Hyderabad: Over 2,000 people attended Pandit Vithal Rao’s funeral. From Gandhi mortuary the body reached Hindnagar of Goshmahal at around 10.30 am on Saturday.
Emotions ran high at the funeral with the children unable to take it fainting on the body. His daughters were inconsolable. There was not a single household in Goshmahal that did not attend the funeral. Several people gathered in a small lane adjacent to the Durga Mata temple. Those present were drawn by love and respect for the late Pandit Vithal Rao Sivpurkar, who was a court musician of the last Nizam in the city.
Among thousands of heartbroken followers and students, those present were adviser to the Telangana government Mr K.V. Ramana Chary, local artists included Mr Khan Al Asar, J.B. Ramana Murthy, Dr. Kalpana Sringar. Pandit Rao was cremated at Shamshan Ghat, Purana Pul on Saturday afternoon.
Pandit Vithal Rao’s constant companion Mr V. Suresh, resident of Hyderabad said, “I have become alone now. Panditji never discriminated he sang for the poor and the royals. He was an iconic ambassador of composite culture. The state government should at least name a road after him.”
The body was beyond recognition since the singer is believed to have starved for many days and his body had shrunk. “Never had a person left his home on an empty stomach, Panditji fed who ever came to his place, but sadly he spent his last days starving on the streets,” added Mr Deepak Rao, nephew of Pandit Rao.
Posthumous State award for legendary ghazal singer
The TS government on Saturday presented the “state award” to legendary ghazal singer Pandit Vithal Rao posthumously. The government had announced the award to the singer on the first anniversary of TS Formation Day on June 2. At that time he had gone missing from Shirdi. He was found dead in the city on June 25.
The award which carries a cash prize of '1 lakh was handed over to the wife of Pandit Vithal Rao at their residence by TS cultural advisor K.V. Ramana Chary. The TS government had announced state awards to eminent persons in 32 categories for their outstanding contribution to their respective fields. Vithal Rao was one among them.
The name of Vithal Rao was announced repeatedly but he did not turn up. The CM inquired about him with officials present, who told him that he had gone missing. Since then, officials tried to meet him in vain. However, the news of his sudden death on Friday shocked the CM and officials. The CM directed officials on Saturday to handover the award to Vithal Rao posthumously.
