Several Congress leaders on Sunday paid rich tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary, with the party hailing the country's first prime minister as a visionary who laid the foundations of modern India.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi offered floral tributes at Shanti Vana in New Delhi, while several party leaders paid glowing tributes on social media to the Congress stalwart.

Born in 1889, the Congress stalwart remains the country's longest serving prime minister.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi posted a quote of Nehru -- "What we need is a generation of peace" -- and said remembering India's first prime minister who greatly valued truth, unity and peace.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi pays tribute to Indias first prime minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary, at Shanti Van in New Delhi on Sunday. PTI photo

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid a tribute to Nehru and hailed the contribution of farmers, soldiers and labourers while remembering India's first prime minister.

The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala hailed Nehru's contribution and said he played a major role in making India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal paid a tribute to Nehru, saying, "We are the children of our Republic he cherished and nourished. He built institutions of the future. He celebrated diversity that is our strength."

"We should worry that what he stood for is slowly being demolished!" he said.

The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, paid rich tributes to Nehru.

"A hero of our freedom movement, a visionary who laid the foundations of modern India, a nationalist who stood fearlessly to protect India's interests, an inspirational human who transformed the thought of generations, Pandit Nehru was a true son of Bharat Mata," the party said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary. "Tributes to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Ji on his birth anniversary," Modi tweeted.