The immersion yesterday at Thirunavaya was in accordance with Hindu rites with a local temple priest performing the rituals at the initiative of Staal's admirers.
He had desired that his ashes be immersed in the Bharathapuzha river, considered holy by Keralites.
A Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and South Asian languages at the University of California, Staal (81) died at Chiangamai in Thailand on February 19.
The Dutch-American scholar had close association with Kerala and its culture and had filmed the 12-day 'Athirathram Yagna' (Vedic Yagna), centuries old tradition, conducted in the state in 1975.
A frequent visitor to India, Staal had also conducted extensive research into Vedic philosophy, Sanskrit language and grammar and Hindu traditions while authoring many articles and books on Vedic rituals.
