From former rivals Narayanaswami Srinivasan and Sharad Pawar to current Board of Control for Cricket in India heavyweights, India’s cricket fraternity bid an emotional farewell to Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was cremated with full state honours and a gun salute, on Monday.
The 75-year-old talismanic cricket administrator passed away at 8.45 pm on Sunday following massive cardiac arrest at the B M Birla Heart Research Centre, in Kolkata, where he was admitted on Thursday evening.
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The news sent shock waves across the cricket fraternity, which mourned the loss of the man credited for making the sport popular and rich. It prompted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to announce full state honours for the departed soul.
India's top cricket administrators, including BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, ICC chairman Srinivasan, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, former presidents Sharad Pawar and Shashank Manohar gathered to pay their last respects at the Eden Gardens, where Dalmiya’s body was kept for more than two hours.
The chief minister came around 3pm. The state guard of honour was followed by a three-round gun salute by 10 Kolkata Police officials.
A senior member, chanting Dalmiya Amar Rahe (long live Dalmiya) placed the national flag on the body as it began its final journey to Keoratala crematorium.
Banerjee, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, state ministers and other CAB officials went to the crematorium to pay homage.
Dalmiya’s son and daughter performed the last rites by placing the body on the wooden pyre with sandalwood at 4pm.
Earlier, accompanied by Ravi Shastri, BCCI secretary Thakur went to Dalmiya's 10 Alipore Road residence from where the Team India director left for the national camp in Bengaluru.
Dalmiya's last journey began from his residence at 12.15pm before arriving at his 'second home' Eden Gardens around 1 pm, accompanied by son Avishek, daughter Vaishali and wife Chandralekha and other relatives.
People are reflected in the casket containing the body of Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), as they pay homage at the Eden Gardens
