Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-01-31
Body Of Gandhi
in
Hindu Tradition
Youngest Son Lights
Funeral Pyre Amid
Walls of Thousands
BY the Assoeiofed Press

NEW DELHI, Jan. 31.-The
frail body of Mohandas Gandhi
was consigned to the ages today
on blazing pile of sandalwood
logs.
Gandhi's son Devadas set afire
the funeral pyre which reduced the
body to ashes. Flames reflected OH
the sorrowing faces of the fraction
of India's millions who could crowd
around the ritual scene, crushing
against police lines.
The flames shot up from 3-foot
brick base built during the night.
Many among the tens of thousands
of mourners rushed forward and
picked up hot ashes and bits of
charred wood.
The ceremony, carried out under
dictates of the Hindu religion, came
at the end of five-hour procession
from Birla House to the burning
ground on the banks of the Jumna
River. Thousands on thousands OF
Indians trudged the S miles afoot,
slowing the procession to mile
an-hour progress. :.
The crowd sobbed with grief and
shouted the name Of the martyred
Mahatma from the time Gandhi's
body was placed on platform atop
a motor car. The flag OF India was
draped over the body.
Soldiers Open Lane.
The car was strewn with roses and
rose petals. Showers of flowers, like
q snowstorm of petals, f1uttered from
windows and rooftops along the line
of marcia lane that soldiers
opened through the vast crowd. A
detachment of mounted infantry
lancers led the solemn parade. Be-
hind them we're two tanks, and then
the big sedan bearing Gandhis
body. -,
Hour by hour the crowd grew until
it was almost an impenetrable mass.
1t halted the procession every hun
dred yards to the river, where
Gandhi's body was placed on the
pyre.
A tremendous sobbing lament
sureed from the crowd-a Hindu
hymn for midas prophet OF peace,
struck down by an assassin. In
mighty roaring unison, the crowd
chanted the prayers Of the last rites
as police struggled to restrain the
people.
Gentle hands lifted the slight
body. dashed to a bamboo stretcher,
to the top of the pyre amid the
fragrant sandalwood logs. Women
and Hindu priests in white robes
chanted prayers. Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru and other friends
of the fallen leader laid logs on the
body until it was covered. The
crowd pelted flowers on the pyre.
Places Live Goals on Pyre.
Deyadas Gandhi, his face drawn,
stepped up to the pyre. He placed
live Goals on the pyre just over his
fathers heart. Then, with a loren,
he applied fire to the four corners
of the pile, in accordance with Hindu
tradition.
The sandalwood cracked. Smoke
spiraled heavenWaro.
A moan of lament rose from the
crowd and then shouts and COM
motion as they pressed against the
lines of soldiers, struggling to get
into a space that would hold rela-
lively few.
Many times during the process
sion and the rites the police ana
soldiers had to charge into the
crowd with clubs and rifle butts.
once the people surged within two
feet of the burning pyre. Prime
Minister Nehru mounted lorry and
directed the soldiers after his sister,
Mrs. Krishna Hutheesingh, was
knocked to the ground and trampleo.
Ashes to Be Taken to River.
The Mahatma's ashes are to re-
main at the pyre for day and
half. Then they are to be gathered
and taken to the river Ganges-sa-
cred to his Hindu falkland thrown
into the waters in the manner ira
ditional with Hindus. ;
India was gripped with fear OF
what may come in the wake OF
Gandhi's violent death. Rioting IN
Bombay, which took Is lives yester-
day, subsidized somewhat, but in
Poona the office of an extremist
Hindu newspaper was burned.
Sullen Poona crowds attacked the
property of persons known to have
opposed Gandhi. Tilak Memorial
Hall was set af1re as crowds searched
for any one possibly connected with
the assassin. Bombay police ar
rested five persons suspected OF
being implicated.
New Delhi police disclosed that
Gandhi's accused assassin had been