Chennai: Versatile singer S P Balasubrahmanyam hailed as the “singing moon” by his millions of fans was laid to rest at his farmhouse near here on Saturday with a 24-gun salute by the Tamil Nadu police.
After the singer’s son S P Charan performed the funeral rites amid chants by priests, the Last Post was played by a police band and 24 personnel in ceremonial attire gave a gun salute.
Later, the body with SPB’s glasses on and smeared with ‘Thiruneeru’ (sacred ashes) on the forehead and draped in zari dhoti was lowered into a deep pit and buried as chants of “SPB Pugazh Onguga” (Live long SPB’s fame) rent the air.
Flower petals were showered on the body and crystal salt strewn around inside the pit before its closure.
With policemen, their rifles tucked under their arms marching along, the body was brought on a traditional hay-lined bier to the final resting place on the…