PM Modi lays wreath at Arlington memorial

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid a wreath at the Arlington memorial here, where the bodies of American soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country have been laid down to rest.

Arlington National Cemetery, as it is officially known, is the final resting place of many of the US' greatest heroes, including more than 300,000 veterans of every American conflict, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq and Afghanistan, the US National Park Services website states.

"Since its founding in 1866, Arlington National Cemetery has provided a solemn place to reflect upon the sacrifices made by the men and women of the United States Armed Forces in the name of our country," the website reads.

Modi is the third Indian Prime Minister to visit the Arlington memorial after then prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949 and Indira Gandhi in 1966.

Modi arrived in the US on Monday afternoon on the fourth leg of a five-nation tour.