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Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Kazan during the 16th BRICS summit in 2024.
Iranian President Masoud Pazhakian has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the state funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in an Israel-America attack on February 28. After this, his funeral was to take place on March 4 but it was postponed due to the war.
Now it will start from 4th July. His body will be kept for last rites at the Grand Mosallah complex in Tehran. After this, he will be buried at Imam Reza Dargah in Mashhad on 9th July.
Officials expect around 20 million people to attend funerals in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad.
A chair and a photograph of him were displayed near the office of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran.
Suspense on Modi’s visit to Iran
Iran has sent invitations to many countries of the world for the funeral ceremony. Especially neighboring and friendly countries have been invited to participate in it.
At present it is not clear whether Prime Minister Modi will attend Khamenei’s funeral or not. The Government of India has not yet made any official announcement in this regard. In such a situation, it is not yet clear who will participate in this ceremony from India’s side.
Even after the death of Iran’s then President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May 2024, India had sent a high-level delegation to Tehran.
At that time the Government of India had declared a day of national mourning. The then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar had reached Tehran leading the Indian delegation and attended the funeral ceremony.
Why will Khamenei be buried in Mashhad?
Khamenei’s main funeral ceremony will take place in Tehran, which is expected to last at least 24 hours. The body will then be taken to the religious city of Qum and then to Mashhad, where it will be buried in the shrine complex of Imam Reza.
Mashhad is the second largest city of Iran. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country and is considered the most prominent religious center of Shia Muslims.
The biggest identity of the city is the Dargah of Imam Reza. Imam Raza was the eighth Imam of the Shia Muslim tradition. His Dargah is included among the largest religious places in the world, where crores of devotees come every year for darshan.
Khamenei’s burial in Mashhad will further cement his name among the ranks of Shia Islam’s most respected religious leaders.
Mashhad is the second largest city of Iran. There is the Dargah of Imam Raza here.
IRGC has the responsibility of Khamenei’s funeral
The delay in the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is considered unusual in terms of Islamic tradition. Generally in Islam a person is buried within a day or two of death. However, according to Iranian officials, the funeral was delayed due to expectations of a large crowd and war conditions.
Mohammad Ali Tavakkolizadeh, deputy head of social and cultural affairs at Tehran Municipal Corporation, informed about the preparations for the funeral. He told state television that a three-day public funeral would be held for Khamenei.
The official did not say when the funeral would take place, but said it could take place at the beginning of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, which falls around June 21. The responsibility of organizing the entire program rests with IRGC.
1 crore people gathered at Khomeini’s funeral
Nearly 10 million people attended the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic in Iran. This was approximately one-sixth of the total population of Iran at that time.
This program is still counted among the largest funerals in the world. Such a huge crowd had gathered that a stampede broke out. At least 8 people were killed and thousands were injured.
This time the officials are trying to handle an even bigger crowd and avoid any accident. But organizing such a big event in a country that is recovering from the effects of war is being considered a big challenge.
Funeral of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on June 6, 1989. A crowd of mourners is trying to touch his body.
Khamenei was killed in US-Israel attacks
America and Israel started a major military operation against Iran on 28 February. During this period, airstrikes were carried out on many strategic targets including Tehran. The home and office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were also targeted in the attacks.
Khamenei was present in the bunker, but was seriously injured by continuous missile and drone attacks. Iranian security sources later confirmed his death. Along with Khamenei, several senior Iranian military and security officials were also killed in the attacks.
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