Burials or cremations of former chief ministers of the state are usually held with full state honours after the performance of religious rituals, if any. In 2010, Congress stalwart and four-time Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran was cremated with full state honours. While there were no religious rituals performed before the cremation of Communist Chief Ministers like EMS Namboodiripad and E K Nayanar, who died in 1998 and 2004, respectively, they were accorded full state honours.