Kargil Vijay Diwas: Army plans 2-day celebrations starting Friday

Drass: The nation will pay homage to the brave officers and soldiers who laid down their lives while pushing back Pakistani intruders during the Kargil War in 1999.

On the occasion of 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas, three Union ministers including the minister of state for defence are scheduled to visit the Kargil War Memorial here on Friday and lay floral wreath as a tribute to the valiant soldiers as they fought a mix of Pakistani army and terrorists.

The Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed every year on July 26.

The Indian Army has planned a series of events on Friday and Saturday to commemorate the bravery and valour of officers and soldiers who took part in the two-month-long battle with Pakistanis.

After flag hoisting and interaction with the next of kin of the martyrs, there will be cultural performances including Yak dance.

Artists from various parts of the country will perform a national integration dance. There will be a rendition of patriotic songs before felicitation of the next of kin of the martyrs.

Then there will be Beating Retreat and a rendition of the national anthem to mark the closure of the formal celebrations.

The Kargil War Memorial has attracted a large number of tourists over the past two decades.

From a small compound which hosted the first anniversary for the martyrs in 2000, the memorial has come up as one of the best maintained memorials.

The busts of eight national heroes -- Major Rajesh Adhikari, Major P Acharya, Major Vivek Gupta, Captain Vikram Batra, Captain Anuj Nayyar, Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum, Captain Neikezhoue Kenguruse and Lieutenant Manoj Pandey -- line up the sides of 'Vijaypath' which leads to the memorial where the national tricolour flies high.

Captain Batra and Lieutenant Pandey were awarded Param Vir Chakra while the other six martyrs were awarded Mahavir Chakra.

The other "heroes" of the 1999 war -- the Bofors guns and QF 25-Pounder guns -- are also prominently displayed at the memorial, in recognition of the stellar role they played in targeting the enemy positions.