Kutch: A memorial park dedicated to Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, is set to be developed near the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat’s Kutch district, as per the reports. The initiative, titled ‘Sindoor Van’, is being developed by the Gujarat government to honor the valor of the armed forces and the collective national unity that followed the operation.
In addition to honoring military efforts, Sindoor Van will also memorialize the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, including three from Gujarat. Visitors will encounter dioramas of military equipment and aircraft used during Operation Sindoor, alongside murals and dedicated zones for each wing of the armed forces.
Spanning eight hectares of forest department land in Mirzapar, along the Bhuj-Mandvi road, the site holds historical significance as the location where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the public during his first visit to Gujarat following the operation.
According to Kutch Collector Anand Patel, the project will serve as a tribute to the solidarity displayed by the Indian Army, Air Force, BSF, Navy, and civilians during the operation. The park will feature a theme-based layout, incorporating high-density plantations of trees, shrubs, and herbs, particularly those symbolically linked to the operation, including the ‘sindoor’ plant. The area will be transformed into a ‘van kavach’, or green shield, creating a micro-forest within an urban setting.
“This will take a form of a van kavach or a micro forest in an urban area with Sindoor plants dominantly planted as well as murals which will be developed in different sections like BSF, Army, Air Force, Navy,” said Sandeep Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests, Kutch Circle. The memorial park is expected to be completed within the next 18 months.