Page 112 - The English Carnival 7

forces, Manekshaw declined, magnanimously saying that the honour should go to his
army commander in the East, Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora.

For his distinguished service to the country, the President of India awarded Manekshaw
a Padma Vibhushan in 1972 and conferred upon him the rank of field marshal, a first,
on 1 January 1973. He became one of the only two army generals of independent India

to be awarded this prestigious rank; the other being Kodandera Madappa Cariappa
who was awarded in 1986. Manekshaw retired from active service a fortnight later on
15 January 1973 after a career of nearly four decades, and settled down with his wife
Silloo in Coonoor, the civilian town next to Wellington Military Cantonment where he
had served as commandant of the Defence Services Staff College, at an earlier time in his

career. Popular with Gurkha soldiers, Nepal fêted Manekshaw as an honorary general
of the Nepalese Army in 1972.

Manekshaw died at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, on, 27 June 2008
at the age of 94. Since then, 16 December is celebrated each year as “Vijay Diwas”
in memory of the victory achieved under Manekshaw’s leadership in 1971. A postage
stamp depicting Manekshaw in his field marshal’s uniform was released by President

Pratibha Patil.
An article by newspaper agency

Word Meanings

sumptuously in a luxurious or extravagant manner; with great expense and
opulence

tapestry a fabric woven with intricate designs, often used for wall hangings
or upholstery

armorial relating to coats of arms or heraldry, which involves the design
and arrangement of symbols on a shield or escutcheon

arabesque elaborate and intricate patterns or designs, often characterized by
flowing lines and floral motifs

vignette a brief, evocative description or illustration, often focusing on a
single aspect or moment

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