People in Cooch Behar mourn demise of Gayatri Devi

COOCH BEHAR: Offices and schools remained shut in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district on Thursday to pay homage to Gayatri Devi, the erstwhile maharani of Jaipur.

Thousands of people paid homage to Jaipur royal Rajmata Gayatri Devi, who died yesterday, at her maternal palace here.

Mourners thronged into the durbar hall of the century-old royal palace here where a life-size portrait of Cooch Behar princess was kept.

The main gate of the palace, a heritage building, was kept open since morning with mourners placing wreaths before the portrait of Gayatri Devi who last visited Cooch Behar in 2005.

The state government declared a holiday in this north Bengal town today as a mark of respect to the Jaipur royal who died in Jaipur yesterday at the age of 90.

All state government offices, educational institutions and markets remained closed.

A memorial meeting was organised at the Madan Mohanbari temple under the auspices of the Devottar Trust Board. Special prayers were also held.

Gayatri Devi, the youngest child of Maharaja Jitendra Narayan, was the last member of the royal family.

Her siblings, Prince Victor Nritendra Narayan and Hitendra Narayan and Ila Devi, who was married off to the Tripura royal family, had predeceased her.