Funeral held; a heartbreaking farewell for Arjun at Kannadikkal

Kozhikode: The atmosphere is filled with profound grief as misty-eyed people watched the funeral rites of Arjun of Kannadikkal, their hearts heavy with sorrow. Almost the entire village gathered to witness the final moments of their beloved young man, for whom they had waited anxiously for around two and a half months. As T. Siddique, MLA, remarked, what the people witnessed on Saturday at Kannadikkal has no parallel in the recent history of Kerala.

Arjun’s mortal remains were brought to his home in Kannadikkal on Saturday morning around 9 AM, where hundreds waited with anxiety and sorrow. After allowing the friends, relatives and acquaintances  to pay their final respects, the funeral rites began at around 11:15 AM. The cremation arrangements were made in the compound of the house.

Arjun’s brother, Abhijith, lit the fire on the pyre, and the funeral rites were completed by 11:45 AM, as the flames consumed the mortal remains, leaving only the cherished memories of the young man behind. 

It was on September 25 that Arjun's body was retrieved from the depths of the Gangavali River.Arjun had been missing since July 16, when his lorry was caught in a landslide on the Panvel-Kanyakumari National Highway while returning to Edavanna after transporting acacia logs from Belgaum. He left home with dreams and aspirations, returning to his family's courtyard for the last time 82 days after the tragic incident.

The emotional farewell witnessed a long procession of mourners; the path from Kannadikkal to Arjun's house overflowed with people paying their last respects. The recovery of Arjun's body and the lorry came after extensive efforts to retrieve the vehicle, which had been submerged since the landslide.