In February 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini set foot in Iran, a day that will be remembered in the history books of this nation. Months later he held a referendum and the Islamic Republic of Iran was born.

Imam Khomeini as he was called by the Iranian nation guided the country in the early years of the revolution and passed away almost a decade later.

That day Iranians all over the country came to Tehran’s main cemetery and mourned his loss, 25 years on still the tradition continues, I visited the mausoleum a day before the ceremony. I caught up with a different groups that had come here, the first was a group that was walking for days to reach the mausoleum. A student that had walked for days in the sun said “We’re a group from Babol city we’ve walked seven days to reach here to show our loyalty to Imam Khomeini and to make our vows to Ayatollah Khamenei, and to urge our youth to continue their route.” The head of their group talked their yearly pilgrimage, “Those who love Imam Khomeini in our city have decided to walk this route every year and have done it for the past 25 years, this is to make our vows to the ideals of the Islamic revolution in the Imam’s Mausoleum.”

I saw other groups on the way that had come with their motorbikes or bikes and had cycled hundreds of kilometers to pay their respects. A cyclist from Fasa said “We’ve cycled for 7 days and pedaled 150 kilometers a day towards Imam Khomeini’s shrine; this is the 15th year we’re doing this. Imam Khomeini was the great leader of our country, all our people owe a lot to him, the peace and security that we have today is because of him, and we should vow to continue his route.”

Many other groups are heading from all over Iran to mark this day, a man they believe reinvigorated their country. An elderly woman in a black chador that had taken part in the 1979 revolution said “Imam Khomeini brought this country back to life, if it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t have these days, with him all of Iran developed and excelled.” The mourning ceremony will be held on June 4th this year, an event where millions take part every year.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/06/03/365431/imam-pilgrims/