On Jawaharlal Nehru's 52nd death anniversary, watch scenes from his funeral procession
Thousands were in attendance and many more lined up at every station along the way.
Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first and longest serving Prime Minister of India, died On May 27, 1964. The videos above and below, uploaded by British Pathé, follow the funeral procession – first, to a pyre in New Delhi, and then the journey of his ashes, accompanied by grandsons Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, to the Sangam in Allahabad. The pyre was in the same spot where, 16 years earlier, Mahatma Gandhi's body had been incinerated.
While there is no definitive count of the people who gathered for the funeral, the number is thought to be around 20 lakh. Although it was well known that Nehru's health was failing, the nation seemed to have been plunged into shock and chaos following his death. There was no political heir to take over, and though most thought it would be his daughter Indira Gandhi, it was eventually Lal Bahadur Shastri who became India's second prime minister.
This the most poignant and seems to bear the collective weight of Indian history. It is completely silent as we see visitors arriving to pay homage to Nehru and disparate scenes from his funeral at India Gate.