Marshal Arjan Singh accorded state funeral at Delhi's Brar Square - As it happened

New Delhi: Marshal of the Air Force, Arjan Singh, who passed away at the Army's Research and Referral Hospital on Saturday, was laid to rest with full state honours at Delhi's Brar Square where his last rites were performed on Monday. As a mark of respect to the departed son of the 'Mother India', the national flag will fly at half-mast in all government buildings in Delhi. Arjan Singh, the hero of the 1965 India-Pakistan war and the only Air Force officer to be promoted to five-star rank, died at the age of 98.

-Indian Army pays tributes to the departed IAF legend Arjan Singh.

भारतीय वायु सेना के मार्शल अर्जन सिंह को जनरल बिपिन रावत और समस्त रैंकों की ओर से भावपूर्ण श्रधांजलि। आप सर्वदा हमें प्रेरित करते रहेंगे। pic.twitter.com/VLLFCsebtF — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) September 16, 2017

-Arjan Singh, Marshal of Indian Air Force, laid to rest with full state honours. 

End of an Era- Last salute to the legend.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 18, 2017

-Fly past held, tributes being paid at last rites ceremony of Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh at Delhi's Brar Square.

Fly past held, tributes being paid at last rites ceremony of Marshal of the Air Force #ArjanSingh at Delhi's Brar Square. pic.twitter.com/fIYWf15TyM — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-17-gun salute for the late Marshal of Indian Air Force, Arjan Singh.

Gun salute & fly past held at last rites ceremony of Marshal of the Air Force #ArjanSingh at Delhi's Brar Square. pic.twitter.com/28xxEpOj4I — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-Last rites ceremony of Marshal of Air Force Arjan Singh continues at Delhi's Brar Square.

Last rites ceremony of Marshal of Air Force #ArjanSingh continues at Delhi's Brar Square. pic.twitter.com/VwyRTdNHQb — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-Manmohan Singh, LK Advani, Defence Miniister Nirmala Sitharaman and three service chiefs at last rites ceremony of Marshal of Air Force Arjan Singh.

Manmohan Singh, LK Advani, Defence Min Nirmala Sitharaman & three service chiefs at last rites ceremony of Marshal of Air Force #ArjanSingh pic.twitter.com/drHqelvomW — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-Former PM Manmohan Singh lays wreath and homage to MIAF Arjan Singh, at his last rites ceremony.

Delhi: Former PM Manmohan Singh lays wreath & pays tributes to Marshal of Air Force #ArjanSingh, at his last rites ceremony. pic.twitter.com/3ey5OXvy7Y — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-IAF Chief BS Dhanoa and Chief of Naval staff Sunil Lanba pay homage to Marshal of Air Force Arjan Singh.

Delhi: IAF Chief BS Dhanoa & Chief of Naval staff Sunil Lanba pay tributes at Marshal of Air Force #ArjanSingh's last rites ceremony. pic.twitter.com/wx8EaWrWdG — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lays wreath and pays tribute to Marshal of Air Force Arjan Singh at his last rites ceremony.

Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lays wreath & pays tributes to Marshal of Air Force #ArjanSingh, at his last rites ceremony. pic.twitter.com/BaF9lFotTJ — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-His last rites are being performed at the Brar Square.

Last rites ceremony of Marshal of Air Force #ArjanSingh underway at Delhi's Brar Square pic.twitter.com/T9cv4msPkz — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-According to ANI, the wreath laying ceremony will take place at 9:00 am.

-Earlier, the mortal remains of Marshal of Indian Air Force Arjan Singh were taken to the Brar Square in a gun carriage for the last rites ceremony from his residence 7A Kautilya Marg.

Delhi: Mortal remains of Marshal of Air Force #ArjanSingh being taken to Brar Square in a gun carriage for the last rites ceremony. pic.twitter.com/R9vwSMJkpC — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017

-The National Flag will fly half-mast on account of the nation mourning the death.

-Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had on Sunday stated that along with a state funeral and an appropriate gun salute, a Flypast may take place, depending on the weather conditions, to honour the contribution of the Air Force Marshal.

-Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited the residence of Arjan Singh to express his condolences to the family.

-The whole nation mourned the death of India's pride, who breathed his last on Saturday.

-He was admitted to Army's Research and Referral hospital on Saturday morning after he suffered a cardiac arrest, the Defence Ministry said.

-In praise of Arjan Singh, defence experts said that very few can equal him in stature and his contribution to the cause of the Defence force as well as the country. 

Marshal Arjan Singh (1919-2017): First Officer To Lead IAF In Conflict

Former Indian Air Force chief Arjan Singh, who passed away on September 16 after a massive cardiac arrest, had spearheaded the India-Pakistan War in 1965, making him the first officer to lead the IAF in a conflict. 

At the age of 44, Singh was appointed the Chief of Air Staff on August 1, 1964 and he held the post till July 15, 1969. 

After his retirement, he served as India's envoy to Switzerland and Kenya. He was also appointed Lt. governor of Delhi. He became the Marshal of Air Force in January 2002.

In 2016, IAF renamed its Panagarh airbase in West Bengal after Marshal Arjan Singh.

Singh, a Padma Vibhushan awardee, was born on April 15, 1919 in the then Punjab town of Lyallpur.

After the death of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in 2008, he became the only living Indian military officer with a five-star rank. Singh came from a family of military officers.

His father had served as ADC to a division commander, while his grandfather was in the Guides Cavalry. According to wikipedia, his great-grandfather was among the first two generations of the Guides Cavalry enlisted in 1854.

Singh was educated from the RAF College in Cranwell in 1938 and was commissioned as a pilot in December 1939. 

He had led the No. 1 Squadron of the IAF into combat during the Arakan Campaign in 1944. And the same year, he was awarded with the distinguished Flying Cross.

He was made the Air Chief Marshal from the rank of Chief of Air Staff in recognition of his contribution in the 1965 war.

He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1965 for distinguished service. He retired from service in 1970 at the age of 50.

After his retirement, he served as India's Ambassador to Switzerland and the Vatican. He was also appointed as the High Commissioner to Kenya in 1974. He also became the Lt. Governor of Delhi from Dec 1989 to Dec 1990.

With ANI inputs