India was mourning the victims of a helicopter crash that killed 13 people including the country’s top military official, as their funerals got underway on Friday.
The remains of Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat arrived at his residence in the capital, Delhi, Friday, where top officials paid their last respects. Army personnel transported their bodies through the streets in a military vehicle draped in marigolds — the saffron color of the flowers is considered auspicious in India and symbolizes the sun. Home Minister Amit Shah paid tribute to Rawat and his wife at their home on Friday. He was seen laying a wreath by their coffins, and spoke to their mourning family. Citizens also lined up outside their home to offer their respects. Rawat’s remains will be cremated late Friday in the capital, New Delhi, with full military honors, according to the Indian Army. Rawat, his wife, and 11 other military personnel died when an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter crashed in the southern state of Tamil Nadu Wednesday.
