"I am deeply saddened at the passing away of His Holiness Moran Mar Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas, the patriarch of Antioch and all the East," Dikshit said in a message.
"I mourn the demise along with thousands of his devotees in our country and abroad. On behalf of the people of Kerala I convey my heartfelt condolence to the scores of his followers," she said
80-year-old Iwas, the 122nd Patriarch of Antioch and All East, died in Germany yesterday after prolonged illness.