Harivansh Rai's ashes immersed in Sangam

ALLAHABAD: The urn containing ashes ofpoet Harivansh Rai Bachchan was immersed at the Sangam amidst chanting of Vedichymns here on Friday.The urn was brought to the Bamrauli airport by aprivate aircraft from where it was brought to the Sangam in a long processionwhich passed through various city areas.Even as thousands of luxury carsrolled towards the Saraswati ghat, the basic spirit of simplicity with whichBachchanji struggled, lived and emerged successful seemed to have taken a backseat. The element of simple-heartedness for which Bachchan was revered andthe element of innocence for which he was loved had suddenly been overshadowedin the hustle and bustle of dignitaries, a rather obvious fallout of parenting alegend called Amitabh Bachchan.The motorcade carrying the poet''s ashesarrived around noon at the Saraswati ghat, one edge of the city, only to betaken further away, forever, into the Sangam, where the mythical Saraswati flows- the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna.The Saraswati, which hasundoubtedly proven her existence by producing several scholars from Prayag, withBachchan being one of them, on Friday washed away the urn containing mortalremains of Harivansh Rai Bachchan.Those who attended the funeralprocession included Jaya Bachchan, Ajitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, SubrotoRoy, Anil Ambani, Amar Singh, Romesh Sharma and Danny.Earlier, during theimmersion ceremony, a tiff between pandas of Allahabad and the priestaccompanying the Bachchans and who belonged to Varanasi spoilt the atmosphere onthe solemn occasion. The pandas from Allahabad did not leave any stoneunturned in voicing their protest over the inclusion of another priest. Thesquabble took such a turn that Amitabh had to beg with folded hands with thepain evident in his eyes to stop the nuisance.