A memorial for Cinare

Poet’s body to be kept for 1 hr for people to pay homage

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday announced that a memorial would be built in the heart of the city in honour of Dr C. Narayana Reddy, who passed away on Monday. It will contain a literary convention centre and a meeting hall.

A prominent institution run by the government will be named after Dr Reddy, the Chief Minister announced, after paying homage to the departed poet at his Manikonda residence this afternoon. Mr Rao placed a wreath on the body, and spoke with the family for some time.

He told the media later that bronze statues of Dr Reddy would be installed at Tank Bund here, at the Sircilla district headquarters, and in Hanumajipet, the birthplace of the poet.

He announced that the government would release `10 lakh every year for the Telangana Sahitya Parishad, the brainchild of Dr Reddy.

The final rites will be conducted on Wednesday and the government will provide buses for all those who want to be present, he said.

He said the state was proud of such a literary figure, who had a certain glamour, proving that even poets have glamour.

Mr Rao recalled his recent visit to Bammera, the birthplace of the poet Pothanna, where he recited poems from Narayana Reddy’s Mandara Makarandalu. He said Reddy’s family told him that Narayana Reddy had heard that speech.

He said he would be present at the funeral on Wednesday and make sure that the people gave a fitting farewell to Dr Narayana Reddy.

The body will be kept for an hour, from 9 am, at Saraswatha Parishad Hall in Boggulakunta on Wednesday for the people to pay homage. Then it will be taken out in a procession from Saraswatha Parishad Hall to Maha Prasthanam in Prashashannagar.