The Kargil War Memorial stands at Dras, in the Kargil district of Ladakh, beside the Srinagar–Leh highway. It was built by the Indian Army to honour the soldiers who laid down their lives in the Kargil War of 1999.
The memorial sits at the foot of the Tololing heights — within sight of the very ridgelines on which the battles of Operation Vijay were fought. At its heart burns an eternal flame, and a wall of pink sandstone is engraved with the names of the fallen.
It is a place of remembrance and gratitude, visited each year by veterans, families and citizens who come to pay their respects to the bravehearts of Kargil.
History of the Memorial
In the summer of 1999, intruders crossed the Line of Control and occupied unmanned heights overlooking the Srinagar–Leh highway in the Kargil sector. The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Vijay to clear the intrusion.
Across the heights of Drass, Mushkoh, Kaksar and Batalik, soldiers fought their way up steep, exposed slopes at extreme altitude, often into the face of entrenched defenders. By 26 July 1999 the intrusion had been cleared and the heights restored — a day now observed every year as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
The victory came at a heavy cost. The Kargil War Memorial was built by the Indian Army at Dras to honour the soldiers who fell, and to preserve the memory of their courage for the generations that followed.
Our Purpose
The memorial exists to remember — to ensure that the soldiers who gave their lives in the Kargil War are never forgotten, and that the true price of the nation’s security is understood.
It stands as a place of tribute for the families of the fallen, a site of reflection for veterans, and a living lesson for the young who visit. Honouring courage and remembering sacrifice is the trust this memorial keeps.
What You Will See
The Eternal Flame & Roll of Honour
An eternal flame burns in remembrance, beside a wall of pink sandstone engraved with the names of the soldiers who fell during the Kargil War.
The Memorial Museum
Galleries of photographs, documents, personal effects and records that tell the story of Operation Vijay and the soldiers who fought it.
Captured Arms & Equipment
Weapons and equipment from the conflict are displayed at the memorial, giving visitors a tangible sense of the battle that was fought here.
Views of the Battle Heights
The memorial faces the Tololing and Tiger Hill ridgelines — the actual features recaptured during the war — visible from the grounds.
When you stand before the Roll of Honour, you stand before names that belong to sons, husbands, fathers and comrades. They climbed the heights so that the nation below might live in peace. We remember them.