death anniversary of Feroze Gandhi
New Delhi: Today is the death anniversary of Feroze Gandhi, husband of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Many kinds of misconceptions are spread on social media about Feroze Gandhi. There are many kinds of things about his religion and last rites. It is said on social media that Feroze Gandhi was a Muslim and he was buried after his death. Whereas this is completely wrong. Feroze Gandhi was from the Parsi religion and after his death, his last rites were performed according to Hindu customs.
What is the story of the funeral?
Feroze Gandhi died on 8 September 1960 in Wellington Hospital. Before his death, he had wished that despite being a Parsi, his last rites should be performed according to Hindu customs. Actually, Feroze Gandhi did not like the Parsi way of cremation because in this the body is left for vultures to eat. His wife Indira Gandhi respected this wish of Feroze. However, she also followed some Parsi customs.
In Bertil Falk’s book Feroze – The Forgotten Gandhi, it is told that Feroze’s body was kept in Teen Murti Bhavan and all the religious scriptures were recited during this time. Feroze’s last rites were performed according to Hindu customs and his 16-year-old son Rajiv Gandhi lit the funeral pyre.
It is also mentioned in the book that where Firoz’s body was kept, Parsi traditions were also followed and the first chapter of ‘Ahanveti’ was read after placing a piece of cloth on the mouth of his body.
The ashes were immersed in the confluence and buried as well
When Firoz was cremated, some of his ashes were immersed in the Sangam in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), while some were buried. Firoz’s grave was built at the place where the ashes were buried.
This is why confusion is spread on social media and it is argued that since Firoz’s grave is there, he was a Muslim. Whereas there is absolutely no truth in this.
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