Hindus believe that on the 13th day after the passing away of a member of the family, last rites should be performed at a holy place when the departed member's ashes are scattered in a river.

'We are going to take out a mourning procession in Birtamod town first,' Rajbanshi said. 'After that, symbolic rites will be performed at the Biring river, following which those of us who attend the mourning will shave our heads off.'

According to Hindu rituals, men shave their heads as a token of grief and respect after the death of their parents and parent-like figures.

Gayatri Devi, who had a fairytale wedding to Sawai Man Singh, the then ruler of Jaipur, had planned to come to Nepal twice to attend the international Koch conference and learn more about the Rajbanshis in Nepal.

However, once she had to cancel her trip at the last moment due to illness and the second time, King Gyanendra's coup in Nepal made the three-time MP's visit inadvisable.

At the memorial meet Saturday, Phul Singh Rajbanshi, a social worker in his 60s who had visited her palace in Jaipur, paid her a rich tribute. He said the visit had enriched his knowledge of the clan's history.