Malayala Manorama Chief Editor and a media stalwart K M Mathew was laid to rest with full state honours here on Monday.
Head of Malankara Syrian Orthodox Baselius Marthoama Dydimos-I, senior prelates and priests conducted the funeral prayers held at the Puthenpally Church.
In a rare gesture to a media personality, the Left Democratic Front Government accorded full state honours at the funeral.
Members of the bereaved family, senior politicians and cultural leaders turned up to bid farewell to Mathew, who left deep imprints on the country's media scene for half-a-century.
Earlier in the day, people from all walks of life kept pouring in at his residence to pay homage to Mathew, who died yesterday aged 93.
The body was later kept at the headquarters of Malayala Manorama, which grew into a major institution under the stewardship of Mathew.
Mourners paid glowing tributes to Mathew, recalling his services to society and the vital role he played in infusing professionalism and technological upgradation to regional language journalism in the country.
As the funeral procession wound its way to the church, shops downed shutters as a mark of respect to Mathew, who was an inspiring presence in all cultural activities of Kottayam,known as "the town of letters" or "Akshara Nagari".
Besides heading Malyala Manorama, Mathew had served as Chairman of Press Trust of India and held key positions in important media-related organisations of the country.