Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, popularly known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, played a key role in India's freedom movement. Sardar Patel passed away in 1950 in Mumbai (then Bombay) on December 15.

Popularly called as the ‘Iron Man of India’, Patel was a lawyer by profession who grew up to become the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was also the founding father of the Republic of India. In 2014, the government declared his birthday, October 31, as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day).