A student holds a portrait of former Indian president A. P. J. Abdul Kalam during a candle light march in Mumbai on Tuesday.
IANS/New Delhi
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation on Tuesday in paying tributes to former president Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Thousands of people visited the 'Missile Man's' official residence to pay their last respects to the "people's president" who collapsed while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong on Monday evening.
The two houses of Parliament were adjourned for two days as a mark of respect to Dr Kalam as political parties gratefully recalled his contributions to the nation.
The union cabinet met in the morning to formally pay tributes to Dr Kalam who rose from humble beginnings to become one of India's leading scientists and later a popular president.
Dr Kalam's body, wrapped in the Indian tricolour, arrived just after midday Tuesday at the Palam technical area of Indira Gandhi International Airport in a special Indian Air Force plane.
After a ceremonial guard of honour at the airport in the presence of the three service chiefs, Dr Kalam's body was taken in an army vehicle to his official residence at 10 Rajaji Marg in central Delhi.
Thousands of people visited his residence to pay homage as cries of "Abdul Kalam amar rahe" and "Long live Abdul Kalam" rent the air.
The prime minister and the president went to the airport to pay tributes to the late leader. Other dignitaries present at the airport included Vice President Hamid Ansari, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Seven-day mourning
While the central government declared a seven-day mourning on Monday, the Goa government declared a seven-day mourning on Tuesday.
Modi, who addressed a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary party on Tuesday, paid glowing tributes to Dr Kalam and said India had lost a "ratna (jewel)".
Dr Kalam was president from 2002-2007 and assumed the highest office when BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was in power.
Modi said Dr Kalam was "rashtra ratna" (country's jewel) and his "personality was special".
"His life inspires us; it inspires the youth," Modi said.
The former president died on Monday evening in a private hospital in Shillong after he collapsed while delivering a lecture on 'Liveable Planet' to students of the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong.
Dr Kalam will be accorded a state funeral with full military honours at 11 am on Thursday at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. His family had wished that his last rites be performed in his hometown.
Born on October 15, 1931 at Rameswaram, Dr Kalam specialised in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology.
He was the recipient of many national and international awards, including honorary doctorates from 48 universities from India and abroad. He received the country's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, in 1997.
