Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs' Day is celebrated every year on January 30 and March 23 to pay homage to the victims who fought for the freedom, glory, welfare and progress of India. Here are some inspirational quotes on martyrdom that will give you goosebumps.

martyrs' Day is observed annually by nations to give respect to the soldiers who lost their lives defending the sovereignty of the nation. In India Martyr's day is celebrated every year on January 30 and March 23 to pay homage to the victims who fought for the freedom, glory, welfare and progress of India.

On January 30, 1948, the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated at Gandhi Smriti in the Birla House during the evening prayers. So, the Government of India announced the day as Shaheed Diwas or Martyr's Day. In some parts of India March 23 is also celebrated as Martyr's Day because on this day three heroes of the nation were hanged to death by the British:

• Bhagat Singh
• Shivaram Rajguru
• Sukhdev Thapar

These young men of India took a different path from Bapu but it was all for the welfare of the country they loved. Bhagat Singh and his companions continue to be a source of inspiration for the young minds of India. Hence to pay homage to these three revolutionaries Martyr's Day is celebrated on 23rd March also.

Martyrs are symbols of leadership and heroism

There is no greater sacrifice known to man other than giving one's life in the defence of the nation. Here are some inspirational quotes on martyrdom that will give you goosebumps.

(Representational image)

MARTYRS' DAY, SHAHEED DIWAS 2020: SOME INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES ON MARTYRDOM

"Let us all be brave enough to die the death of a martyr, but let no one lust for martyrdom." -Mahatma Gandhi

"The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins." -Soren Kierkegaard

"A martyr can never cooperate with death, go to death in a way that they're not trying to escape." -Stanley Hauerwas

“The people who have really made history are the martyrs.” -Aleister Crowley

“It is the cause, not the death, that makes the martyr.” -Napoleon Bonaparte

Other than January 30 and March 23 Martyrs' Day or Shaheed Diwas is also celebrated on different days in different places:

• July 13 is celebrated as the Martyr's Day in Jammu and Kashmir to memorise the death of 22 people
• November 17th is celebrated as Martyr's Day in Odisha to observe the death anniversary of Lala Lajpat Ray
• November 19 is celebrated as Martyr's Day in the Jhansi. As, on 19th November, Rani Lakshmi Bai was born and sacrificed her life during the 1857 revolt.