Received Thursday, 10.5 p.m. NEW DELH1, Feb. 12. Oue of Gandhi's sons sprinkled from an amphibious ' ' duck ' ' tlie Mahatina 's ashes into the confiuenee of the three sacred rivers, Oanges, Jumna and ►Saraswati at Allahabad. Air. Xehru and other leaders met th»: train carrying M r. Oandlu's aslies at Allahabad station. Mr. Gandhi's granddaughters sang laments which wero relayed over a public address system. As the urn containing the ashes was earried from the station troops presented arms. The urn was plaeed on a.flowercovered white niilitary trailer and as the funeral procession moved towards the river, planes dived overhead scattering flowers on the. procyssi.Qn, Mr. Nehru rode on the trailer. Guards standing in jeeps preceded it. The prineip'al mourners, in military trucks. armoured cars and mounted p.oliee fol lowed it. Crowds iining the route bom banlod the trailer witli tlowers. The urn was transferred near the river to u white ampkibious "duck" and military trumpets sounded as the "ducks" en tered tlie water. Xine other "ducks" w itli the principal mourners followed it down the river. Hundreds of thousands of peoph roaring with emotion swarmed to th»water 's edge. Many threw themselves into the water. Three yellow plants swooped almost to water level in hom age and waves of coloured planes eircled low over the river. Huge crowds' of lndians at every stop iverran the train. They slid throug.'i .lie window openings, climbed on the roof and crammed into the compartnents to pay their last respects. Nearly 2,000,000 people gathered at \llahabad station this morning an hour oefore tlie train was expected to arrive. •eports Xew Delhi radio. Planes were tanding by to shower flowers on tlie irn as it passed 'in procession to the jmiction of tlie rivers for tlie i'mmersiom eeretnohyX' ' ' -,"; Portions of Mr. Gandlii 's ashes have dso been distributed to'all • proviuc-es '.nd m.any Indian States for immersiou it simultaneous ceremonies at some 50 sacred sites in rivers and at sea hroughout India and Pakistan.
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Chronicle (Levin), 13 February 1948, Page 5
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328Untitled Chronicle (Levin), 13 February 1948, Page 5
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