The BBC is reporting that some of George Harrison’s ashes were placed into the Ganges River on Monday during a private Hare Krishna service in Varanasi, India.  

The former Beatles guitarist  was a devoted follower of the Hare Krishna faith (a denomination of the Hindi religion). The Ganges River is sacred to the faith and his remains were released into the river during a Hare Krishna ritual.  More of his ashes will be laid to rest at holy sites in Allahabad and Brindavan, India. 

A public memorial was also held today at St. George’s Hall in Liverpool. 

There are reports that Harrison had completed recording as many as 25 new songs before his death. Details of the release of the new material are expected in the weeks to come. 

Here is what his fans and fellow musicians had to say about the “quiet” Beatle.  

"I am devastated and very, very sad. We knew he'd been ill for a long time. He was a lovely guy and a very brave man, and had a wonderful sense of humor. He is really just my baby brother. He will be missed sorely by all his friends and loved ones." - Paul McCartney
 
"George was a best friend of mine. I loved him very much and I will miss him greatly. Both Barbara (Ringo's wife) and I send our love and light to Olivia and Dhani(Harrison’s wife and daughter). We will miss George for his sense of love, his sense of music and his sense of laughter." - Ringo Starr 

"George was a wonderful musician and a fine human being. He was the baby of the Beatles, and unlike Paul and John, he had a hard time developing his songwriting talent and making his music alone. But he worked hard, and with enormous patience, building his music meticulously, and he eventually came to write one of the greatest love songs of all time -- 'Something.'" Beatle producer George Martin 

"George has given so much to us in his lifetime and continues to do so even after his passing, with his music, his wit, and his wisdom. His life was magical and we all felt we had shared a little bit of it by knowing him. Thank you George, it was grand knowing you." - Yoko Ono

"The music and the personalities of the band were the background of our lives. I think people will be very sad at his death. He was not only a great musician and artist, but he did an immense amount for charity as well, and so he will be very, very sadly missed by people right round the world." -- U.K. Prime Minster Tony Blair

"The Queen was saddened by the news of George Harrison's death." – Press Release from Buckingham Palace

"The world has lost a great spirit in George Harrison, a great musician, songwriter, and friend. He was an inspiration to me and I will miss him a great deal." - Michael Jackson

"I am very saddened by George's death and will miss him enormously. As a guitarist, he invented many classic lines that were much copied by others, and he wrote several very beautiful songs that we will always remember. He was a very complex character, both quiet and funny with a very sweet nature, but he also could be rather combative at times. He was the first musician I knew who developed a truly spiritual side, and he was generous with his time to both charity and to friends." - Mick Jagger 

"To me, George was, always will be, above all, a real gentle-man, in the full meaning of the word. We both felt we held similar positions in our respective bands, which formed a special knowing bond between us. Let's hope he's jamming with John." - Keith Richards 
 

"George was a giant, a great great soul with all of the humanity, all of the wit and humor, all of the wisdom, the spirituality, the common sense of a man and compassion for people. He inspired love and had the strength of a hundred men. He was like the sun, the flowers and the moon and we will miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him." 
– Bob Dylan 

"Although I never knew George Harrison personally, his passing is a great loss to anyone who loves music. George was always the quiet Beatle, but his notes will resonate and live on forever with great power and passion." – Santana

"He wasn't a reluctant Beatle. He knew that his place in popular culture was absolutely secure. He was very curmudgeonly about the fame thing. But he was very gentle.'' – Bob Geldof

"I think there is no way any band today can say they weren't inspired by the Beatles. For us, they were a couple of generations separated so the bands I looked up to were just hand-me-downs from the Beatles. When George Harrison died, it was a shock to all of us and definitely a big loss for rock and roll." 
–Mark Tremonti (Creed)

"In all the years I have known George, I found him to be an incredible human being. He was a strong but gentle man who always took the time to look you in the eye and give you a straight answer. I am sure he handled his transition with the same quiet dignity that he lived all of his life. He will certainly be missed, and his music will live on forever. My only regret about the situation, apart from my personal feelings toward him and his family, is wondering what other songs were in his mind that we will never get to hear." – Graham Nash 

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