SOUTH AFRICA: Mahatma Gandhi's family hold prayer vigil ahead of immersion of his ashes into the Indian Ocean

Record ID: 452867

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Mahatma Gandhi's family hold prayer vigil ahead of immersion of his ashes into the Indian Ocean
  • Date: 31st January 2010
  • Summary: ELA GANDHI, FATHER MICHELSON AND UNIDENTIFIED MAN SEATED
  • Embargoed: 15th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa, South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: People
  • Reuters ID: LVAZ2R66LABZKALB76OXCKK8I5G
  • Story Text: Mahatma Gandhi's family held an interfaith prayer vigil on Friday (January 29) at the Phoenix Settlement in Durban where the late Gandhi's South African home is located. According to the family these are the last known remains of the celebrated Indian leader.
    The ashes were brought to South Africa after Gandhi's death but only some of them were immersed into the ocean. The remainder were in the possession of a friend of the family whose granddaughter gave them back to the Gandhi's after her death Gandhi who pioneered the philosophy of non-violent resistance to the British occupation of India, was assassinated on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi by a Hindu radical.
    "We live in a very violent society today. You must admit that things are not as peaceful as you'd like them to be and somewhere along the line perhaps this is a message to us to say. Don't forget the teachings of this great person. It's an important philosophy. Lot's of people say we practice non-violence, do we really practice non-violence. So I think this is an opportune moment for the world to actually stop and take note that we are living in a very violent society, let's follow the teachings of the teachings of this great person," said Satish Dhupelia, Gandhi's great grand son.
    "The Indian Ocean is the only ocean that binds both South Africa and India together and also the link between India and South Africa, the greatest link that we have is also 'babuji' (Mahatma Gandhi)so you know, it's both a spiritual..You know the say the Ganges river flows from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean so we have a bit of the Ganges water which is supposed to be the holy water at our door step," said Kidarl Ramgobin, another great grandson.
    Hundreds of people, including senior leaders from South Africa's ruling ANC party are expected to attend a memorial held in Gandhi's honour later in the day to mark the 62nd anniversary of his death.
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