RIP Girish Karnad: Karnataka CM declares one-day public holiday and three-day state mourning

Girish Karnad, who has been a Jnanpith awardee among many other things, breathed his last on Monday morning. He was 81-year-old and died due to multiple-organ failure. The Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee was a veteran playwright and actor who made his name in literature too.

His demise came as a shock to many. Girish Karnad had prior commitments like performing his play Tughlaq in Delhi. He was also being considered for Ali Abbas Zafar's Tiger 3 alongside Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. Various celerbities offered their condolences to the last actor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of India Ram Nath Kovind and many top political leaders paid tribute to the legend on Twitter. CM of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy, declared a day of public holiday and three days of mourning in the state.

"It will be a holiday today for one day for all government offices, schools and colleges due to the sudden demise of Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad. He will be cremated with state honours and there will be three days of mourning. It is also clarified that this is in accordance with the steps taken by the government when Jnanpith award winners have previously passed away", a statement from the CM office said.

Although it is a state-holiday, schools would individually decide on whether they can declare holiday for the rest of the day. Karnad's cremation would be held at Baiyappanahalli crematorium in East Bengaluru around evening.