KOTTAYAM: The mortal remains of exponent of working class philosophy K M Mani received the last respect of his home town on Thursday.

The burial ceremony started 3pm at his Karingozhakkal house and by 4 pm the body took its last journey to Pala Cathedral cemetery, where he was laid to rest in his family tomb will full State honour.

The mourning procession that started Wednesday morning at around 10:15 am from Kochi Lakeshore hospital failed to reach his Pala home on expected time – 4 pm, as people thronged roads to catch a glimpse of Mani’s body.

Thus public exhibition of his body at Municipal Town hall was avoided. The body reached the house at 7:15 pm. By this time, tens of thousands of migrant farmers and farmers from Malabar stayed put on his house premises and on either side of the road extending from Kottaramattam to his house. People who reached his Pala house before Wednesday dawn stayed awake overnight to see his body.

People in throngs waited in several places to pay their last respect with folded hand, braving blistering sun. The mourning procession that started from Kochi took more than 20 hours to reach Pala.

As there were huge were crowds on road sides, it was difficult for vehicles and motorcades in the procession to ensure a smooth mobility and the police had to intervene to clear the path for the procession.

The procession passed through Thrippunithura, Poothotta, Vaikom, Thalayolaparambu, Kaduthuruthi and Etutmanoor and reached Thirunakkara Mannam memorial at 1 am.

This is where Kerala Congress took birth. Here Oommen Cahndy and Thiruanchoor Radhakrishnan received the body.

From there, the body was taken to Kerala Congress M State Committee office. There senior leader C F Thomas was present. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM leader V S Achuthanandan paid their last respect to Mani at Kaduthruthi

The last rites ceremony that took place in the house was headed by Pala bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangattu.

The rites in the church was led by Cardinal Cleemis Mar Baselios.