New Delhi [India], July 10 (ANI): Cultural Counsellor at the Iran Embassy in India F Faridasr on Friday expressed gratitude towards India for its support during the funeral ceremony of slain former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a show of 'our centuries-old civilizational relationship with India.'

Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Syed Ata Hasnain represented India as they attended the funeral ceremony of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 this year.

Speaking with ANI, the counsellor highlighted the participation of an Indian delegation and the public during the week-long ceremonies, and thanked the nation for standing 'with us in this hour of grief.'

'From day one when the announcement was made of the martyrdom, India--especially the public--stood with us in this hour of grief. That was extraordinary and it clearly shows how we have been neighbors and how a neighbor behaves with a neighbor, which of course stems from a civilizational relationship,' he said.

While appreciating the participation of the Indian delegation, he hailed the involvement of the Indian public, noting that people from all cultural backgrounds and religions voluntarily attended the ceremony and shared the grief as much as the Iranians.

'India has shown that. In these final rituals, you saw that the Government of India sent a delegation, which was the government's role, but besides that, the public participation from India's side was on a very large scale. There were leaders of different cultural backgrounds and religions--Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains--who managed to go there voluntarily apart from the official delegation,' he stated.

'This whole series shows our centuries-old civilizational relationship with India. We felt that the people there looked exactly as grieved as we were. At times, the Indian people seemed even more grieved than us,' he added.

Further responding to the massive footfall during Khamenei's funeral ceremonies, Faridasr said that while the response was anticipated, the large turnout of people from across the world made the event 'historical and extraordinary.'

He affirmed that through the week-long farewell, a tribute was paid to the slain former Supreme Leader and a message was sent to the world that 'a person can be so great that even when he is no longer in the world.'

'We were anticipating that there would be this kind of warm response, particularly from the Iranian people and Iraqis as well, and throughout the world where people participated and came from. As the whole world saw the way people joined in the final rituals and the funeral, that itself is a very historical and extraordinary moment,' he said.

'Regarding that, we can say that during this whole funeral, however much content has reached you through the media or whatever visuals you are seeing, it is not as if it was pre-planned. Whatever it is, it is feelings coming out from the depths of people's hearts being captured on camera. So it was a very true kind of process that the whole world witnessed. What more could be done for that martyred leader than to pay homage in his final rituals in such a way? The message went to the whole world that a person can be so great that even when he is no longer in the world, he still rules over the hearts of millions,' he added.

His remarks come as Former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad earlier today as thousands of supporters gathered to pay their final farewells, Press TV reported.

The final burial took place at the Dar al-Dhikr prayer hall after his coffin was carried around the tomb of Imam Reza as part of the funeral rites. The funeral prayers were led by his eldest son, Seyyed Mostafa Khamenei, who performed the ritual prayers over the body.

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Khamenei's body had to be transported by air to the holy shrine due to the massive crowds packed between the Danesh intersection and the Imam Reza Shrine.

State media aired visuals showing vast crowds of mourners lining the funeral route in Mashhad and surrounding the convoy carrying the former Supreme Leader's body to bid their final farewells. (ANI)