Saxophone maestro Kadri Gopalnath, who breathed his last on Friday, was laid to rest with state honours near his ancestral house at his native village of Sajipa Mooda in Bantwal taluk.
Following the arrival of the maestro’s elder son Guruprasad from Kuwait on Monday morning, Gopalnath’s body was taken from the hospital to his house in Padavinangady around 7 a.m. Around 10 a.m., it was brought in a procession to the Mini-Town Hall, where it was kept for public viewing.
After members of the public and noted personalities paid their last respects to Gopalnath, the body was taken to Sajipa Mooda around 3 p.m. The last rites were conducted according to the traditions of the Jogi community, and the body was buried near his house.
Memorial
Gopalanath’s younger son, Manikanth Kadri, a music director, said, “We will have a small memorial at the burial place. We will use the house as an old age home where the occupants will be involved in teaching children in the vicinity.”
Earlier in the day, Minister of Ports and Fisheries Kota Srinivas Poojary, who is also Minister in charge of Dakshina Kannada, paid homage to the maestro at the Mini-Town Hall. He told reporters that the State government intends to set up a permanent memorial in Gopalnath’s name. “I will discuss the matter with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa,” he said. Mr. Manikanth said the location of the memorial for his father in the city was yet to be finalised.
Several artistes, including senior clarinet player Pandit Narasimhalu Vadavati, morsing player Vidwan Bangalore Rajashekar, thavil vidwan Tiruvalli K. Sekar, violin player Vidwan Vittala Ramamurthy, nadaswara player Nagesh Bappanadu, sitar player Ustad Rafique Khan, tabla artiste Pandit Rajendra Nakod, and harmonium artiste Narendra Nayak, paid homage to the departed maestro.
Among the others who paid respects were State BJP president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Mangaluru MLA U.T. Khader, Bantwal MLA U. Rajesh Naik, MLC Ivan D’Souza, Tulu film director Vijaykumar Kodialbail, Dakshina Kannada Sahitya Parishad president Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B. Rupesh, Police Commissioner P.S. Harsha, and Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde S.
