The Hindu : Front Page : Mahatma’s ashes immersed in Arabian Sea

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Thursday, Jan 31, 2008
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Mahatma’s ashes immersed in Arabian Sea

Arunkumar Bhatt

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

MAHATMA’S ASHES IMMERSED: Gandhiji’s great grand-daughter Nilamben Parikh scatters from an urn the ashes of the Father of the Nation in the Chopatty Bay off Mumbai on Wednesday, his death anniversary. The urn was earlier carried from Mani Bhavan through the streets to the seafront in a procession, which comprised the Mahatma’s relatives, schoolchildren and elderly followers. The family members took the ashes nearly 1.5 km into the sea on a flower bedecked motorboat. A ceremonial guard of honour was given prior to the immersion.

MUMBAI: Mahatma Gandhi’s great granddaughter Nilamben Parikh immersed his ashes in the Chowpatty bay off Mumbai on Wednesday, the 60th death anniversary of Gandhiji.

The police band sounded the Last Post.

All these years, the urn containing Bapu’s ashes was with the family of the late Shriman Narayan, former Governor of Gujarat. Mr. Narayan and his wife, Madalasa Narayan, were close associates of Gandhiji.

A few months ago their son, Bharat Narayan, handed over the urn to Mani Bhavan, Bapu’s residence in Mumbai which is now a museum.

In deference to the wishes of the Gandhiji’s family, the trustees of Mani Bhavan decided to immerse the ashes off Mumbai, the very shore where Gandhiji used to take a stroll.

About 14 members of Bapu’s family, mostly his great grandchildren, turned up for the ceremony. So did Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Maharashtra Governor S.M. Krishna and Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil.

This is the second time that the urn containing Bapu’s ashes was found.

“It appears that some individuals had with them the asthi kalash and one such kalash was found in 1997 in a bank locker in Cuttack in Orissa,” said Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya president, Dhirubhai Mehta. It was immersed at the Triveni Sangam in Allahabad by Tushar Gandhi, grandson of Bapu’s son Manilal Gandhi. Ms. Parikh is the granddaughter of Bapu’s son Harilal Gandhi.

Before the urn was taken into the boat, it was accorded state honours.

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