President Pranab Mukherjee pays tribute to Mandela. He says Indians stand by South Africans in their hour of bereavement. Mandela continued his non-violent struggle with dignity and pride, he says.

He reminded Indians of Mahatma Gandhi, and calls Mandela "a venerated elder, a great soul".

Mandela lived a life of sacrifice and privation, he says, as he pursued a seemingly impossible goal for his people. Indians have long admired him and all that he stood for, he says.