Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who died at a hospital in Delhi on Thursday, was laid to rest with full state honours in his ancestral graveyard of Bijbehara town in Anantnag district.
The mortal remains of Sayeed reached his official residence on Gupkar Road in Srinagar amidst sloganeering by supporters and workers of the Peoples Democratic Party, which he founded in 1999.
Sayeed's coffin, draped in the National Tricolour and Red-and-White flag of JK, was later taken from his official residence to the ancestral graveyard in Anantnag.
Close relatives and senior PDP leaders were among those who had a final glimpse of Sayeed's body before it was given a customary ablution as per Islamic rites necessary before burial.
The 'Namaaz-e-Janazah' (funeral prayers) of the departed leader was offered in the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium at Sonawar, in which thousands of the mourners took part.
PDP workers had assembled from the length and breadth of the Kashmir valley to pay their last respect to the two-time chief minister.
Former chief ministers of the state -- Omar Abdullah and hulam Nabi Azad -- were among those who attended the funeral prayers which were led by Sayeed's trusted aide, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar.
Sayeed was given full state honours after the funeral prayers-- a 21-gun salute -- and a police band played the ceremonial Last Post for the deceased chief minister.
The coffin, in a decked up police vehicle, was later taken in the form of a procession of vehicles to the ancestral town of Bijbehara of the PDP founder.
Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Sayeed's son Mufti Tassaduq carried his coffin on their shoulders before it was laid to rest.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and state Governor N N Vohra were among those who visited the bereaved family at its Gupkar residence to offer condolences.
All photographs: PTI
