Final farewell: Thousands of fans from across Karnataka travel to Bengaluru

Many wait in queues for hours on end before being allowed entry into the stadium

Disbelief and grief were the predominant emotions among the thousands of fans who gathered at Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday to pay their last respects to actor Puneeth Rajkumar. Groups of friends and families, including parents with children in tow, travelled from as far as Kalaburagi, Raichur, Yadgir, Ballari, and other parts of northern Karnataka by trains and buses on Friday itself to make the overnight trip. To meet the demand, additional buses were operated on Friday night.

A group of fans was seen hoisting Kannada flag and carrying photos of the actor, while another played popular songs from his films on portable sound system that they had brought with them. Gurulinga, a fan from Kalaburagi, said, “I travelled by Udyan train with my friends. Like us, many people had boarded the train to see Puneeth for the last time.”