Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the body of former President APJ Abdul Kalam at the Palam airport in Delhi a little afternoon on Tuesday.

A guard of honour by the three services was held at the airport. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the three service chiefs were also present at the airport, reports ndtv.com.

Abul Kalam's funeral will be held on Wednesday in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, where he was born.

The Indian government announced a seven-day state mourning in honour of former president; however, there will be no holiday.

‘As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, seven days of state mourning will be observed throughout India from 27 July 2015 to 2 August 2015, both days inclusive,’ an official statement said.

However, all central government offices will remain open and no holiday was declared.

During the period of state mourning, the national flag will fly at half-mast on all buildings throughout the country where it is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment.  

The former president died at about Indian time7.45pm in a private hospital in Shillong after he collapsed while delivering a lecture on ‘Liveable Planet’ to students of the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong.