Vajpayee's funeral at Smriti Sthal on Friday

After the people pay their homage for an hour on Friday morning, the late prime minister's body will be taken to the BJP headquarters where it will lie in state before the funeral.

The last rites of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will take place at 4 pm on Friday, August 17, at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in New Delhi.

The late prime minister's body has been kept at his official residence, 6A, Krishna Menon Marg.

Indians can pay homage to the departed leader at his home from 7.30 am to 8.30 am on Friday.

The body will then be taken to the BJP headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg at around 9 am.

The funeral procession will leave the BJP headquarters at 1 pm and the last rites will be performed at 4 pm.

A State funeral will be accorded to Mr Vajpayee and a half day holiday will be observed in all central government offices on Friday.

A seven-day State mourning has been announced by the government as a mark of respect to Mr Vajpayee.

The national flag will be flown at half mast from Thursday for seven days across the country.

Smriti Sthal is a common memorial site that was proposed following concerns over shrinking land resources in the capital.

The last rites will be performed on an elevated platform which is surrounded by greenery.

Smriti Sthal is located between Jawaharlal Nehru's memorial Shanti Van and Lal Bahadur Shastri's memorial Vijay Ghat.

Former prime minister I K Gujral was also cremated at the Smriti Sthal on the banks of the Yamuna in December 2012.