A small portion of the ashes of India’s independence leader, Mahatma Gandhi, have been scattered in the seas off the coast of South Africa.

The event took place on the 62nd anniversary of his death in 1948, and was carried out to highlight the political ties between the two countries. Around 200 people attended the Hindu ceremony near the city of Durban in KwaZulu Natal province.

After his death, Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were separated into a number of urns and sent around the world so followers could hold their own memorial ceremonies. One of these urns was delivered to a friend in South Africa, where he had lived as a young man. The friend preserved a very small portion as a memento. Following her death, the friend’s daughter decided to return the ashes to the Gandhi family.

Photo of one of the urns that contained Gandhi's ashes by ganullu (flickr)