THE THAMES has become a holy river to Gravesend Sikhs, who are casting their loved ones' ashes into England's waters rather than taking them to India.

Ferry company City Cruises is even offering a special £50 trip on the Thames so Sikh families can cast the ashes into a river in accordance with their religion.

Traditionally, Sikh families who could afford it took the ashes to their most holy river, the Sersa, in the Punjab at a cost of around £700 per person.

But the alternative trip down the Thames is becoming more and more popular as just £50 allows up to 50 friends and relatives to pay their respects on a half-hour trip from Cherry Garden Pier.

City Cruises sales manager Ian Faris said: “This is a popular service where predominantly Asian families are taken to a quiet spot on the river to perform the final rites of passage for their loved ones.”

It is not new for Sikhs or Hindus who have a similar rite of passage to use the Thames as an alternative to a river in India.

And with the pressures of modern life eating away at people's free time, the numbers doing this are growing.

Gravesend Guru Nanak Durbar Gurdwara secretary Tarsem Singh Mahil said: “The ashes of the deceased should be disposed of in flowing water. If families cannot afford to go to India to do it then they will find a river here.”

He added: “There is nothing wrong with this.”

Technically, disposing of any waste into rivers is illegal but the Environment Agency, which looks after waterways in Britain, is turning a blind eye to the funerary ceremony.

Environment Agency officer Tessa van den Burghe said: “Strictly speaking it is not allowed as it is considered waste. But it is not a huge amount and we do not consider it a problem.”

There are between 8,000 and 10,000 Sikhs living in Gravesend, making up nearly 10 per cent of the population.

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