New Delhi | President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday inaugurated a gallery -- Param Vir Dirgha -- at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, displaying national heroes who laid down their lives in the service of the motherland.

The gallery has the portraits of all 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees on display.

The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying the most exceptional acts of valour, courage, and self-sacrifice during war.

"The gallery aims to educate visitors about our national heroes who displayed dauntless resolve and unconquerable spirit in defending our nation. It is also an initiative to honour the memory of our bravehearts who have laid down their lives in the service of the motherland," a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The corridors where the Param Vir Dirgha has now been created, earlier displayed portraits of British Aides-de-camp (ADCs).

The initiative to display portraits of Indian national heroes marks a meaningful step toward shedding the colonial mindset and embracing, with pride, the richness of India's culture, heritage, and timeless traditions, the statement said.

The gallery was inaugurated by the President on the occasion of Vijay Diwas, which is celebrated on December 16 every year to honour the soldiers who fought in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which culminated in the surrender of Pakistan's Army. The historic victory of the country's armed forces led to the liberation of Bangladesh.