His great-granddaughter Neelam Parikh, 75, scattered some of his remaining ashes into the Arabian Sea near Mumbai in a symbolic gesture to heal an old family rift.
An inter-religious prayer meeting in honor of Ghandi was held in Mumbai, led by President Pratibha Patil and attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other top officials.
National authorities called on the population to refrain from drunkenness out of respect for Gandhi, also known as Mahatma or "Great Soul."
Gandhi led a non-violent movement in India for independence from Britain, which eventually let go of its colony in 1947.
He was shot dead by Hindu extremist Naduram Godse on January 30, 1948 in Delhi.
After his death, his ashes were distributed in urns to several towns and villages across India for memorial services. Those scattered on Wednesday are believed to be the last remaining ashes.
