Former Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh Cremated With Full State Honours

An unprecedented 바카라�sea바카라� of people emerged at Rampur, the native town of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 바카라�Raja바카라� of Bushahr, to pay a tearful adieu to the towering political leader, whose mortal remains were consigned to the flames with full state honour on Saturday on the banks of Sutlej river, 120 km from Shimla.

This marked an end of an eventful era in Himachal Pradesh바카라�s post-Independence history and the state's journey to its development, economic growth, literacy and emergence as a 바카라�model of hill development바카라� in the country, to which Virbhadra Singh was an instrument in the past 60 years.

His son Vikramaditya Singh, a sitting Congress MLA from Shimla (rural) lit the pyre as priests of the royal family of Bushahr performed all rituals and Vedic ceremonies amidst 바카라�mantras바카라� and slogans by the public 바카라� 바카라�Raja nahin Faquir tha, Himachal ki Taqdeer tha바카라�.

Earlier in the day, the priests performed the 바카라�raj tilak바카라� ceremony of Vikaramaditya Singh ,31 바카라�who was officially declared as 바카라�Raja바카라� of Bushahr state, taking over the royal legacy of the family from his late father and a legendary leader.

In presence of Virbhadra Singh바카라�s body he was made to sit at the throne, which Vikramaditya Singh바카라�s grandfather used to occupy in discharge of his functions as 바카라�king바카라� of the princely state of Bushahr. Thereafter Vikramaditya Singh performed the last rites 바카라�a tradition being followed by the family for years.

Thousands of people from Himachal Pradesh, and elsewhere from India had converged at Rampur바카라�s Padam palace 바카라�an ancestral property of Virbhadra Singh, where his body was kept for 바카라�antim darshan바카라� and enable people, including VIPs to pay their last respect.

Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed at the Palace complex, which had no space to put a foot on, especially when the mortal remains were being prepared for the final journey to the cremation ground.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, several cabinet ministers, Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel were present. AICC general secretary Rajeev Shukla and a delegation of congress leaders including Pawan Kumar Bansal represented the party.

There were cries and sobs all over the town, which looked to have come to a halt with men and women pouring from all the places and several also climbed the mountains across Sutlej river to become part of the historic event.   

Janki, an elderly woman from Kinnaur was wailing in grief over the loss. 바카라�My father has died, I am orphaned. I haven't eaten and slept for the past three days after hearing about him,바카라� she said with tearful eyes .

Old timers recall one similar scene was witnessed when Dr.Y.S. Parmar, first Chief Minister, known as 바카라�Himachal Nirmata바카라�, died. Shimla had got jam packed with masses towards Sanjauli, where funeral had taken place. 

바카라�There were also people who had assembled in large numbers and the road from Root to Sanjuali was overcrowded. I do remember the words of the then Director of Public Relations, late H.K. Mitoo, who was doing the running commentary --바카라�Mein Roots (place where Dr Parmar lived after a private life after his long Chief Ministerial tenure) se bol raha hoon, dosto aaj Himachal Pradesh ki roots hil gayee hein,바카라� recalls B D Sharma, a former Director Public Relations. 바카라�But now, it바카라�s like 바카라�Himachal Pradesh ka but vriksh dyeh gaya hey바카라�,바카라� Sharma says