early hours of Thursday. The procession, which took nearly eight hours to reach Kottayam district, saw thousands of people line the streets even late at night to catch a final glimpse of their departed leader.
According to the reports ,the funeral is scheduled to 3:30 p.m. at the St. George Orthodox Church in Puthuppally, with public viewing arrangements being made at Thirunakkara Maidan and the late Chief Minister’s house in Puthuppally.
Leading the final rites will be Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, the chief priest of the Orthodox Church, along with several other bishops and priests who will participate in the solemn ceremony. The event is expected to be graced by the presence of Governor Arif Mohamed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who will pay their respects to the departed leader.
The funeral proceedings will adhere to Christian rituals, as per the wishes of Chandy’s family. It was reported that Chandy had expressed his desire to be buried without any state honours, a request that initially met with objections from the government. However, after deliberations, the government eventually agreed to honour his family’s wishes.
As a mark of respect, the Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi has announced the closure of establishments in Kottayam district from 1 pm onwards, allowing people from all walks of life to participate in the last rites of the beloved leader.
Schools in the district will be closed on Thursday due to former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s funeral procession, public viewing, and cremation. At several points in the area, the police have put into place traffic control measures; they’ll be in place starting Thursday morning.
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