JOIN USPatil, Singh and Sonia attended the event hosted by Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma at his official residence. They were joined by Vice President M Hamid Ansari, Defence Minister A K Antony and Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju.
From the Services, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, Western Air Command Chief Air Marshal N A K Browne, Army Vice Chief Lt Gen A S Lamba and Coast Guard Director General Vice Admiral Anil Chopra were present on the occasion.
Former Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor, whose name figured among the flat allottees in the controversial Adarsh Housing Society in the upscale Colaba area of Mumbai, was also there along with his spouse.
There were senior diplomatic corps members from foreign embassies in Delhi in attendance too.
Patil, soon after arrival, went around the sprawling lawns of Navy House, where the reception was hosted, to mingle with the guests, and so did Gandhi.
The Navy Day is observed every year on December 4 to mark the naval operations during the 1971 Indo-Pak war when the Navy executed 'Operation Trident' by attacking Pakistan Navy's home port Karachi.
Earlier in the day, Verma, Naik and Lamba laid a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate to pay homage to the martyrs of all wars and operations Indian armed forces have fought.
Army Chief General V K Singh could not attend the events as he was away in Pilani, Rajasthan, for an official engagement.