Anjadip War Memorial

What is Anjadip? Why is it famous? Where is it located?

Anjadip also called Anjediva, is the name of an island off the coast of Karwar in Karnataka. It was the scene of a battle between the Indian Navy and Portuguese forces during Op-Vijay, the military operation for the liberation of Goa in 1961. It was the first significant combat action for the Indian Navy post-independence. During the battle of Anjadip, seven Navy personnel made the supreme sacrifice. Although a memorial had been created at Anjadip island thereafter, the access was limited. The island now has an all weather road connecting it with Karwar main land. The present War Memorial was inaugurated in 2024 and depicts the seven martyrs in different combat postures.

We, a group of Navy Veterans and spouses, were fortunate to visit the Memorial during our Course Reunion in Karwar recently. Sharing a short picture story. The view from the southern tip of the island is simply breathtaking.

Here is a short video clip giving a panoramic view from the War Memorial.

Island Connectivity

See the short video clip while approaching the island by road.

See the map below to get a feel of the location of Anjadip island.

Brief History of the Battle

Mrs Ranjana Auditto, wife of late Adm Arun Auditto (then a Lieutenant) graced the inaugural ceremony of the War memorial. Lt Auditto had led the Naval combat team successfully. See the plaques below.

Instrument of Surrender by the Portuguese Governor General

Visiting a war memorial is always a moving experience for us, the armed forces veterans. Ghumakkad has carried many stories about war memorials. Sharing below a few links for the readers to browse.

Rezang La - A memorial to 120 bravehearts of 13 Kumaon who fought till the last bullet and killed more than 1300 Chinese soldiers on the icy slopes in November 1962.

Siachen A Memorial Like No Other - A tribute to the individuals and units martyred and deployed respectively in Siachen glacier over the years.

Memorial to Gen Lachit Borphukan -  Lachit Borphukan defended Assam from Mughal onslaught in 1671. A statue has been erected in his memory in River Brahmaputra. From 1999 onwards the Best Cadet in National Defence Academy (NDA) Pune is awarded a Gold Medal in Lachit's name.

Fallen But Not Forgotten - Remembering World War-I Martyrs. Memorial service in Bengaluru.

Kala Pani - A place which gives you chills! A picture story of the Cellular Jail in Port Blair.

Thanks for browsing. Stay connected and do leave a comment. Few words will suffice. It encourages us

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Karwar and Secunderabad/ 14th December 2025

Postscript 15 Dec: Indian Navy named one of its Petya class corvettes as INS Anjadip in early 1970s.  Commodore CR Charyulu Veteran, who was part of the commissioning crew of INS Anjadip wrote:

"After bringing INS Anjadip to India,  we came to Goa  and were fortunate to land at Anjadip island, by boat. Very nostalgic. Thanks for reminding those invaluable moments. Great coverage, as usual, Harsh. 🙏🏾"

#anjadip #warmemorial #karwar #karnataka #goaliberation #indiaaanvy #navyveterans #reunion #tribute #martyrs #opvijay #portuguese #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Siachen The Highest Battlefield in the World

Siachen is known for the glacier and for being the highest battlefield in the world. In fact Ladakh, where Siachen is located, has many 'highests' in the world to its credit. Few of these are listed below:

World's Highest Battlefield

Highest ATC (Air Traffic Control)

Highest cell phone tower

Highest Golf Course

Highest Motorable Raod in the world and so on!

In this picture story we take you to Siachen Glacier, Base Camp, War Memorial and the Nubra Valley.

Drive to Siachen Glacier

Meandering along Nubra River which originates from Siachen Glacier, the road goes through wide valley and number of villages. The mountain ranges are barren having straight slopes of thousands of feet. The rocks are fragile with shooting stones at many places. There are patches of sandy slopes which give rise to dust storms at 12,000 feet above the MSL. Very challenging terrain indeed. See the maps, pictures and videos below.

Here is a short video capturing the panorama of Nubra valley in Ladakh. You can feel the vastness of the valley and the rugged terrain.

The video below takes you through Remo, one of the villages enroute to Siachen Glacier. I had been to the glacier 25 years ago. The green transformation in the villages since then  has been remarkable.

Siachen Glacier - The first glance from miles away!

As we approached the Siachen base camp, the terrain became even more rugged and tougher. See the video clip below.

 

You can get a feel of crossing the turbulent Nubra river as we enter the Base Camp. Visitors are allowed with proof of identity. See the short video below:

Siachen War Memorial

A plaque at the Siachen War Memorial: Base Camp, reads that the Memorial was erected to commemorate the 'Siachen Warriors' who sacrificed their lives guarding the 'Frozen Frontiers of Siachen Area'. The memorial honours those involved in Op 'Meghdoot' which commenced on April 13, 1984.

Initially built at Base Camp I, East of River Nubra, it was relocated to Base Camp II in December 2006. When Ghumakkad had visited the Base Camp in the year 2000, the memorial existed in a smaller version. 

The memorial walls bear the names of martyrs and the battalions that have served in the Siachen Brigade since 1984. A 120 ft high National flag mast was gifted by the Jindal Group in December 2016. Significant renovation was undertaken in 2018-19 by 7 Mahar and other units of Siachen Brigade.

See the pictures and a video below.

We share below a short video showing the Siachen War Memorial in all its glory.

For Ghumakkad, a former Naval officer, sighting the Naval Ensign at Siachen was a matter of pride. See the picture below.

The ice wall of Siachen Glacier is not white any more. It has become grey over the years and remains so. See the picture below.

The two adventurers- Ansh and grandpa Harsh. With Siachen Glacier in the background.

World's Highest ATC

World's highest ATC is located at Siachen! See the picture below.

Our previous story on Ladakh highlighting the blue skies is listed below. Click to browse the picture story.

Blue Skies Lift Your Spirit contains pictures shot from our flight to Leh. Picture below shows snowy peaks looming large at you!

More stories of our Ladakh exploration are coming! Stay connected and do leave a comment. It motivates us to keep going.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ansh Bhargava/ Ladakh and Secunderabad/ 4th July 2025

#Siachen #Glacier #WarMemorial #BaseCamp #SiachenWarriors #Martyrs #CentralGlacier #NorthGlacier #NubraValley #NubraRiver #Ladakh #leh #HighAltitude #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh