Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 9 (IANS): One of the country's tallest Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)leaders, ideologue, author and founder of Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram (BVK) P. Parameswaran breathed his last at his friend's residence in Kerala's Palakkad district on Saturday midnight, according to an RSS leader.

He was 93 and was resting at his friends place after undergoing an ayurveda treatment.

The last rites would be held at his home town at Muhama, in Alappuzha district, on Monday evening, after demands came that the body of the departed should be placed at the BVK, here, where he lived a major portion of his life.

Earlier it was fixed to have the last rites, Sunday evening.

Often referred to as Parameswarji, he was an excellent orator and began his career as a pracharak (organizer) of the RSS.

In 1957, he was entrusted with the task of building up the Bharatheeya Jan Sangh in Kerala and went on to be the vice president of the Jana Sangh.

After being jailed during the Emergency period, he moved from politics to areas of social thought and development and became director of the Deendayal Research Institute at New Delhi for four years.

In 1982, he returned to the state capital where he founded BVK.

He had very close links with top BJP leaders like L.K. Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi, who often called on him when they were in the state capital.

The country decorated him with Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan while condoling the death of the RSS veteran said he was one who lived immersed in the ideology he believed.