General Bipin Rawat begins final journey, to be laid to rest with 17-gun salute

NEW DELHI: The late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat will be accorded the full military honour with a 17-gun salute as per laid down protocols on Friday. Post the playing of the 'Last Post' and 'Rouse' by the tri-services buglers, the funeral pyre will be lit by his family members.

General Bipin Rawat and 12 others lost life in a chopper crash on Wednesday. The MI 17 V5 helicopter had crashed in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor and his condition remains critical but stable.

A gun salute is a formal way to honour a dignitary and it varies as per the individual’s position, rank and hierarchy. It is performed by firing cannons or artillery. A 21-gun salute, the highest, is fired for heads of state and government. The number decreases with the rank of the recipient of the honour.

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In the morning on Friday, six officers (2 each from Army, Navy & Air Force) of the rank equivalent of Lieutenant General were the Pall (National Flag) Bearers. Wreaths were laid by visiting the dignitaries while the mortal remains were laid at the official residence of the CDS at 3 Kamraj Marg. Wreaths will also be laid at Brar Square Cremation Ground.

Later, from residence to the Brar Square Ceremonial, the battery of 2233 Field Regiment provided gun carriage. As many as 99 personnel from all ranks from the Army, Navy and Air force and 33 members of the tri-services band formed the front escort while 99 personnel from all ranks from the three Services acted as the Rear Escort.

A total of 800 service personnel will be in attendance for the military funeral of the CDS.

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The final rites of the CDS is being attended by friendly foreign military dignitaries and his coursemates. 

The dignitaries who have reached Delhi are General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Def Staff and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Admiral Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne (Retd), Former Chief of Defence Staff (his course mate at National Defence College and a dear friend), Brig Dorji Rinchen, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Royal Bhutan Army, Suprobal Janasewashree Lt Gen Bal Krishna Karki, Chief of General Staff (equivalent to Vice Chief of Army Staff), Nepali Army and Lt Gen Waker-UZ-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh.