PM Modi's Diwali celebrations at Chango village in Himachal Pradesh, 2016.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has his unique way of celebrating Diwali with the Indian Army soldiers since he took oath as the PM in 2014. Modi will celebrate Diwali with Army jawans in the forwarding area of the Nowshera sector in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri on Thursday (November 4), the government said.
Here's a look through the years of PM Modi's Diwali celebrations:
IN 2014
In his first year as the Prime Minister in the office, Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with soldiers in Siachen - the world's highest battleground. He shared sweets with what he called his 'family' during his unannounced trip to the extremely inhospitable terrain of the battleground.
IN 2015
Modi yet again reached Khasa, an army headquarters near Amritsar unannounced to celebrate Diwali with the jawans. The Prime Minister laid a wreath at the Dograi War Memorial and also penned his thoughts on the visitor's book. He later met the army jawans and greeted them on the eve of Diwali.
IN 2016
The Prime Minister had celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote area in Himachal Pradesh, close to the Chinese border. Modi also made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was “deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy”. The Prime Minister went up to the soldiers and locals holding a plate of sweets in the festivities.
IN 2017
PM Modi arrived impromptu again at Gurez and was there with the soldiers for two hours in the remote valley, which is close to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and has witnessed several gunfights with militants in the past few decades. Modi offered sweets and exchanged greetings with jawans.
IN 2018
The Prime Minister visited Kedarnath in Uttarakhand where he performed puja. From there, he headed straight to the Harsil station and spent time with the ITBP jawan. He exchanged Diwali wishes and sweets and thanked them for their service to the nation.
IN 2019
PM Modi paid his first visit to Rajouri after the center's move on article 370 to celebrate Diwali with the jawans. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat.
IN 2020
PM celebrated Diwali with soldiers and Border Security Force (BSF) jawans in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer. PM Modi's visit also comes a day after eleven people including five soldiers were killed in ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in several areas in north Jammu and Kashmir.
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