Indore: A pall of gloom fell over Rajgarh town as the mortal remains of Vishal and Gauri Soni, the couple who lost their lives in an accident in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, were brought home for their final journey on Saturday evening.Carried on a flower-decked tractor, the bodies of the couple were laid side by side on a raised platform fitted to the vehicle's carriage. Sitting beside them was their young son Parth and two daughters.As the funeral procession began from their home on Veer Savarkar Marg at around 5 pm, thousands of residents gathered along the route, paying their respects. The couple's children sat on either side, holding each other, as the crowd looked on.

Mourners filled the streets of Rajgarh, walking behind the tractor.Vishal Soni, 42, a jeweller, and his wife Gauri, 41, were returning from a pilgrimage to Kedarnath and were en-route to Badrinath when the tragedy struck on June 26. Their van, carrying 20 passengers, was hit from behind by a truck near Ghultir on the Badrinath highway. Due to the impact, the vehicle veered off the road and fell into the Alaknanda river.

Vishal's body was recovered soon after the accident while Gauri's body was found during a search operation.T

he couple had begun their journey on June 16, accompanied by their 10-year-old son Parth. Before departing, they had offered prayers at Pathwari Mata temple and instructed their daughters to take care of their grandmother during their absence. As fate would have it, it turned out to be their final farewell.All shops and businesses in Rajgarh were shut on Saturday. The trader community, shaken by the loss of one of their most respected members, stood in solidarity with the grieving family. The cremation took place at Mahi Muktidham in Sardarpur, attended by a sea of mourners from across the district. Administrative officials, including Sardarpur SDOP Vishwadeep Singh Parihar, Rajgarh police station in-charge Deepak Singh Chauhan, and Sardarpur police station in-charge Rohit Kachhawa, were also present, offering condolences and support to the family.Only Parth survived the accident—now left with two sisters and an aging grandmother as his immediate family.