Mysuru, 12 July

Legendary playback singer S Janaki was laid to rest with full state honours at a farmhouse in Kaniyanahundi village in H D Kote taluk near Mysuru on Sunday, with thousands of admirers, members of the film fraternity and dignitaries gathering to pay their final respects.

The last rites were performed according to Telugu Brahmin traditions by her granddaughter, Apsara, fulfilling the family's wishes. The farmhouse belongs to Naveen, a Mysuru resident and long-time admirer of the singer.

Thousands of fans also visited Maharaja's CollegeGrounds, where Janaki's mortal remains were kept for public viewing from Sunday morning before being taken for the funeral.

 Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the Karnataka government would accord full state honours to the legendary singer and explore ways to preserve her legacy. Describing her as one of India's greatest musical icons, he said Janaki had served the film industry for nearly five decades and had become the voice of generations across languages.

Shivakumar said the government had offered to arrange transport to Chennai or Hyderabad if the family wished, but they chose to honour Janaki's final wish to remain in Mysuru. He also directed Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah to represent the state at the funeral.

 Widely known as the 'Nightingale of South India', Janaki recorded more than 48,000 songs in around 20 languages and won four National Film Awards and 33 State Film Awards during a career spanning over six decades. Born in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district, she began her playback career with the 1957 Tamil film 'Vidhiyin Vilayattu'.

The 88-year-old singer died at a private hospital in Mysuru on Saturday after being admitted with age-related ailments and breathing difficulties. Hospital authorities said she suffered repeated cardiac arrests during treatment.