Ratan Tata's mortal remains to be kept at NCPA Lawns for final 'darshan'

Mumbai, Oct 10 : The body of the industrial legend Ratan Tata, who passed away late on Wednesday, will be kept for people to pay their last respects at the NCPA Lawns at Nariman Point, before taking it for a state funeral in Worli, government and Tata Group officials said here on Thursday.

The Maharashtra government has announced that the late industrialist would be accorded a funeral with full state honours in the evening.

The state has also declared a day-long official mourning in memory of the business titan, as a pall of gloom fell over the country's corporate world after the sad news broke out early Thursday.

The Tricolor would be flown at half-mast at all government buildings in Ratan Tata's honour, and there will be no official entertainment programmes for the day, said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Additional Commissioner of Police Abhinav Deshmukh said that since there is no parking facility available at the NCPA (National Centre for Performing Arts), visitors should use local transport.

Ratan Tata, 86, breathed his last at the Breach Candy Hospital where he was admitted on Monday for certain age-related health issues.

Expressing "a profound sense of loss" while bidding farewell to Ratan Tata, the family said in an early morning update that his mortal remains will be taken to the NCPA Lawns at around 10:30 a.m. to enable people to pay their last respect and homage to the departed soul.

The entry for mourners would be from Gate 3 and exit from Gate 2, and there are no parking arrangements available at the NCPA.

At around 4 p.m., Ratan Tata's body would embark on the final journey from Nariman Point to the Worli Crematorium prayer hall for the last rites.

At the crematorium, the mortal remains, draped in the national flag, will be given a police gun salute and then will be consigned to the flames, said the family.