It was evening. Gandhiji emerged from Birla House to attend the prayer meeting which was his daily ritual. His grand daughters, Abha and Manu supported him on both sides.
As Gandhiji arrived on the prayer stage a youngman named Nathuram Godse broke away from the crowd and neared the stage. First he paid obeisance to Gandhiji with folded hands. Then, suddenly he drew out a revolver and shot Bapu three times. Gandhiji collapsed saying ‘Hey Ram’ three times. His hands came together to say final ‘Namaste’ to world of violence.
The country was plunged in grief.
Mahatma Gandhi’s dead body was given a state funeral by millions of tearful people and leaders and followers at Rajghat which became a national memorial called ‘Gandhiji ki Samadhi’.
His son Ramdas Gandhi set fire to the funeral pyre at 4.50 p.m. at Rajghat on 31st January 1948.
He still lives on in spirit as ‘Father of the Nation’ for all the Indians and as the spiritual value for the rest of the world.
