India's booming salute for fallen soldiers

In the heart of the beautiful city of Jammu, perched on a small hill, stands a majestic war memorial.

Balidhan Sthamb or the Tower of Sacrifice silently grieves for the fallen soldiers and paramilitary troopers who died to preserve and protect an undivided India.

The 60-metre imposing structure is built like a rifle, replete with a bayonet and a sling.

An eternal flame, the Amar Jyoti, burns brightly at the foot of the memorial, in honour of our brave martyrs.

Basking in the glow of the kaleidoscopic fountains, the memorial and the 21-acre garden surrounding it become a striking sight to behold.

The memorial was constructed by the Indian Army and was inaugurated on November 24, 2009.

Since Independence, this state has become an unwitting battleground every time India and Pakistan waged a war for the picturesque Kashmir valley.

The names of these brave men -- the martyrs of the Indo-Pakistan wars in 1965, 1971 and 1999 -- are etched in gold on the black granite of the memorial pillars.

The names of the soldiers are listed along with their regiment and the day they laid down their lives for the nation.

As I went through the names on the pillars, I realised that they represented every region of our vast nation.

These slain soldiers had fought a pitched battle against the enemy as an united force; they had died for the sake of an united India.

Here stood some pillars, devoid of the names of any fallen soldiers, and I prayed that they remain nameless forever.

At the end of the sprawling 21-acre garden, a short history of the wars India has fought so far is inked on a black granite wall.

Pakistan lost nearly 1,000 soldiers.

Along with the history of each battle fought in the state since 1947, the memorial wall also lists the names of the various battalions and the officers who led them.

For others like us, it is a pilgrimage to pay a silent tribute to these selfless men, to whom we owe a debt that we can never repay.