Arjan Singh state funeral: India bids goodbye to the only Marshal of IAF, hero of 1965 war

India on Monday bid farewell to its only Marshal of the Air Force, Arjan Singh, with a state funeral in New Delhi. A war hero and a legendary fighter, Singh was laid to rest with full military honours.

Arjan Singh -- a hero of the 1965 India-Pakistan war -- was part of an elite club of military men. Singh was among the only three men who have ever been elevated to a five-star rank.

The two other honoraries were KM Cariappa and Sam Manekshaw, both field marshals of the Indian Army.

Singh died on Saturday at 7.47 pm at the age of 98. Flags were at half-mast at all government buildings in New Delhi.

A gun carriage carried the mortal remains of the war hero from his residence to Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment.

On Sunday, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had paid their tributes to the military legend.

Reports state that PM Modi drove straight to Singh's residence in New Delhi after his return from a visit to Gujarat.

"My tributes to the brave soldier who had a fighter's qualities of valour and courtesy. His life was dedicated to Mother India," Modi wrote in his message in the condolence book at Singh's residence.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat described the five-star ranking officer as "a legend, an icon, a pilot-chief who led from the front and a philanthropist to the core".

Rawat also recalled Singh's contribution as the Air Chief during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, which was the first major battle of the Indian Air Force after independence.

The three service chiefs - Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, Naval chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat - too paid their respects.

"It was to his credit that despite initial setbacks, we were able to overcome and overwhelm the enemy and spoil their design to annex Jammu and Kashmir," Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said, according to PTI reports.