Harrison fans gather in Liverpool

Liverpool mourns the loss of a favourite son

More than 1,000 people gathered in Liverpool city centre to pay tribute to former Beatle George Harrison at a vigil.

Fans, friends and family of the musician braved the cold to observe a minute's silence held on the plateau outside St George's Hall, in Lime Street.

High winds prevented a fully candlelit memorial, but Liverpudlians held up pictures of Harrison, who lost his battle against cancer on Thursday.

His loss will be deeply felt but his vision will live on

Gerry Scott,
Liverpool's Lord Mayor

Harrison's family plan to add the ashes of the former Beatle to the sacred River Ganges in India following a private ceremony, a spokesman for the Hare Krishna movement has said.

It is likely to coincide with the one-minute meditation in memory of the musician requested by his family, at 1.30pm Pacific Standard Time (2130 GMT).

At Strawberry Fields, in Central Park, in New York, more than 200 people gathered to take part in the meditation and afterwards sang songs.

One participant said: "The world is emptier without him. It is a big loss."

At the end of the minute's silence in Liverpool held three hours earlier at 1830 GMT, the crowds clapped along to Harrison's hit My Sweet Lord.

They then broke into spontaneous cheering and applause for one of the city's favourite sons.

Alison Hogg, 20, reflects

Liverpool's Lord Mayor Gerry Scott told the crowd: "Tonight we are gathered here in memory of George Harrison, a true son of Liverpool, whose music reached out to the whole world and shaped a generation.

"George was a truly gifted musician. But he was much more than that.

"His ideals and his love of peace inspired countless thousands.

"His loss will be deeply felt but his vision will live on."

Private ceremony

Mahamantra Das, New Delhi spokesman for the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, said some of Harrison's ashes would be left at two other holy sites, in Allahabad and Brindavan, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Harrison donated a temple to the Hare Krishna

According to the tenets of Hare Krishna, the Hindu sect to which the guitarist adhered, the movement of the ashes in the river is symbolic of the soul's journey towards eternal consciousness.

Harrison's widow, Olivia and son, Dhani, wished to make the visit to India and the ceremony, at the holy city of Varanasi very private, Mr Das said, adding: "They don't want to disclose their identities."

Hare Krishna members around the world had been praying for the musician's soul, he said. "Harrison was our dear devotee."

In a statement, family friend Gavin de Becker, said Olivia and Dhani were "deeply touched by the outpouring of love and compassion from people around the world".

"The profound beauty of the moment of George's passing - of his awakening from this dream - was no surprise to those of us who knew how he longed to be with God.

"In that pursuit, he was relentless.

Olivia Harrison has asked fans to join in the meditation

"Olivia and Dhani invite you to join them in a minute of meditation in honour of George's journey, wherever you are on Monday," Mr de Becker added.

Liverpool's children also paid tribute when pupils from his old school planted a tree in the city's peace garden.

Children from Dovedale Junior School, along with Lord Mayor of Liverpool Gerry Scott planted it behind the famous St George's Hall at 1730 GMT.

A memorial in the city is to be planned for a later date agreed with the musician's family.

'£200m fortune'

Harrison, 58, was cremated in a cardboard coffin without a ceremony just hours after his death in the manner dictated by his faith.

His wife and son were given the ashes after the service, which cost less than £350.

According to reports, the musician left the bulk of his "almost £200m fortune" to his wife and son.

The New York Post said that Harrison also gave up to 10% to the Hare Krishna faith and that "several million" pounds would be left to unnamed international and British-based charities.