Rich tributes were on Saturday paid to Mahatma Gandhi on his 135th birth anniversary, with President A P J Abdul Kalam, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leading the nation in paying homage to the Father of the Nation.
A number of other dignitaries, including United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Leader of the Oppositon L K Advani also offered floral tributes at Gandhi's 'samadhi' at the Raj Ghat in Delhi.
Union ministers Mani Shankar Aiyer, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Meira Kumar, Prem Kumar Gupta and Prithviraj Chauhan, Delhi Lt Governor B L Joshi, the prime minister Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur, eminent Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande, foreign diplomats and many school children also paid glowing tributes to the apostle of peace.
An inter-religious prayer meeting was held on the occasion at the Raj Ghat in which hymns from all major religions of the world and quotations of Gandhi were recited.
A 24-hour collective 'charka' spinning session has been organised to remember Gandhi's ideals.
At Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, people from all communities participated in the prayer meeting which began with Gandhiji's favourite hymn "Vaishnav Jan to.."
Asking people to imbibe Gandhian values, Gujarat Governor Nawalkishore Sharma said the society will be
immensely benefitted if his teachings were followed.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi launched a 10-day cleanliness drive in all municipal corporations and
municipalities on the occassion.
In Andhra Pradesh, 'Food Assurance Programme' aimed at providing 40 kg rice and Rs 100 per month to poor rural families in exchange of manual labour was launched.
Blood donation camps were held and padyatras by various organisations and political parties marked the day.
Orissa government launched a centrally-aided Rs 430 crore Tribal Empowerment and Livelihood Programme to benefit about 75,000 tribal families over a ten year period.
At Erode in Tamil Nadu, where a temple has been constructed for Gandhi, special prayers were offered.
The day was also observed as death anniversary of Gandhian K Kamraj, a former chief minister of the state, and mass feeding and distribution of books to students was organised.
In Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy flagged off a 'jyothi yatra', organised to spread Gandhian ideals of universal love, peace and non-violence.
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