Mahajan’s son Rahul lit the pyre amidst chanting of Vedic mantras signalling the end of the promising Mahajan era (1949-2006).
At 1.30 pm on Thursday, several thousand people assembled at the Shivaji Park crematorium to bid a final farewell let out a sharp cry in chorus with tears rolling down their cheeks as BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan’s body was consigned to the flames.
Mahajan’s son Rahul lit the pyre amidst chanting of Vedic mantras as a galaxy of political leaders, Bollywood stars and corporate captains watched smoke spiral up, signalling the end of the promising Mahajan era (1949-2006).
The former Union defence minister was given a 21-gun salute minutes after his pyre was lit. The 56-year-old Mahajan’s family and friends stood around the body with folded hands. His son Rahul, clad in white shirt and blue jeans, was composed as he carried out the rituals before lighting the pyre.
Daughter Poonam embraced her brother and wept continuously. Mahajan’s brother-in-law Gopinath Munde stood in silence. In the background, the crowd chanted, “Pramod Mahajan Amar Rahe (long live Pramod Mahajan)” and “Jaab tak sooraj chand rahega, Pramod tumhara naam rahega (you will be remembered as long as sun and moon shines).” Banners of a smiling Mahajan fluttered across Shivaji Park: “Long Live Majajan.”
On Thursday morning, the body was brought from the BJP headquarters to his house in Worli. At 11 am, the ten-km funeral procession started from his home for Shivaji Park. All along the route, people jostled to catch a last glimpse of the ‘generation-next’ BJP leader.
Outside the crematorium, the crowd broke barriers and barged in, pleading with the police to allow them a last ‘darshan’.
Leaders like ex PM Atal Behari Vajpayee, RSS chief KS Sudershan, ex-deputy PM LK Advani, NDA convenor George Fernandes, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, chief ministers including Vilasrao Deshmukh and Narendra Modi, Vasundhara Raje, Nitish Kumar, Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray and VHP chief Pravin Togadia laid wreaths on Mahajan’s body.
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