I-Day: Prez hosts 'At Home' function at Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday hosted an "At Home" function at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in Rashtrapati Bhavan on the 73rd Independence Day.

At the event, he interacted with the freedom fighters, who fought for our nation's independence.

He also met the heads of the Indian Armed Forces.

Earlier in the day, President Kovind paid tribute to the soldiers of Indian armed forces at the National war memorial, along with the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.

The Independence Day was celebrated with favour across the nation, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurling the national flag and addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in the morning.

In his over 90-minute speech, Modi touched the issue of "population explosion", talked of triple talaq legislation, targeted Pakistan on terrorism, among other things.

The prime minister exhorted people of the nation to work with dedication to create a new India, while also noting that the incremental progress was not enough to transform the country and there was a need for giant strides.

Modi announced a major reform concerning higher defence management with the creation of a new post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for better coordination among Army, Navy and the Air Force.

The grand day was also celebrated with enthusiasm across the various district of Jammu and Kashmir, whose special status was recently revoked and the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Amid the raging tension between India and Pakistan over the recent development in Jammu and Kashmir, thousands of people gathered on the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab and celebrated the day.

As the country also celebrated Raksha Bandhan, a festival that celebrates the bond between siblings, today, people tied rakhi on the wrist of the soldiers and thanked them for their service.