Laungewala War Memorial is the place of the historic ‘Battle of Laungewala’ in 1971 fought between Pakistan and India. Laungewala War Museum was established to honor the bravery and sacrifices of the soldiers of the Indian Army. It was inaugurated and opened for public viewing on 24 August 2015, on the Golden Jubilee of the India-Pakistan war in 1965.
The battle was immortalized in the super hit Bollywood movie “Border”(1997). A Laungewala War Memorial has been built right on the place where the battle took place, to commemorate the gallant victory and is maintained by the Indian Army. The Longewala War Memorial is located at a distance of 30 km from Ramgarh, in the district of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
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Battle of Laungewala
The Battle of Laungewala was one of the major battles fought in the western sector at the time of the India-Pakistan War of 1971. On the intervening night of 4th and 5th December 1971, a huge Pakistani column consisting of 4000 soldiers, T-59, Sherman Tanks, and a medium artillery battery attacked the Laungewala border post held by 120 soldiers of the 23 Punjab Regiment led by now Retd. Brigadier (then Major) Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri. His character was portrayed by Bollywood actor Sunny Deol in ‘Border’.
What happened next has gone down in annals of history as a moral boosting historic victory, when 120 Indian soldiers gallantly held on to the post till the support of Indian Air Force jets arrived in the morning. On the morning of 5th Dec 1971, the Hunter aircraft of 122 Squadron based at Jaisalmer Air Force Station wreaked havoc on the Pakistani troops with their devastating firepower. The Hunters’ fighter jets flew 18 sorties from their base, and in the process killed 200 Pakistani soldiers, and destroyed over 100 vehicles, and 36 enemy tanks.
War Memorial
Tourists wanting to visit the Longewala War Memorial needs to go first go to Tanot village and from their head towards Ramgarh for a total distance of 121 km for a nearly 2-hour drive on the National Highway 11. After that, tourists need to go to Longewala via Sadhewala for a 52km over 1-hour ride. Tourists can return via Ramgarh to Jaisalmer for a 124 km, 2-hour journey. Laungewala War Memorial opens from 12:00 Noon to 11:59 PM night only two days a week i.e. Saturday and Sunday. Laungewala war memorial is located 124 km away from Jaisalmer via the town of Ramgarh. Entry into the Laungewala War Memorial is free of cost.
Tourists visiting Laungewala War Memorial can get complete knowledge about the history of the Laungewala Battle. There are bunkers, trenches, tunnels as well as destroyed and captured tanks and several other vehicles of the Pakistan Army kept as a war trophies. There are also on display the ammunition used, and uniforms of soldiers. The museum walls have names and pictures of martyrs who fearlessly fought on that fateful night of 4th and 5th December 1971 to protect India from the invading Pakistani Army.
The incredible stories of courage and sacrifice of soldiers give the tourist a great chance to capture those moments in camera for posterity. Popularly known as JWM, the museum houses two information display halls, an audio-visual room, and a souvenir shop. It also has an Honour wall that has the names of Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra gallantry award winners engraved. The museum also has murals of soldiers who lost their lives during the war and the weapons that were used during the battle.
In the museum, tourists are shown a 20-minute clip of original things as they happened on that fateful night, in the audio-visual room for which INR 40 is charged. The tourist can reach the war memorial by hiring an auto rickshaw, taxi, or bus from Jaisalmer. The road from Jaisalmer to Laungewala Post is filled with windmills, sand dunes, and desert vegetation which makes the ride very interesting. There are several milestones along the road that are a photographer’s delight. The Laungewala War Memorial is a 1-day trip that gives tourists a chance to visit Tanot Mata Temple, Jaisalmer War Museum, Gadisar Lake, and more. Tourists can reach the war memorial from Jaisalmer, which is accessible from any part of India.
Tanot Mata Temple
Not far from Laungewala War Memorial is the revered Tanot Mata temple. Locals credit the divine blessings of the temple deity for the victory of the Indian Army. The temple deity is believed to be the incarnation of the divine goddess Hinglaj Mata. This temple has a long association with both the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan when locals believe due to the presiding deity’s blessing, not even a single bomb exploded in its vicinity. Border Security Force later enlarged the temple at the spot and exhibited the unexploded bombs inside the temple’s museum.
