Dras War Memorial, Jammu And Kashmir

Located in Kargil, the Dras War Memorial is built by the Indian Army in memory of the soldiers and officers who lost their lives during the Kargil war in 1999. Also known as Vijaypath, it is built of pink sandstone and has an epitaph dedicated to the valiant soldiers. The main highlight here is the pink sandstone wall engraved with the names of the soldiers who died fighting for the country.

There is a gallery named "Manoj Pandey Gallery" which showcases the photographs taken during that time, weapons and artillery discovered during the war. Located on the National Highway 1D it is often visited by people on the way from Srinagar to Leh. Each year on 26 July, Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated at Dras War Memorial to pay tribute to those soldiers.

History

From 8th May 1999 to 5th July 1999, the infamous Kargil War between India and Pakistan took place after the Pakistani troops intruded for about 4 to 10 km into the Indian territory. The Indian Army gave a fitting reply to the intruders and after several days of battle, India declared a momentous victory on the battlefield on 26th July 1999.
To commemorate the success of Operation Vijay during the 1999 Indo-Pak war and to pay homage to the brave martyrs who shed their lives for the nation, the historic monument, Drass War Memorial was built in Drass at the foothills of the Tololing Hill. 26th July is celebrated as Kargil Diwas every year.

Inside the Memorial

Visitors to the memorial are greeted at the gateway which has the poem "Pushp Kii Abhilasha (Wish of a Flower) written by the poet, Makhanlal Chaturvedi. There is a MIG plane and few other cannons and army vehicles kept on display on the way from the entrance to the memorial. Inside the memorial at the center is the Amar Jawan Flame that is kept lit 24 *7.
Just above the flame is the tower bearing the words “Op Vijaypath” over which the Indian Tricolor Flag flutters high. Behind it is the Memorial Wall which has the names of all the martyrs who lost their lives in the Kargil war. Beside the Memorial Wall is the special war gallery named after Captain Manoj Pandey. The gallery features the photographs and seized Pakistani weapons from the war featured here gives an insight into the actual war happenings.
The war museum inside the memorial features army emblems, war document archives, and miniatures of Himalayan mountain ranges. On the other side of the War Museum is the memorial ground where the jawans are put to rest in peace. An elegy written by Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan found at the memorial moves everyone to tears.
The sight of this place stirs one’s heart filling it with extreme patriotism and gratitude for the army men. The cafeteria inside the war memorial is run by army men and serves tea and samosas. Then, there is also a souvenir shop selling hats, T-Shirts, coffee mugs, etc., to freeze your moments this exceptional visit. The sound and light show and a video documentary screened for about 15 minutes at the memorial is a must-watch that explains the happenings of the war.