At Tehran's Azadi Square, Khamenei's ringed hand is new symbol of defiance

Towering over Tehran's iconic Azadi Square is a giant installation of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's symbolic ringed hand, a tribute that has quickly become the defining image of Iran's farewell to its former Supreme Leader.

In this exclusive ground report, India Today brings you visuals and first-hand accounts from the heart of Tehran, where millions have gathered for what Iranian authorities describe as the largest state funeral in the country's history.

Installed at Azadi Square, one of the most significant sites of Iran's Islamic Revolution, is the striking giant sculpture of a hand bearing Khamenei's distinctive ring—a symbol that supporters say became central to identifying him after the February 28 airstrike.

Built in just four days, the monument now reinforces what many have described as a message of resilience and national unity.

Iran is holding a week-long series of state funeral processions to honour its former Supreme Leader, whose death in an airstrike on February 28 ended his 36-year rule and marked a major escalation in the conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel.

On July 3, hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the route from Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla to Azadi Square as Khamenei's coffin was carried through the capital.

Waving Iranian flags, holding portraits of Khamenei and his son and successor Mojtaba, and chanting slogans, the mourners dressed in black and draped in the red, white and green colours of the Iranian flag, packed the streets in a display of public grief and support for the Islamic Republic.

Before the public procession, Khamenei's coffin was laid in state for senior Iranian leaders and foreign dignitaries. It was later placed on public display in a glass enclosure alongside the coffins of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter.

After a massive procession in central Tehran on Monday, Khamnei's remains will be taken to the seminary city of Qom, the centre of Iran's Shiite hierarchy, for ceremonies on Tuesday.

From there, it will be flown to Iraq for ceremonies in the two Shiite holy shrine cities of Najaf and Kerbala on Wednesday.

The remains will return to Iran on Thursday for another procession in Mashhad.

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