Remembering martyr Bhagat Singh: Lesser known facts about the iconic revolutionary

A few little-known facts about the legendary revolutionary Bhagat Singh on his 114th birth anniversary.

Bhagat Singh was born on 28 September, 1907 in Lyallpur district of Punjab in present-day Pakistan. The Marxist- socialist revolutionary, who was martyred for the cause of independence at the young age of 23, continues to inspire youngsters even today. He 

Bhagat Singh was a versatile actor, who was well known for his stage performances during his college days. Rana Pratap and Chandragupta Maurya were the most popular characters he essayed. (Photo | EPS)

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was an incident that had a huge impact on Bhagat Singh's life. A twelve-year-old Bhagat Singh went to the site of the shooting and collected some soil that was soaked in the blood of victims, in a vessel. He vowed that day to fight the British for his country's freedom. (Photo | Facebook/Jaiveer Shergill)

The young boy wanted to grow guns in his family field instead of crops. He used to say it was easier to fight the colonialists if he could cultivate guns. (Photo | Facebook/Haroon Kavanoor)

Bhagat Singh was not only a voracious reader, but a brilliant writer too. He used to write for newspapers of his time. He wrote pamphlets from prison, and one such pamphlet, which was smuggled out, 'Why I Am An Atheist' is popularly regarded as the best example for his intellectual quality. (Photo | Facebook/My India)

He fled his house upon learning that his family is looking for a bride for him. Disinterested in settling down, Bhagat fled to Kanpur and left a note behind that read 'My life has been dedicated to the noblest cause, that of the freedom of the country. Therefore, there is no rest or worldly desire that can lure me now.' (Photo | AFP)

Bhagat Singh was hanged an hour ahead of when the sentence was supposed to be carried out. His body was not returned to his family, but secretly cremated somewhere on the banks of river Sutlej instead. (EPS | S Vijayakrishna)