KOCHI: B Govinda Rao,95, founder of BTH Hotels passed away on Friday. Rao is also known for his contributions in promoting vegetarianism. A former president of the Kerala Hotels and Restaurant Association, Rao was an active figure in the socio-religious scenario in the city.It was last week that Rao celebrated his 95th birthday. Relatives said that he did not have any health-related issues other than dementia. Rao’s family came to Kochi from Udupi in Karanataka. Rao grew up in the city and was a witness to the growth of the city.Rao had a humble beginning in the hotel industry. Before venturing into hotel business, he had been running Bharat Coffee Houses at various places in and around the city. Bharat Coffee House on the Broadway, which he established in the 1950s, was the first coffee shop in the district.Bharat Tourist Home, now popularly called BTH, was established in 1964. The Bharat hotel was one of most sought after shelter of VIPs who reached Kochi. This included politicians, businessmen and other renowned persons. There were some persons who had used a particular room at Bharat hotel during their visit to Kochi.Rao is survived by four sons and two daughters. His wife Padmavathi died in 2003. Vasantha and Lalitha are his daughters and Muraleedharam, Venugopal, Gopinath and Jayagopal are his sons. The funeral will be held at Ravipuram crematorium at 2 p.m on Saturday.
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