New Delhi, Nov 14 : The nation today paid homage to the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, on his 119th birth anniversary.

Because of Nehru''s affection for children, the day is also observed as Children''s Day.

In New Delhi, a function was organized in the central Hall of Parliament where leaders of various political parties offered floral tributes to him. Early in the morning an all religion prayer meeting was held at his Samadhi at Shanti Van.

Home Minster Shiv Raj Patil, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, Deputy Chairman, RS K Rehman Khan, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

A series of functions are being organized throughout the country to mark the occasion.

Celebrating Children''s Day is about giving children the right to enjoy and grow into healthy and educated citizens of the country.

A pivotal figure in the Indian independence movement, Nehru was born on November 14, 1889 in Allahabad.

He was also a key figure in international politics in the post-war period, and was one of the founding figures of the non-aligned movement.

Nehru graduated from Cambridge University, and returned to India in 1912. Popularly referred to as Panditji, Nehru was also a writer, scholar and amateur historian. The son of the wealthy Indian barrister and politician Motilal Nehru, Nehru had become one of the youngest leaders of the Indian National Congress.

He was jailed seven times. After independence, Nehru served as India''s first Prime Minister from August 1947 to May 1964. (ANI)