Kochi: Cultural Kerala on Sunday, with full state honours, bid an emotional farewell to ace artist C.N.Karunakaran who passed away on Saturday following heart failure.
His son Ayilyan lit the funeral pyre at the Ravipuram crematorium here at around 12.30 pm in the presence of his fans and students who had joined him at different phases of his four-and-a-half decade-old artistic journey.
Earlier, several people paid homage to CN at his house in Mamangalam before the body was taken to the crematorium at around 11.30 am. They included actor V.K. Sreeraman, directors T.V.Chandran, P.T. Kunhimuhammed and Renji Panicker, artist Kaladharan, Lalithakala Akademi secretary Sreemoolanagram Mohan, Sahitya Akademi secretary R. Gopalakrishnan and Sangeetha Nataka Akademi secretary P.V. Krishnan Nair. Madambu Kunhikuttan and Union Minister K.V. Thomas paid their respects to CN on Saturday night.
A condolence meeting was held at the Durbar Hall on Sunday afternoon. K.L. Mohana Varma, Kattoor Narayana Pillai, K.R. Viswambharan and Lalitha Kala Akademi chairman K.A. Francis spoke.
