36 Hours on, Oommen Chandy’s body reaches ancestral home

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

Kottayam, July 20, 2023: Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s body reached Puthuppally, the constituency he represented in the State Assembly for more than five decades, this afternoon.

 

The body was brought to ’Karottu Vallakkalil’ house, Chandy’s ancestral home in Puthuppally in Kottayam district, close to 36 hours after leaving his residence in Thiruvananthapuram the previous morning.

A journey of around 150 km, which should have normally taken about 3-4 hours, was considerably delayed due to thousands having gathered along the route for a final glimpse of their leader, for which the bus carrying the body was either slowed down or stopped- for more than an hour at some places.

Earlier, when the body was brought to the famous Thirunakkara ground in Kottayam town, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, leaders of various political parties, cultural icons including film stars like Mammootty and Suresh Gopi, religious leaders, and thousands of others paid rich tribute to the Congress stalwart.

Chandy’s ancestral home ’Karottu Vallakkalil witnessed emotional scenes as the vehicle carrying his body was brought there, as it was the place where their "Kunjukunju", as he was called fondly by the people of the area, used to address the grievances of the people of his constituency and in the neighbouring areas on weekends.

The doors of the house used to remain open for people to come at any time of the day or night to air their grievances before their leader.

Many have flocked to his ancestral home since yesterday to pay tribute to him, and this continued today as well.

In addition to the thousands who were present at Thirunakkara ground here, there was also a thick wall of people along the route to his village Puthuppally.

After being kept at his ancestral home for some time, the body will be shifted to his yet unfinished new home nearby, where prayers will be held, and subsequently, the funeral procession would start from there to the Puthuppally church, where Chandy will be buried in a special grave prepared for him adjacent to those of departed priests.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be attending the funeral and has already arrived in Kerala.

The burial would be a simple one without any state honours, in accordance with the wish of the late Congress leader.

Chandy’s final journey began last morning around 7.20 am from the state capital.

Thiruvananthapuram, where he had spent a major chunk of his life during his decades-long political career as a legislator, leader of the Congress party, and chief minister.

Chandy, who served as the chief minister of Kerala twice, breathed his last in a private hospital in Bengaluru on Tuesday at 4.25 am. He was 79. He died while undergoing treatment for cancer, party sources said.