A student offers flowers to a portrait of former President APJ Abdul Kalam at a school in Lucknow on July 28. (Associated Press photo)
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam's body was brought to Delhi from Guwahati at about 12:15 pm. The three service chiefs were present at the airport to receive the body; Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive at the airport shortly.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's body will be taken from the airport to his residence at 10 Rajaji Marg, where people can pay homage to the People's President for two hours.
Last rites for Dr Kalam will be performed in his home town Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. The former President's body will be flown to Rameswaram early this evening.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned today after paying tribute to Dr Kalam. The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till July 30. The Union Cabinet will hold a special meeting in New Delhi today to condole Dr Kalam's death.
Dr Kalam, 83, died on Monday in Shillong, Meghalaya, after a massive cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management last evening.
The government has declared a seven-day national mourning as a mark of respect for Dr Kalam, a renowned missile scientist, who played a stellar role in advancing India's nuclear programme.
As the nation mourned his death, PM Modi said in his tribute, "My mind is filled with so many memories, so many interactions with him. Always marvelled at his intellect, learnt so much from him."
The casket carrying Dr Kalam's body was wrapped in the Tricolour and hymns played as it was carried to the aircraft in Guwahati.
Known as the Missile Man of India, Dr Kalam played a pivotal role in the Pokhran-II nuclear test in 1998.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and Bharat Ratna for his achievements.
Loved dearly by the young, he was nominated for the MTV Youth Icon of the Year award in 2003 and 2006, when he was in his 70s.
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