By Bizodisha Bureau, Puri, April 22, 2015 :

The mortal remains of veteran politician, writer, journalist and Sanskrit scholar, Janaki Ballav Patnaik was consigned to flames at Swargadwara here on Wednesday evening after a guard of honour.

His son Prithvi Ballav Patnaik lit the funeral pyre as thousands of people including several political leaders across party lines bade emotional adieu to the departed soul.

AICC leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, BK Hariprasad, Odisha ministers Debi Prasad Mishra and Pradip Maharathy, Puri MLA Maheswar Mohanty representing on behalf of the state government, family members of JB Patnaik including his son-in-law Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra, PCC President Prasad Harichandan, former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, Suresh Routray, Pradip Majhi and a host of other leader were present at Swargadwara.

The three-time chief minister of Odisha died suddenly in Tirupati Hospital as he walked to Tirupati temple on Monday and also chanted Vishnu Sahasranama there.

Patnaik had felt severed chest-pain in the hotel in the hotel at around 11 pm. He was rushed to a private hospital but at around 3 am, doctors declared him dead.