The singer’s last rites will be performed today. The funeral proceedings were delayed as the family waited for the singer’s son, Bappa to fly in from the US. Reports state that the singer’s last rite rituals will begin at around 9 am followed by the cremation at 10 am at Pawan Hans in Juhu.
Besides his music, Bappi was also known for his love of gold chains, which he often wore around his neck for luck. According to a report in Indiatoday.com, Bappi had a collection of gold pieces including chains, pendants, rings, bracelets, diamonds encrusted pieces, even gold frames and gold cufflinks.
While some of these were purchased by the singer, others were gifted to him by close friends over the years. Reports state that all his treasures are kept safely as part of the family heirloom. According to the report, Bappi’s children, Bappa and Rema, plan to preserve the jewellery and keep their father’s legacy intact.
The children will reportedly do everything to preserve Bappi’s personal pieces of jewellery that the singer wore daily. The chains and rings that he wore on a daily basis, were always kept in a separate box.
The other ornaments that were gifted to the singer will also be preserved.
The Golden Man — as he had come to be known – had highlighted his fondness for all things gold before it became a surprisingly brand image. If his fixation for multiple chains and pendants can be traced back to his “inspiration and idol” Elvis Presley, the collection dates back to 1975. “Unlike others, I wear my gold at all times. That’s why it’s become my image and people call me the Gold Man. . . Gold is my pehchaan,” he would say.
However, when he took the plunge in politics as a BJP Lok Sabha candidate in Kolkata back in 2014, Bappi told the Election Commission of India that he owned only 754gm of gold jewellery (worth Rs 17. 7 lakh).
“We were, frankly, a little shocked to see he owns so little gold. You look at him and you think he owns kilos of gold jewellery, but that’s not true. His wife, a homemaker, has more gold,” an election official had said.
