
Undeterred by heavy rains, tens of thousands of people on Sunday lined a 15 kilometer route in Singapore to bid farewell to the founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, who will receive a state funeral in presence of a galaxy of dignitaries including PM Narendra Modi. 91-year-old Lee, the city-state's prime minister for 31 years and widely respected as the architect of Singapore's prosperity, died of severe pneumonia on March 23. Lee's coffin, draped in red-and-white Singapore flag and protected from the downpour by a glass casing, lay atop a ceremonial gun carriage that was being carried through the streets from parliament, where it was lying in state for the public to pay respects to the leader.