PM Narendra Modi Pays Tribute To Fallen Heroes At National War Memorial On 77th Republic Day

On this Special Report, India Today covers the solemn commencement of India's 77th Republic Day celebrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the tri-service chiefs, visited the National War Memorial to pay homage to the 25,942 soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation since 1947. Lieutenant General Sanjay Kulkarni (Retd) highlighted the significance of the memorial, stating, 'It took 10 years for India Gate to come up, 1921 to 1931. And it has about 30,000 names... and after that, there was a desire to have a war memorial. And it is actually fortified in 2019.' The programme details the architectural symbolism of the memorial, including the Amar Chakra and Tyag Chakra, where names are inscribed in golden letters on granite. The ceremony included a wreath-laying, an inter-service guard salute, and a two-minute silence before the Prime Minister signed the visitor's book, marking a poignant start to the national celebrations at Kartavya Path.