Baba Amte bidden adieu with full state honours

New Delhi: Legendary social reformer Baba Amte's funeral was held earlier on Sunday.

Baba Amte was given a 21-gun salute and a full state funeral at his Anandvan ashram in Maharashtra, in a ceremony attended by thousands of mourners.

News agency PTI reported that mourners raised slogans like “Baba Amte amar rahe" (Baba Amte will be immortal) and "Bharat Jodo" (unite India).

Baba Amte’s remains were laid to rest in a grave near a bamboo plantation in the ashram, in accordance with his last wishes.

Baba Amte’s son Dr Vikas told PTI that Baba Amte wanted to be buried for he wanted every particle of his body to be useful to humanity and felt that his burial would add to the organic content in soil whereas post-cremation rites would pollute river waters.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and two other ministers were also present and laid a wreath to pay homage to Baba Amte, who had been awarded the state’s highest award – the Maharashtra Bhushan – in 2004.

Amte, who was suffering from blood cancer, died on Saturday afternoon at the age of 94.