To commemorate the decisive and historic victory of the Indian Armed Forces over the Pakistan Army in December 1971 and to pay homage to the Swarnim Vijay Mashaal (Victory Flame), a solemn Wreath Laying Ceremony was held at ‘Dhruva Shaheed Smarak’ at Headquarters Northern Command in the Udhampur Military Station on Monday.

Lt General YK Joshi, Army Commander, Northern Command, laid the wreath to honour the Swarnim Vijay Mashaal lit in remembrance of the valiant soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service of our nation. The event was attended by Veterans, NCC Cadets and senior Army officers of Udhampur Military Station.

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The Swarnim Vijay Mashaal had arrived at Udhampur on 13 June from Nagrota and was received with full ceremonial honours. The Victory Flame was then escorted to the local unit quarter guard.

On 14 June after the customary ‘Last mile run’ the Victory Flame was handed over to the Station Commander, Udhampur Military Garrison who placed the Victory Flame at Dhruva War Memorial. The wreath-laying was thereafter carried out by JCOs and Veterans followed by Wreath Laying by the Army Commander, Northern Command.

On culmination of the Wreath Laying Ceremony, the Swarnim Vijay Mashaal was further handed over to the Counter Insurgency Force (Delta) where it will be taken to various units to commemorate the unforgettable victory of 1971.

The year 2021 has been named “Swarnim Vijay Varsh” by the government of India and the Nation started the celebrations of the 50 years of the Indo-Pak War which had resulted in the largest military surrender after World War II. The inaugural event was held at the National War Memorial (NWM) in New Delhi on 16 December 2020 where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff and Tri-Services Chiefs laid a wreath and paid homage to the fallen soldiers.

Modi lit the ‘Swarnim Vijay Mashaal’ from the eternal flame of NWM on the occasion. Four Victory Mashaals (flames) lit from the Eternal Flame of NWM were then carried to various parts of the country including to villages of Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra Awardees of the 1971 War. Soil from the villages of these Awardees and from areas where major battles were fought in 1971 is being brought to the NWM.