Late Maharaja Mahvendra Shah's funeral held

Dehradun, Jan 7 (UNI) The mortal remains of Tehri Maharaja Manvendra Shah, BJP MP, were today consigned to flames at the Kailash Ganga Ghat, Muni ki Reti, in Rishikesh with full state honours.

Tika Majuvendra Shah, son of the late MP, lit the pyre amidst a Guard of Honour by the Uttarakhand Police.

Royal families and people from various parts of the country paid their respects to the late leader whose body was kept in his palace at Narendra Nagar.

People in Tehri gathered in large numbers to pay their last respects to the leader whose funeral procession began at Narendranagar and reached Kailash Ganga Ghat.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari, State Congress Chief Harish Rawat, BJP National President Rajnath Singh, Uttarakhand in charge Ravishankar Prasad, BJP State Chief Bhagat Singh Koshyari, MP Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri and other BJP and Congress leaders were present at his funeral.

Earlier, a coronation ceremony of his son Majuvendra Shah was held at the Narendranaghar Palace. Princess Ratna Singh crowned the Prince.

Manvendra Shah was born on May 26, 1921 to Maharaja Narendra Shah and Indumati Shah and was crowned on October 25, 1946 at the age of 25. He ruled Tehri for three years till 1949.

He was wedded to Suraj Kunwar, daughter of Maharaja Prithvi Singh of Baswada in Rajasthan on February 4, 1937.

He was elected as a Member of Parliament eight times--in 1957, 1962, 1967, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.

UNI