People pay last respect to the mortal remains of legendary Indian pistol shooter and coach Jaspal Rana before his last rites, at his residence, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on Saturday, June 13. PTI
Shooting legend Jaspal Rana given emotional farewell in Varanasi
Jaspal Rana was accorded full state honours in Dehradun before his mortal remains were flown to Varanasi. He received the same honours upon arrival at Manikarnika Ghat, where his son Yuvraj performed the last rites
Varanasi/Dehradun, Jun 13 (PTI) Hundreds gathered in Varanasi with tearful eyes on Saturday to bid a final farewell to India's shooting legend Jaspal Rana, whose mortal remains were flown in by air ambulance from Dehradun, two days after he succumbed to cardiac complications.
Rana, 49, passed away on Thursday following a brief illness. Widely regarded as one of India's finest pistol shooters, he made a seamless transition to coaching and played a pivotal role in guiding Manu Bhaker to her historic twin bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
The shooting icon was accorded full state honours before his mortal remains were flown to Varanasi. He received the same honours upon arrival at Manikarnika Ghat, where his son Yuvraj performed the last rites in the presence of Rana's brother Subhash, other family members, members of the shooting fraternity, and people from all walks of life.
Among those present were BJP MLA Pankaj Singh, son of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP state minister Shankar Giri, and other party leaders and workers.
After being flown into Varanasi, Rana's mortal remains were taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, where tributes were paid and a ceremonial salute was accorded.
The body was kept at the airport's air cargo complex for public homage. The mortal remains were later taken by ambulance to Rajghat and then to Manikarnika Ghat via the court area for the last rites.
Earlier in the day, Rana's mortal remains were flown to Varanasi in an air ambulance. His body had been brought from Delhi to Dehradun on Friday evening and was kept at his residence on Saturday morning to allow the public to pay their last respects.
Before the final journey to Varanasi, he was accorded full state honours at his residence.
According to sources close to the family, Rana had deep faith in Lord Shiva and the river Ganga and had expressed a wish during his lifetime that his last rites be performed in Varanasi.
A multiple gold medallist at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, and recipient of the Arjuna Award and the Dronacharya Award, Rana was only weeks away from turning 50.
On Friday, Manu visited Rana's residence in Dehradun to pay her respects.
News of Rana's death cast a pall of gloom over the ongoing national shooting camp at the Maharana Pratap Sports College in Raipur, Dehradun. The scheduled trials on Friday were suspended as athletes struggled to come to terms with the loss. Several shooters rushed to Rana's residence to pay tribute soon after his body arrived in the city.
A steady stream of mourners continued to visit the residence until late Friday night. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also met the bereaved family and described Rana's death as an irreparable loss for both the state and the nation.
Dhami said Rana's achievements and indomitable spirit would continue to inspire generations of young athletes. Several public representatives, senior administrative officials, and sports personalities also visited the residence to pay their final respects.
On Saturday, Manu described the death of her mentor as an "irreparable loss".
In a brief two-word post in Hindi on social media, Manu shared photographs with Rana and wrote, "Apurniya Kshati" (irreparable loss), a simple yet poignant tribute to the coach who helped shape one of the most successful chapters of her career. PTI