Kottarapattu Chattu Kuttan, the legendary doorman at the Galle Face Hotel here, who served dignitaries like Lord Mountbatten, Princess Elizabeth, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Yuri Gagarin and Arthur C. Clarke, has passed away, media reported .

Kuttan left his village in Kerala when he was 17 years old and reached Sri Lanka in 1938 looking for a job. He joined the hotel as a bell boy-cum-waiter in 1942, where he continued to serve until his death, the Daily Mirror reported.

Joining the hotel as a bell boy cum waiter in 1942, he continued to serve until his death.

He has been part of the Galle Face Hotel’s culture from as far back as 1942.

Kuttan virtually becames the trade mark of the Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry as well as the Galle Face Hotel as his photograph has adorned the cover pages of many travel magazines all over the world.

He was 91 years old.

Kuttan virtually became the trade mark of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry as well as the Galle Face Hotel.