New Delhi, Jul 30 (NDTV): The People's President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, will be buried today at Rameswaram, the town in Tamil Nadu where he was born. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the funeral, which will be held at 11 am.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu are already in Rameswaram.

Dr Kalam's body was taken to Rameswaram on Wednesday and hundreds of people have poured into the town to pay their last respects. Posters of Dr Kalam lined the roads from Madurai to Rameswaram.

Students from a local engineering college volunteered yesterday to manage the crowds who lined up to pay tribute to the much loved former President.

"I am a big fan of Dr Kalam. He was a very real youth hero," said a young student in Rameswaram who has come for the funeral.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to attend the last rites today, but Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has sent word that she is unwell and so cannot attend. Seven Tamil Nadu ministers will stand in for her today, the state government has said.

All rooms at major hotels in Rameswaram are booked for two days.

Dr Kalam, 83, had died on Monday in Shillong. He suffered a massive cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management. He was 83.

The nation has been in mourning since Monday. In Delhi, thousands waited for hours in sultry heat to pay their last respects to Dr Kalam.

The government has declared national mourning for seven days.

Known as the Missile Man of India, Dr Kalam played a pivotal role in the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and India's highest civilian honour - the Bharat Ratna - for his achievements.