Members of Navy Foundation Pune Chapter (NFPC) celebrated Navy Day on 04th December 2023 by hoisting the National flag on the revered mast at Sinhagarh Fort, Pune.
India celebrates Navy Day on 4 December every year to recognize the achievements and role of the Indian Navy in safeguarding the maritime interest of our country. 4th December was chosen as Navy Day, since on this day in 1971, during Operation Trident, the Indian Navy successfully carried out first strike on the Karachi harbour sinking Pakistani ships and neutralising hundreds of Pakistani Naval personnel.
India has a rich legacy of maritime forays from ancient times. It is during the regime of Chtrapati Shivaji Maharaj that the first formidable Naval fleet was raised to defend the maritime interest on the Western seaboard. He was the architect of most modern navy of its time, building potent warships and constructing various sea forts on the western frontier along the Konkan coast. In the backdrop of this legacy, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is considered the “Father of the Indian Navy.”
To commemorate the occasion, more than 80 Naval Veterans including their family members climbed the portals of Sinhgad Fort and trekked to the spot of the mast for Flag hoisting. This mast is said to be located, at the very place where Veer Suryaji Malsure the Brother of Veer Tanaji Malsure hoisted the Flag to signal the conquest of Kondhana Fort as it was known then.
Vice Admiral Jaywant Korde, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, IN (Retd), President, Navy Foundation Pune Chapter welcomed Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar AVSM NM, Commandant NDA the Chief Guest. Admiral Kochhar interacted with the veterans and hoisted the National flag jointly with oldest veteran Commander Rajeev Vaidya on the revered mast.
Commandant NDA highlighted the importance of Navy Day and complemented NFPC for this initiative and all those present for participating in such a large numbers. He acknowledged the contributions of Navy Veterans in building the most formidable Naval force in the region and conveyed his best wishes on the occasion of Navy Day.
Thereafter the veterans and families paid their obescience to Veer Tanaji Malsure at the Smarak before leaving the Sinhgad Fort.
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