Nation remembers Nehru on 124th birth anniversary

The nation Thursday paid rich tributes to India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his 124th birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, among others, paid floral tributes to Nehru at Shantivan on the bank of Yamuna river, in the vicinity of Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi at Rajghat here.

A function was also organised at Parliament House, where leaders of various political parties offered prayers.

Several functions are being organised across the country to mark Nehru's birth anniversary, which is also celebrated as Children's Day, as he was very fond of children and worked passionately for their welfare.

He is fondly remembered as Chacha Nehru.

Nehru was born Nov 14, 1889, to Motilal Nehru and Swaroop Rani. He was the first prime minister of the Independent India and remained in office until his death in 1964.

The central government has also constituted a committee under the prime minister to lay down policies and guidelines for commemoration of the 125th birth anniversary of Nehru in 2014.