Bhubaneswar, July 27: The state received the news of former President and 'Missile Man' APJ Abdul Kalam's death with a heavy heart.

The former President had over the years shared a close bond with the state, which hosted him a number of times.

Kalam, who was always open to interaction with youngsters, flew down to the state on several occasions to attend convocations and do what he loved most - deliver lectures and interact with students at a number of educational institutions.

Social worker Asit Kumar Behera, 26, recalled his first interaction with the former President. Behera had walked 10km to catch a glimpse of the 'Missile Man'.

"I was studying in Class VIII and he had come to Chandikhol to launch a tribal shelter. I was a big fan of him and requested my father to take me to the event. It was very crowded and I could not speak to him. But, that I could see that great man from so close gave me immense satisfaction," he said.

To fulfil his wish, Behera did not mind trekking all of 10km.

Not just students, even officials of the administration have always been in awe with him.

IAS officer Usha Padhee recently posted on Twitter a picture in which she posed with Kalam.

Recalling the moment, Padhee said: "He is an inspiration to one and all. It's a great loss to the nation."

One of his recent visits was to the Dalmia Vidya Mandir at Rajgangpur. This apart, he has delivered lectures at several premier institutes of the state, including KIIT, Xavier Institute of Management of Management, Bhubaneswar, and Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology.

KIIT chairman Achyuta Samant condoled his death and said his passing away was a great loss to the scientific community.

Ananta Prasad, 38-year-old communication officer, got an opportunity to meet him during a lecture at the Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar.

Reminiscing the experience Ananta, with tinge of sadness in his voice, said: "It was a great feeling to shake hands with him. He was so jovial and I gathered courage to tell him that you have set such a benchmark of being a President that no one would ever be able to reach."

Like Ananta, young Samarendra Patra met Kalam at his New Delhi residence in 2014. Kalam congratulated him for representing India at the 10th Youth for Human Rights International held in Brussels.

Mourning the death of the "most endearing President", he said: "There will never be a second Kalam in the world. His dedication to his work was incomparable. I consider the opportunity of meeting him as a lifetime experience to be cherished forever."