An emotional moment for Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar

It was an emotional moment for Grammy award winner, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar who went to Varanasi on Tuesday to immerse the ashes of their father, sitar maestro Pt Ravi Shankar, who also hailed from the city. Being a closely guarded affair, only the close family members, that included Sukanya Shankar, wife of the late sitar maestro and Joe Wright, eminent filmmaker and husband of Anoushka, attended the rituals.
The entire family was putting up at a hotel at Shivala Ghat, and boarded a bajra (boat) in the morning and went to the middle of River Ganga near the Kedar Ghat. After chanting of the mantras, both Anoushka and Norah immersed the ashes with an emotional Sukanya looking on.
A source said, “The entire family was keen to come to Varanasi due to Panditji’s close association with the city. The maestro was born in the city and had spent his early life here.” Before the rituals, the family also went for an early morning boat ride to have a glimpse of the Subh-e-Banaras,” according to sources.
Though the family arrived on Monday evening they preferred to remain confined to the hotel room, away from the media glare, and did not venture out.