Solapur (Maharashtra), Dec 1 (IANS) Major Kunal M. Gosavi, who was killed in Tuesday's brutal terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated with full military honours at his native village Wakhri here on Thursday.
Major Gosavi, 32, of Pandharpur in Solapur and Lance-Naik Sambhaji Y. Kadam, 35, of Jana village in Nanded, were among seven Indian soldiers killed in the terror strike that morning.
Major Gosavi is survived by his wife, parents and four-year-old daughter Umang, who lit his funeral pyre.
Over 50,000 people from Pandharpur and neighbouring towns turned up for the funeral along with army officers and jawans, representatives of the state government, legislators, district police officers and local social groups.
Cries hailing the martyrdom as 'Major Kunal Gosavi Amar Rahe' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' rent the air as the funeral cortege was brought to an open public ground in the village on Thursday afternoon.
Maj Gosavi had come home for a month's vacation and left to join duty last Saturday. He was seen off at Pune by his mother Vrunda Gosavi who later stayed back with her elder son.
Early on Tuesday morning Major Gosavi was sleeping at his home in Jammu when the terrorists struck.
Born in Wakhri village near the the world famous temple town of Pandharpur in March 1983, Gosavi was educated here. He graduated from the Brihan Maharashtra Commerce College (BMCC).
