Former president of Nepali Congress (NC) and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was cremated with state honour at Pashupati Aryaghat Sunday evening.

His daughter, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala lighted the funeral pyre on Late Koirala’s body. Nepal Army offered the final tribute by playing the National Anthem before the cremation.

Koirala was cremated at the same place where Late where Late King Birendra Shah was cremated nine years ago. Thousands of people including political leaders from Nepal and India, diplomats, government officials and others attended the cremation function.

Security personnel had a hard time managing the security of Pashupati area due to the crowd.

An Indian delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and comprising External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna and Finance Minster Pranab Mukherjee and other political leaders also attended Koirala’s final rites at Pashupati Aryaghat.

Koirala was taken to Pashupati Aryaghat from Dashrath Stadium Sunday afternoon in procession participated by tens of thousands of people. Thousands others flanked the streets to pay their last homage to Koirala as the funeral procession passed through Sundhara, Ratnapark, Bagbazaar, Maitidevi, Old Baneshwor and Gaushala before reaching the Aryaghat.

Nepali Congress leaders Sushil Koirala, Ram Chandra Paudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba, aboard the same vehicle which was carrying Koirala’s body, waved at the waiting crowd.

Nepali Congress cadres chanted slogans for the party and the ongoing peace process during the procession.

Earlier, Koirala’s body was kept at Dashrath Stadium, Tripureshwar for last tribute Sunday afternoon. Nepal Army gave a 15-gun salute to Late Koirala from Tundikhel, an honour reserved for former head of the states. Koirala had briefly served as the Acting Head-of-State prior to election of the Constituent Assembly election in 2008.

Koirala passed away during Coma at his daughter Sujata Koirala’s residence in Mandikhatar, Saturday morning after falling sick for over a week.

The octogenarian leader had been suffering from various ailments including pulmonary and respiratory since a few years. His demise has created a confusion in Nepali politics that is going through a critical juncture.