Military Tourism in India

As disposable incomes, spirit of discovery & adventure and most of all "Pride" rise in India, domestic tourism is taking off. From Tirth Yatras, visiting native places to LTA led tourism, its now - tourism in many forms, eco/agri-tourism, wine tourism, adventure sports, sports/cricket tourism (driven by IPL!!).

With India's large military, long borders, huge spread in "strategic" and often picturesque sites in the country, its time for Military Tourism. A family that we met at the Wagah Border festivities recently, had come all the way from Shillong, to fulfill their 8 year old son's wish to be there. Military sites and festivities are beginning to catch the imagination of kids, thanks to seeing these on TV. International tourist circuits have their own mandatory visits to War Hero Memorials & Memorials of the Lost Soldier in many cities of the world. War and its intrigues are such a big part of worldwide history that they generate considerable interest in military sites.

Here are a few military related sites that we have been to in recent years (including DRDO, ISRO sites) and a few others that can be a part of the military tourism circuit.

Bangalore "Aero India" Air Show

The Aero India Show held once in two years since 1996 at the Yelahanka Airforce Base near Bangalore has become quite an international event. It is one of Asia's largest exhibitions of civil and military aircrafts (Jaguars, MIGs, F-16s, Sukhois...) and other latest products from the Indian aviation and aerospace industry. With its display of several military aircrafts, aerobatic shows, fly-pasts, helicopter displays and huge aerospace and avionics pavilions, I last remember how all hotel rooms in Bangalore were sold out during this event in 2005 (last show was in 2007, next show is in 2009). A great air-show and watching a Sukhoi "cobra manoeuvre" has remained etched in my memory for many years.

Ladakh - Kargil and Leh

Kargil, Operation Vijay - The site of General Musharaff's mis-adventure. The conflict that was seen live on TV by all Indians and perhaps the only military conflict that has been followed by current generation of Indians. The site of Tiger Hill, the Leh-Srinagar Highway and the well developed and maintained Operation Vijay Memorial is a must visit for all Indians. The jawans at the site take great trouble to take you through the details of the conflict and the men involved in re-capturing Tiger Hill. Close to this site is the world's second coldest inhabited place with a record of -60 degrees Celcius on 9th January 1995.

Hall of Fame is a decent museum constructed by the Indian army on the outskirts of Leh. Displayed here are biographies of eminent defence personalities, images and weapons used during the Kargil war, Siachen and its heroes. Particularly interesting were the newspaper clippings, weapons and photos of the wars fought by India & the detailed exhibition of a soldiers life, tools, shoes and clothes used in Siachen.

The DRDO - High Altitude Field Research Laboratory has some interesting research labs around high altitude, cold desert agriculture and animal husbandry projects. The scientists at this lab showed us around the vegetable cultivation and horse breeding projects where the high altitude Zanskar pony is being cross-bred with other horse breeds to serve the high altitude needs of the army.

Khardung La Pass, the highest motor able mountain pass in the world @18,370 ft. and the scene of a few conflicts with the Chinese. The road makes you feel on top of the world even while seated in the Toyota Innova! The military stories of two!! Param Vir Chakra incidents involving Col. Chewang Rinchen, and the souvenir shop tells you a lot about the conflicts that took place here. A map and picture of the entire Himalayan range from Afghanistan to Arunachal gives us an idea of the "massive wall" that protects our country.

Wagah Border @ Amritsar

The festivities of the Wagah Border, now a popular destination, where 5000+ people gather every evening (10,000+ on weekends) to watch the BSF Jawans and the Pakistan Rangers mock the hostility between two armies. This site came into the limelight with the "Bus to Lahore". The one and half hour daily ceremony, is your best chance to get closest to the India Pakistan border. Pakistanis watching the spectacle from their side of the border just a few meters away, brings the experience close to a India-Pakistan cricket match at Sharjah.

Sriharikota

Ever noticed, the small notch on our east coast on a map of India @100 kms north of Chennai? This notch is Pulicat Lake, one of India's largest Salt Water lakes that opens out to sea. A bird sanctuary that attracts many flamingos, painted storks and a number of other birds. Situated on a small island at the end of this huge lake is Thumba or Sriharikota, India's satellite launch site. We "discovered" this when we took a trip out of Chennai a couple of years ago to see this lake. After several frustrating enquiries about this lake (still not knowing that's where Sriharikota is) we reached the lake to discover signs to the launch site. Since we got here on a Sunday we couldn't take a round of the campus. However we could see several large models of our past and current launch vehicles right at the gate. We could also see a large Rocket strapped to the launch building as we learnt that a launch was scheduled in the next few weeks. With a series of impressive satellite launches under its belt, ISRO's launch site would be a great tourist attraction.

Pokharan

Ground Zero and the explosions here as a part of Pokharan II, which generated considerable pride amongst Indians worldwide and became, arguably, India's greatest PR exercise of announcing that we had arrived. The pride and the internet message deluge about how American satellites had been fooled lasted several months after the event. This site should be an interesting tourist site in the Rajasthan circuit, although I am not sure if tourists are allowed to see this site.

India's Naval Sites
INS Vikrant once India's aircraft-carrier is now a Naval Museum Ship, that is docked in Mumbai harbour next to the Gateway of India, is open to tourists curiously only during Navy Week and a little later (Nov & Dec). Another interesting site at Goa, attached to the Navy is the National Institute of Oceanography, that I saw as a kid. Remember seeing the large under-sea exploration capsules that scientists use for exploration. This organization is best known for being the owners of the Antarctica expeditions.

Project Seabird, the huge naval site at Karwar, covers @ 26 km stretch along the highway NH-17. Five!! picturesque beaches in this stretch, the backdrop of the western ghats and the sea so close to the national highway is one of the most picturesque parts of the West Coast of India (picture says it all). Karwar port is perhaps the only port where ships are docked a few feet away from the national highway. I have seen the Operation Seabird site @ 7 years ago, while it was still under construction and I understand its all done now.

Republic Day Parade

Every kid in India, grows up seeing this on TV every year on 26th January. As all of us know, its a huge attraction and draws many visitors from in & around Delhi and is a virtual show-case of India's military might. Every NCC cadet's goal is to be part of this parade!! With a tradition to invite selected world leaders to preside over the parade every year, its probably already on the international circuit.

Whilst visiting a lot of these sites may seem to be out of bounds for citizens, you would be surprised to know that it is not entirely so. Most of these sites have PROs and actually welcome people and take them around or is openly advertised open for citizens at specific times of the year.

Military Tourism - would go a long way in inspiring youngsters to join the armed forces. It may well help reduce the shortage of officers that the army faces. Combine this with some elements of introduction to the armed forces lifestyle - Officers Mess, RSI Clubs and the hundreds of Golf Courses that the armed forces own in various parts of the country and it could go a long way in getting youngsters to join the Armed Forces again.