Kargil Vijay Diwas: Mandaviya, Seth lay wreaths at Kargil War Memorial

Long before sunrise painted the barren ridges of the Himalayas gold, grieving families and steely‑eyed veterans filed silently through the gates of the Kargil War Memorial. By the time the first bugle call pierced the mountain air at 6 a.m., a wave of emotion was already washing over Drass.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth placed wreaths at the eternal flame, their salutes mirrored by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta. Moments later, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and a phalanx of top commanders marched forward to honour the 545 soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the 1999 conflict.

As the Last Post echoed, a trio of Army helicopters roared overhead, releasing a blizzard of rose petals that drifted onto upturned faces below. Mothers clutched fading photographs; children reached skyward, trying to catch the petals mid‑air. Many in the crowd whispered silent prayers of gratitude to the men who fought across the jagged peaks of Drass, Kargil and Batalik.

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This year marks the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas, commemorating Operation Vijay, the audacious counter‑assault that drove Pakistani infiltrators from strategic heights and restored India’s territorial integrity. Today’s program featured battlefield documentaries, a rousing pipe‑band display and an interactive exhibit where visitors penned messages for serving troops.

“Our soldiers turned impossible terrain into a theatre of victory,” Mandaviya told reporters. “Their courage is the compass guiding India’s future.”

By late morning, the wreaths formed a colourful rampart around the memorial’s marble slabs. Yet the most indelible tribute was etched in the hushed determination of every visitor: to remember, to honour and—above all—to ensure that the flames of sacrifice never flicker out.

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