Manmohan Singh laid to rest with full State honours and 21-gun salute at Nigambodh Ghat

Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was laid to rest with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on December 28. The ceremony was attended by several high-ranking officials, including President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. The event also saw the presence of military leaders, including Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

As part of the state honours, a 21-gun salute was rendered at the cremation site. The salute, which involves the firing of blank rounds, is a traditional military tribute to heads of state and prominent figures. The ceremony also included the lowering of the national flag over Dr. Singh’s coffin, which was draped in the Tricolour. This tribute was followed by a formal procession before the cremation rituals began.

Sikh priests recited verses from the Gurbani as part of the religious rites, which were in line with the former prime minister’s Sikh faith. These religious rituals were performed alongside the final tributes by family members, with Dr. Singh's daughter lighting the funeral pyre, a significant part of the cremation ceremony. The traditional rites marked the end of the formal ceremonies.

The funeral ceremony at Nigambodh Ghat was attended by dignitaries from various political parties, reflecting the widespread respect Dr. Singh garnered throughout his career. Singh served as India’s 14th Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 and held the position of Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he was instrumental in liberalizing the Indian economy. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by significant economic growth, despite facing challenges in governance.