Kargil War Memorial: Visit to Pay Respect to the Kargil Heroes

The victorious pride of 'Operation Vijay' resonates throughout the country, where our soldiers laid down their lives to win the war against Pakistan. And, to commemorate the win, July 26 is celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas to rekindle the courage of the army personnel who took part in the operation. The day is an ode to the Indian Army, which captured the mountain heights taken over by the Pakistani Army on July 26, 1999. Every year on this day, the Prime Minister visits the Kargil Memorial to pay respects to the martyrs. This morning, as part of the ritual, PM Narendra Modi visited the memorial to honour the soldiers, acknowledging that the country can never forget those who laid down their lives in the war.

The conflict began in the winter of 1998-1999 when the Pakistani Army crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and occupied the roads connecting Leh and Kargil to Srinagar. They also captured numerous heights along the National Highway. However, the war saw the Indian Army gaining control of the territory back. Among those who lost their lives were Captain Vikram Batra, who received the Param Vir Chakra; Captain Vijyant Thapar; and Captain Anuj Nayyar, who was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. A total of 527 Indian soldiers lost their lives in what is considered one of the most difficult wars fought by the Indian Army. The Drass War Memorial is a monument dedicated to all the brave soldiers who fought in the war.

Popularly known as the Kargil War Memorial, this monument in Kargil commemorates the success of Operation Vijay. Dedicated to all the martyrs, the memorial is located in the Drass village of Kargil district. The current form of the memorial was constructed in November 2014. It was developed by the troops of the 108 Engineer Regiment and was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The construction of the memorial was completed in November 2014. 

Drass remains an important site, having witnessed some of the heaviest fighting during the Kargil War. The Indian Army launched Operation Vijay from Drass, and the area also witnessed fierce battles at Tiger Hill, Tololing, and other points. Hence, Drass served as the launchpad for the entire war, which the Indian Army won against the Pakistani militants.

The Kargil War Memorial is made of pink sandstone and features an epitaph dedicated to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives. The sandstone bears a brass plate with the names of the soldiers who attained martyrdom during Operation Vijay. The memorial features a four-tiered structure, with each tier dedicated to a different aspect of the war.

The first tier is dedicated to the soldiers who died in the war and features a large black marble wall with the names of the fallen soldiers engraved on it. The second tier is dedicated to the equipment and weapons used in the war. It also features a number of tanks, artillery pieces, and other military vehicles. The third tier is dedicated to the coverage of the war in the media and features a gallery with photographs and news articles from the conflict. The fourth tier is dedicated to the spirit of the Indian Army and features a statue of a soldier guarding the valley.

The memorial is also notable for several features, such as being built in the shape of a five-pointed star, which represents the five Indian Army regiments that fought in the Kargil War. The black granite used in the memorial symbolizes strength and resilience. The memorial is surrounded by a garden featuring trees and flowers from different regions of India.

For Travellers

The Kargil War Memorial, overlooking the Drass Valley, also houses a museum that includes Army emblems, archives of war documents, and miniatures of the Himalayan mountain range. Located by the side of the main highway that goes from Srinagar to Leh, the memorial is also a top attraction and free to visit for tourists who come to Ladakh.

The memorial features a special war gallery that is named after Captain Manoj Pandey. Featuring photographs and seized Pakistani weapons from the war, this gallery vividly illustrates the conflict and provides visitors with an in-depth view of the Indian soldiers' experiences. At the entrance, visitors can find the elegy written by Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

Along with the names on the memorial, the visitors can also see some of the major sequences of events that became part of the war. Visitors can also watch a documentary that describes the entire war and major events in detail. Additionally, the memorial includes a mosque and a temple, located on the second tier, which symbolises the secular nature of the Indian Army.

Following this is a memento shop here that sells items like t-shirts, coffee mugs, and hats. From here, one can also get the views of Tololing Heights, Tiger Hill and Point 4875 (Batra Top); all of which were important and conflict sites during the war. Travellers can also see murals and paintings that depict battlefield scenes, located on the third tier. An eternal flame burns at the top of the memorial, aiming to give a tribute to the martyrs.

The preferable time for travellers to visit this memorial is the summer months between April to June due to the climatic conditions. While the monsoon months amount to cloudbursts and landslides here, the winter months observe the temperature going down as much as -42 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the roads are also closed for the commutation during these months. 

Years later, when the soldiers from the Kargil War might have been just part of history pages, this memorial has kept their names alive. One must not forget to take a tour of this historically important place in the history of India.