It is here that various dignitaries from Cabinet ministers to the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, three of his predecessors (Atal Bihari Vajpayee is away in Bangalore to attend RSS leader H V Seshadri's funeral as is L K Advani, leader of the Opposition), the Lok Sabha Speaker, Sonia Gandhi and others head as they make way from Rashtrapati Bhavan where they presumably have had a cosy cuppa with President Kalam.

One man stands resplendent in the Indian Air Force's blue uniform in the enclosure, and it is to him that guests from the three service chiefs (all of who to me appear like little boys keen to make an impression) and the prime minister gravitate to.

Arjan Singh is the only Marshal the Indian Air Force has ever had. Like Field Marshal S H F J Manekshaw, he is an officer of five star rank. India has had only three five star rank officers -- the late Field Marshal K M Cariappa being the other -- all legendary soldiers who never retire from service.

Even though he led the IAF during the India-Pakistan war 40 years ago next month, Marshal Arjan Singh retains his military bearing, standing tall and erect. The only sign of his age -- he must be touching 90 -- is the slightly unsure way he signs an autograph for me, smiling benevolently as I mention that I want to shake the hand of a legend.

As a couple of IAF officers listen carefully, the Marshal informs my senior colleague Sheela Bhatt how he and another war hero Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora visited Rashtrapati Bhavan in early November 1984 to appraise then President Giani Zail Singh about the anti-Sikh carnage in New Delhi and elsewhere. The Giani chose not to meet his fellow Sikhs in his office, because he believed it was bugged by the Congress government. The meeting took place in the corridor.

The Marshal's comment is particularly interesting because it reveals that the Giani's relations with Indira Gandhi or people close to her and her son Rajiv were not as good as it was then supposed to be. Of course, the Giani and Rajiv fell out famously in 1986-1987 when the then prime minister suspected the then President of trying to overthrow him.

Chief of the Army Staff General J J Singh watches the Supreme Commander of the armed forces greet Air Marshal Arjan Singh and Mrs Singh