PM Modi performed a puja on the bank of the Indus river during his visit to Ladakh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a Sindhu Darshan puja at Ladakh's Nimu on Friday, during a one-day visit to an Indian Army base in the union territory, days after 20 soldiers were killed in a violent face-off with the Chinese troops in the Galwan region.
The Sindhu Darshan festival is a three-day event celebrated in June every year on the day of the full moon. The festival recognises the Sindhu (Indus) river as a symbol of unity, peaceful co-existence and communal harmony.
PM Modi also visited the War Memorial's Hall of Fame to honour soldiers who had died for their country and the Army General Hospital to interact with those injured in the Galwan violence.
During his visit, seen as a response to increased Chinese aggression at the LAC (Line of Actual Control) since May, the Prime Minister, without naming China, said: "Age of expansionism is over, this is the age of development. History is witness that expansionist forces either lost or were forced to turn back."
Describing Indian soldiers as "braves of the soil", the Prime Minister also said the "weak can never accomplish peace, the brave do".
PM Modi also said India would not stop building roads and bridges in the border area, which is believed to have been the cause of China's aggression.
20 Indian soldiers were killed, including a Colonel, and 76 others injured after a violent fight with Chinese troops late on the night of June 15. Army sources said 45 Chinese also died in what was the first incident involving military casualties between the two nations since four Indian soldiers were killed in Arunachal Pradesh in 1975.
Since last month's violence, satellite images acquired by NDTV showed Chinese forces had intruded 423 metres into Indian territory.
In addition to a strong diplomatic position against China's actions, India has also responded by banning 59 Chinese-origin mobile phone apps, including video sharing platform TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is now anticipating a $6 billion loss.
Meanwhile, union ministers have also said India will no longer buy Chinese equipment for power stations and that Chinese construction firms will be barred from new road projects.
The Prime Minister's visit has also been seen as a strong riposte to the opposition Congress and other critics targeting the government over its handling of the China crisis.