Harrison's Ashes Arrive For Immersion In The Ganga

December 2, 2001

FROM THE HINDUSTAN TIMES

LONDON, ENGLAND, Dec 3 (VNN) — by Vijay Dutt

George Harrison's widow Olivia and his 24-year-old son Dhani secretly

flew to India to immerse the former Beatle's ashes in the Ganga at

Dashaswamedh ghat of Varanasi. They flew from London in a private jet

along with some devotees of the Hare Krishna sect. Sources told the

Hindustan Times that his ashes were to be scattered at the sangam in

Allahabad as well.

A former devotee of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and a Krishna-devotee till

his death, Harrison had visited Varanasi for a dip in the Ganga three

months ago when he realised that his end was not too far.

A report says, He decided to make a secret pilgrimage to his

spiritual 'birth place' to prepare for death.

Pale, thin and losing his hair, Harrison returned to Benares, where

he discovered eastern mysticism in the 1960s, to bathe in the sacred

waters and pray in the temples. Harrison used a pseudonym and no one

was aware of his visit till he left.

At the Bhaktivedanta Manor Krishna temple near Watford, an hour's

drive from London, a sombre atmosphere prevailed.

It was Harrison who donated his manor on a multi-million pound

complex to the Hare Krishna movement and kept close contact with

ISCKON over the years. The temple will hold a special prayer service

on December 5.

The Indian community here has been touched by the fact that two

senior members from the Hare Krishna sect performed the former

Beatle's last rites. The body, clothed in dhoti and kurta, was

cremated amid Hare Krishna chants. He was more Hindu than many of us,

said some students in Southall.

Fans lined up at shops to buy his records. The demand was so great

that sales zoomed by 200 per cent, according to the manager of the

biggest HMV shop in Oxford Street. Harrison's first solo album, All

Things Must Pass, was in much demand.

Harrison had left behind a musical legacy in the shape of an album he

worked on during the last months of his life. He planned to call the

CD of 25 tracks, some old and some new songs, Portrait of a Leg End -

a pun on his celebrity status and a reference to the squashing foot

graphic in the Monty Python television series.

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