By Devjyot Ghoshal and Matthias Williams NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Described as a "reluctant king" in his first stint as prime minister, the soft-spoken Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday at the age of 92,

The 92-year-old Singh, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, passed away on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tribute, had called Singh one of India's "most distinguished leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his respects to the former prime minister on Friday (December 27) as the country began a seven-day period of mourning for its “reluctant king”, a title the soft-spoken Singh earned during his first stint as the country's leader.

Ahead of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's last rites, prominent leaders and Congress party members have started arriving at the Congress headquarters to pay their respects. Singh, who passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday night,