On the morning of 29 July, Dr. Kalam’s body, wrapped in the Indian flag, was taken to Palam Air Base and flown to Madurai in an air force C-130J aircraft, arriving at Madurai Airport that afternoon. His body was received at the airport by the three service chiefs and national and state dignitaries, including many cabinet ministers and the governors of Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya.
After a short ceremony, Dr. Kalam’s body was carried by an Air Force helicopter to the town of Mandapam, from where it was taken to his hometown of Rameswaram on an army truck. After arriving at Rameswaram, his body was displayed in an open area near the local bus station to allow the public to pay their homage until 8 p.m. that evening.
On 30 July 2015, the former president was laid to rest at Rameswaram’s Pei Karumbu Ground accompanied by full state honours. Over 350,000 people attended the last rites. Dignitaries like the prime minister, the governor of Tamil Nadu and the chief ministers of Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh attended his funeral.
Picture Credit : Google
