Puneeth Rajkumar's last rites today

Bengaluru: As thousands of grieving fans continued to flock the Kanteerava stadium here on Saturday to pay their final respects to the actor, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the last rites of the actor will be performed on Sunday.

The late actor's family and the government had earlier planned to perform the last rites on Saturday evening, once his daughter, reached the city from the US.

"Puneeth's daughter reached the city by about 6 pm. Secondly, there is lot of crowd here (Kanteerava Stadium) and many people wish to see him for one last time, also after 6 pm when it will be dark it will be difficult to perform last rites there (Kanteerava studio)," Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said keeping all this in mind and after discussing with Puneeth's elder brothers Shivarajkumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar and other family members, it was decided to conduct the last rites on Sunday. "So we have made an opportunity for more people to pay their last respects till tomorrow morning. I appeal to his (Puneeth's) fans to pay their last respects with patience and by maintaining peace, as there is time till tomorrow morning," he said. Considered as the Kannada cinema's reigning star, Puneeth, youngest of the five children of thespian Dr Rajkumar, passed away at the age of 46, after suffering a cardiac arrest on Friday.

Puneeth's elder brother and actor Raghavendra Rajkumar too thanking fans for cooperation so far, clarified that last rites will be during the first half tomorrow.

"As Appu's (as Puneeth is fondly called by fans) elder daughter was in New York for studies, there is some delay in her arrival. As the last rites cannot be performed after dark, we will decide on the timing of the last rites tomorrow, late in the night today, once she arrives. We are aware that you (fans) are also in pain," he said. The state government has made arrangements for all Puneeth's fans to pay homage, he further said as he sought their cooperation until the last rites tomorrow. Mortal remains of the actor, wrapped in the national tri-colour, have been kept at the Kanteerava stadium, to enable fans and well-wishers to pay tributes. A steady stream of people from across the state have been pouring into the arena since last evening.

Several film and political personalities paid their respects to the departed soul.

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accompanied by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and other ministers of the state cabinet, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, former CM S M Krishna, pontiffs of various mutts paid their respects. Leading South Indian film stars such as N Balakrishna, Chiranjeevi, Junior NTR, Venkatesh, Arjun Sarja and ace choreographer Prabhu Deva also paid their tributes to the Kannada actor.

The government has announced that Puneeth's last rites will be conducted with state honours at Dr Rajkumar Punyabhoomi in Kanteerava Studio, next to his father and mother. According to official sources, the mortal remains will be taken in a procession for about 13 km from Kanteerava stadium to Kanteerava studio. The CM's repeated appeal for peace comes in the backdrop of the large-scale violence that took place in the city, following the death of Puneeth's father Dr Rajkumar in 2006.