Large funerals

[lns2...@gmail.com]

While describing the numbers of people attending Queen Elizabeth's funeral, BBC Radio as well as National Public Radio in the US listed other funerals attended by huge crowds. I was sleepily listening to it. I sat bolt upright when they mentioned that one of the funerals with the highest crowds was C N Annadurai's (CNA) funeral in 1969. They said it was attended by 15 million people. It seems this number was there in the Guinness Book of Records too.

Apparently,  the immediate source of the information is the following:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_funerals

Meanwhile the following facts seem to stand out:

1. In  that wikipedia list, crowds at  CNA's funeral is an order of magnitude higher than other funerals.

2.  Per 1971 census, the population of Tamilnadu was 41 million. Did every third person attend the funeral?

Are there official Tamilnadu government statistics which bear out the crowd numbers?

Srini

[N. Ganesan]

This is a Madras Police Dept. estimate.

The Guinness book of records 1988
Alan Russell, Norris D. McWhirter
Guinness Book, 1987, 319 pages.
<<
Largest funerals The funeral of the charismatic C. N. Annadurai ( died 3 Feb 1969 ) , Madras Chief Minister , was , according to a police estimate , attended by 15 million .
>>>
https://www.dtnext.in/city/2018/09/16/a-funeral-that-entered-guinness-world-records

At Marina beach, CNA's funeral had an estimated 3 million people.
"Mrs. Rani Annadurai wept aloud . An estimated crowd of more than three million people gathered on the Marina Beach for the burial of the departed leader . The soul stirring scenes at his funeral left no room for doubt tbat Anna ..." pg. 128, Anna: the Tempest and the Sea,  Sagar Ahluwalia · 1969 · Young Asia Publications

Kumbhamela festival at Prayaga attracted 120 million in 2019.

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[lns2...@gmail.com]

Thanks. The 15 million estimate appears to be Trumpian :)

Srini

[Swaminathan Sankaran]

Estimation is not easy. In Mathematical Statistics it is a very technical area and difficult to master.

I don't believe, that any police force, especially the Madras police at that time were fully 'equipped' to 

do it correctly. Anyway, gross exaggeration is a prominent characteristic of the Asian, especially Indian, mind.

Yes, the Abrahamites were all Asian too.

Sankaran 

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 Swaminathan Sankaran

[lns2...@gmail.com]

Thanks for your responses. It was illuminating. Perhaps 'gross exaggeration' did have a role to play in it :)

Srini

[N. Ganesan]

On Wed, Sep 21, 2022 at 8:49 AM Swaminathan Sankaran <swamina...@gmail.com> wrote:

Estimation is not easy. In Mathematical Statistics it is a very technical area and difficult to master.

I don't believe, that any police force, especially the Madras police at that time were fully 'equipped' to 

do it correctly. Anyway, gross exaggeration is a prominent characteristic of the Asian, especially Indian, mind.

Yes, the Abrahamites were all Asian too.

Sankaran 

Yes. Any large crowds' number is an approximation only. For example, the Kumbhamela at Prayagai

is said to be 120 million nowadays.

Indian Express etc., reported 3 million at the Marina beach during CNA's funeral.

Probably, the Police estimate is taking into account the people packed in the city,

and those who visited CNA burial site next and few days after the funeral.

That month's newspapers, magazines from that month both in Tamil and English can be researched.

If anyone has correct estimate, they can contact Guinness records,

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/65207-largest-funerals

Who

Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai

What

15,000,000 people

Where

India ()

When

1969

The funeral of the charismatic C.N. Annadurai (died 3 Feb 1969), Madras Chief Minister, was attended by 15 million people, according to a police estimate. The queue at the grave of the Russian singer and guitarist Vladimir Visotsky (died 28 July 1980) stretched for 10 km (6 miles).

All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date.

--------

BTW, a review of Anna's biography book,

https://sangam.org/anna-1909-1969/

 

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[NATARAJAN RAMASESHAN]

Reminds me of the saying “Lies,

damned lies ,statistics 

            -தில்லைவேந்தன்

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[N. Ganesan]

:-)

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