His daughter Sujata, who also holds the portfolio of deputy prime minister and foreign minister, lit the funeral pyre. The atmosphere at the Aryaghat turned somber shortly after Sujata lit the pyre at 7:47 pm.[break]
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Speaker Subash Nembang, ministers, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Rastriya Janashakti Party Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Pashupati SJB Rana, among other leaders, paid floral tributes to Koirala.
Diplomats based in Kathmandu and Indian leaders D P Tripathi, Sita Ram Yechury and Raj Nath Singh also attended the funeral ceremony.
A sea of humanity thronged Aryaghat to attend the funeral. While tens of thousand people joined in the funeral procession, thousands gathered on either side of the road while the funeral procession was being led to Aryaghat.
The funeral procession that began at 3 pm from Dasharath Stadium at Tripureshwor took almost four hours to reach to Aryaghat.
Nepal Army personnel escorted the convoy carrying Koirala´s body with somber music. NC Acting President Sushil Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel stayed in the vehicle that escorted Koirala´s body.
Earlier, the body of Koirala was kept at Dasharath Stadium from 8 am to 3 pm where leaders, diplomats and tens of thousands of commoners paid their last tributes to the late leader.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal draped Koirala´s body with national flag while a contingent of Nepal Army offered him salute as a mark of state honor.
Earlier in the morning, Koirala´s body was aken to the party headquarters in Sanepa, where party leaders Sushil Koirala, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ram Chandra Poudel and Bimalendra Nidhi draped the body with the party´s flag.
Koirala´s body was kept at his daughter Sujata´s residence at Mandikhatar after he breathed his last at 12:10 pm on Saturday. He died of asthma and lung ailment.
An emergency cabinet meeting held on Saturday had announced public holiday on Sunday and three-day national mourning over Koirala´s death. Major thoroughfares in the capital city remained closed while only a few public vehicles plied the streets on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the following organizations have issued press released expressing condolences to the late leader:
1. Gas Dealer Federation
2. Federation of Contractors´ Associations of Nepal
3. Federal Democratic National Forum
4. Human Rights & Peace Society
5.Professional Legal Lekhapadi Association of Nepal
6. Nepal Foreign Trade Association
7. Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries
8. National Alliance for Human Rights and Social Justice
9. Himalayan Human Rights Monitors
10. Nepal Electrical Association
11. Nepal Film Producers Association
12. Kathmandu Electrical Association
13. Federation of Distributors´ Association of Nepal
14. Nepal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry
15. British Embassy, Kathmandu
16. Hindu Swayemshewak Sangh, Nepal
17. Democrat Professors´ Association, Nepal
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