The body of Sugunanandan, father of Mata Amritanandamayi, who died on Monday (22 Mar 2010), was cremated on the premises of his Edamannel house near the Amritapuri ashram on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Suresh Kumar, the eldest son of Sugunanandan, lit the pyre. Thousands of people including devotees, sannyasins of various ashrams, and political and community leaders paid their last respects to the departed father of Amma.
Amma, who returned from Kolkata on Tuesday morning, was sitting by the side of the body along with her mother Damayanthi, sisters and brothers and sannyasins. Ashramites have been chanting the 8th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita repeatedly around the clock.
Ministers C Divakaran, N K Premachandran, Kadannappally Ramachandran, Opposition leader Oommen Chandy, Congress leaders V M Sudheeran and G Karthikeyan, Kerala Congress leader K M Mani and SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappalli Natesan were among those who paid their last respects to Sugunanandan. Union ministers A K Antony and Vayalar Ravi, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, Ministers G Sudhakaran and S Sarma and CPM State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan were among those who sent condolence messages.
Amma consoling her family members (sister Kasturi) upon reaching the ashram from CalcuttaAmma taking her first look at Sugunacchan’s body through the glass coffinAmma sitting in meditation by Sugunacchan’s coffinAmma sitting in the parents’ house, while devotees pay their last homages to SugunacchanBrahmacharis chanting the Bhagavad Gita’s 8th Chapter. The chanting went on around the clock for 3 daysThe body is carried outside the house by family members and swamisAmma uncovering Sugunacchan’s face after he was transported outside the houseThe uncovered faceSuresh and Sateesh offering a flower garland to their deceased fatherAmma helping her mother Damayanti Amma to pay her last homage to SugunacchanFamily members offering flowersFather Koshi from the Mar Thoma Church of Maramon, offering his prayers and respect to SugunacchanThousands of people (villagers, ashramites and devotees) from around the world came to pay their last respectsStudents from the Amrita Institutes joined ashramites, villagers and devotees in paying their respectsBrahmacharinis chanted the Bhagavad Gita’s 8th Chapter for three continuous daysBrahmacharinis circumambulating the body and offering flowersSwami Prakashananda from Sivagiri Math, Varkala paying homage to SugunacchanThe swamis from Amma’s order covering Acchan’s body with the Math’s emblemThe swamis from Amma’s order paying their last tributes to a man who was like a father to themAmma kissing Sugunacchan’s face before the cremationAmma handing over a coconut to her eldest brother Suresh before the body is carried to the cremation groundsThe swamis and family members carrying the body to the fire-placeAmma’s eldest brother Suresh carrying the coconut and circumambulating the pyreSwami Amritaswaropananda handing over the fire torch to SureshThe fire is lit by Suresh, as per the traditional duty of the eldest sonAs per the rituals, Suresh, back turned to the body, throws the coconut into the pyreThe fire consumes the bodyA few hours later, ashes lay in front of Acchan’s smiling portrait
