MiG 29 Take-Offs, Patriotic Songs, Yoga: PM Modi's Diwali On-Board INS Vikrant

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a departure from earlier Diwalis where he spent time with the army in inhospitable zones, has spent the night on the naval carrier INS Vikrant, where he had an extensive set of engagements, including watching an air-power demonstration, a cultural program, and having an onboard yoga session.

Read: "Our Navy Guardian In Indian Ocean": PM Modi's Top Quotes To Navy On Diwali

The Prime Minister had discreetly left for Goa last evening, from where he boarded INS Vikrant -- the country's first indigenously built aircraft carrier -- which  was anchored off coast.

Later, he went to the Flightdeck, which was surrounded by the MiG 29K fighters. What came next was an Air Power Demo, and witnessing the take-offs and landings of the fighter jets from the short runway.

In the cultural programme that followed, officers and sailors presented patriotic songs, including one written by them to commemorate the success of Indian Armed Forces in Operation Sindoor. PM Modi, sources said, was deeply moved by this experience. 

Later in the evening, the Prime Minister had dinner with the extended family of naval personnel. 

This morning, he started the day with a yoga session on the deck of INS Vikrant. Then he witnessed a spectacular Steampast and Flypast, addressed the crew and distributed sweets. 

"Today is an amazing day. This scene is memorable. Today, on one side, I have the ocean, and on the other, I have the strength of the brave soldiers of Mother India," PM Modi told them.

"The night spent yesterday on INS Vikrant is hard to put into words," he added.

"Just a few months ago, we saw that Vikrant made Pakistan sleepless," he said, referring to Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7 in response to a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

Read: 'INS Vikrant Gave Sleepless Nights To Pak': PM Modi Celebrates Diwali With Navy

"I saw the immense energy and enthusiasm you all were filled with. When I saw you singing patriotic songs yesterday, and the way you described Operation Sindoor in your songs, no words can ever fully convey the experience that a jawan feels standing on a battlefield" the Prime Minister said.

Since he came to power in 2014, PM Modi has been visiting soldiers every Diwali. The sites included some of the most inhospitable zones -- from the icy heights of Kargil to the deserts of Jaisalmer.

Last year, he had spent Diwali at Lakki Nala in the Sir Creek area of Gujarat's Kutch with the personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF), Army, Navy, and Air Force.

In 2023, he had spent Diwali at Lepcha, Himachal Pradesh and the year before, in Kargil.