Air at Madras Regimental Centre turned sombre and emotional as mortal remains of CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others were brought from Military Hospital in Wellington on Thursday morning.
13, including India's top general died after an IAF chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on Wednesday.
The caskets carrying remains of those killed in the crash were placed at the Centre for the military personnel and Tamil Nadu politicians to pay their last respects.
The bodies will be flown in to Delhi later in the day in a military plane.
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General Rawat will be cremated in Delhi Cantonment on Friday.
Those killed in the crash included Brig LS Lidder, the military adviser to the Chief of Defence Staff, and staff officer Lt Col Harjinder Singh.
The other personnel killed are Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, JWO Das, JWO Pradeep A, Havildar Satpal, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik Sai Teja.