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American tourism pioneer who willed to be cremated in India

The ashes of an American pioneer of tourism and travel, and founder of Sita World Travel, will be immersed in India as per his wishes.

According to Sita World Travel (India), which functioned as a direct branch of the American organisation till 1963, Jack Dengler had willed that his body be cremated and part of the ashes be scattered in the Ganga river.

Dengler, who died at age 87 on September 4 at his ranch in Del Rio in Texas, founded Sita (Students International Travel Association) at the Columbia University in 1933. The main activity of the company then was to organise tours for American students across the Atlantic on board ships and mostly travel through Europe on bicycles. On board the ships and in Europe, the students were given lectures for which they received educational credits in the universities.

In the mid-fifties, Dengler enlarged his activities and started promoting regular tours to Europe and around the world. As part of this expansion drive, Sita Inc's first office was opened in Delhi in 1956 by Inder Sharma. In 1963, Sita India was converted to an Indian private limited company.

Dengler was not only a great pioneer in the field of tourism and travel, raising Sita to become one of the largest independent travel agencies worldwide, but was a writer, poet and a very good musician.

UNI