Martyrs' Day in Uttar Pradesh, India

Who is called martyr in India? Various dictionaries define 'martyr' as a person who voluntarily suffers death as penalty of refusing to renounce religion.

The birthday of Rani Lakshmibai, 19 November 1828, queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, is observed as Martyrs' Day in the region, and honours those who gave their lives in the rebellion of 1857, of which she was a leading figure.

Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi (19 November 1828 — 18 June 1858), was an Indian queen, the Maharani consort of the Maratha princely state of Jhansi from 1843 to 1853 as the wife of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao. She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and became a symbol of resistance to the British Raj for Indian nationalists.