KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala was cremated with state honours, according to the Hindu tradition at Pashupati Aryaghat on Wednesday.

Koirala's nephews Atul Koirala and Sudhamshu Koirala lit the funeral pyre.

A troop of Nepali Police provided a guard of honour at Pashupati Aryaghat when his funeral pyre was lit.

Likewise, a Nepal Army troop offered a 13-cannon salute in his honour.

The body was kept at the Dasharath Stadium for final tributes before it was taken to Aryaghat for the last rites.

Thousands of NC sympathisers and general public thronged the Pashupati Aryaghat to pay homage to leader Koirala.

Acting President of the NC Ram Chandra Paudel, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar, former Prime Ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal and Pushpa Kamal Dahal and leaders of other political parties were present at Aryaghat during the last rites.

The government has declared a public holiday today to mourn the death of Koirala.

Koirala had died of cardiac arrest after suffering from pneumonia in the wee hours of Tuesday. He was 76.

He served as Nepal’s 37th Prime Minister from February 2014 to October 2015.

Koirala was elected as the Nepali Congress President in September 2010.

Electronic crematorium not used

Meanwhile, the plan to cremate the deceased leader at the newly launched electronic crematorium at Pashupati Aryaghat was cancelled.

According to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti, the plan was called off the family wished to cremate him on a traditional funeral pyre as per the Hindu tradition.

Earlier, the Nepali Congress had decided to use electronic crematorium for final rites of its President.