The popularity of former Kerala Chief Minister and Congress leader Oommen Chandy was evident as thousands in tears waited for hours on the roads to pay their last respects to Chandy on Wednesday.
The body of Chandy, who died on Tuesday, was taken to his hometown Kottayam from Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday morning.
Owing to the huge crowd, the funeral procession could move only at a very slow pace. The procession that began from Thiruvananthapuram by around 7 am was scheduled to reach Kottayam by afternoon covering around 140 kilometres. But by evening it covered only around 70 kilometres and reached Kottarakkara in Kollam district.
People thronged on either side of the stretch in large numbers much ahead of the scheduled arrival of the funeral procession. The procession had to be stopped at most junctions for people to get a last glimpse of the popular leader.
Elaborate arrangements have been made at Thirunakkara ground in Kottayam town where the body will be placed for the public to pay homage. It would be taken to his home at Puthuppally in the district on Thursday morning.
No official honours
As per Chandy's wish there will not be any official honours during the funeral to be performed at St George Orthodox Church at Puthuppally on Thursday afternoon. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to attend the funeral.
A special tomb is prepared at the church, close to the tombs of priests, for Chandy. Though there is a burial vault for Chandy's family in the church's cemetery, the church authorities decided to prepare a special tomb for Chandy close to those of the priests as a mark of respect to him.