Jyoti Basu's final journey

The city of Kolkata painted a somber picture on Tuesday as it bid farewell to the communist patriarch Jyoti Basu.

The hearse carrying Jyoti Basu's body reached 'Mohor Kunja' park from the state Assembly on Tuesday evening for a guard of honour. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and other dignitaries were present at the venue to pay their tributes.

Six pallbearers drawn from the three wings of the Defence forces took Jyoti Basu's body from the Assembly premises to a gun carriage for the last journey to 'Mohor Kunja'.

The pallbearers carried the body, draped in the national tri-colour, to the gun carriage at the north gate.

The body was placed on the gun-carriage draped with a red cloth and as it began moving soldiers with reversed arms marched beside it to the roll of drums.

CPM state secretary Biman Bose, state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, Kolkata Mayor Bikash Bhattacharya led lacs of mourners who followed the gun carriage.

From there, the convoy, carrying Jyoti Basu's body, will set out on its final journey to the SSKM hospital. There will be no funeral as Basu's body has been donated for medical research. Instead, it will be handed over to the state-run hospital.

Earlier in the day, a huge concourse of mourners filled the streets as the body of the Marxist legend was taken from the funeral parlour to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPM headquarters at 31 Alimuddin Street in a hearse bedecked with white flowers and red CPM flags.

CPM leaders like general secretary Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, Biman Bose and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya paid their last respects.

Members of Politburo as well as Central Committee paid floral homage and the characteristic 'red salaam' at the CPM Office as a mark of respect for the former Chief Minister.

Mourners paused a moment to give the clenched fist salute. Some offered flowers, while others placed garlands and wreaths on it.

Jyoti Basu's grand daughters and his son Chandan Basu's first wife were also present. Seen here is Basu's grandaughter with CPM Member Brinda Karat.

Basu's body was later taken to the Writers' Building - State Secretariat, in a hearse decorated in red with a large portrait of the veteran communist leader forming the backdrop, escorted by police motorcycles and jeeps.

At the Writers' Building, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Chief Secretary, Asok Mohan Chakraborty placed wreaths on Basu's body and paid their tributes.

From here, the convoy moved to the State Assembly where it was placed in a gun carriage and covered in the national flag.

A number of dignitaries and VIPs including former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chaterjee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and others queued up to pay homage to the iconic leader.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also paid her respects to the Communist legend. Basu was a close friend of Sheikh Hasina's father, Mujibur Rahman ,and she often turned to him for advice in the past.

BJP leader, LK Advani along with West Bengal Chief Minister, Budhadeb Bhattacharjee was present at the State Assembly to pay homage to Jyoti Basu.

Besides VIPs, the larger public also queued up outside the Assembly to pay their last respects to the leader.

Over 2,000 police personnel were deployed to manage the crowd as it thronged the Assembly. Multiple entry and exit points were made to manage the crowd.

The void that the iconic leader has left behind him would be difficult to fill. The world will remember the charismatic Indian Marxist for heading the most electorally successful Communist party for two decades.