Leh/Jammu: The Gunners’ Ladakh Odyssey — organised by the Army’s artillery regiment to commemorate the 27th anniversary of Operation Vijay — has entered its ninth day, with the 20-member motorcycle expedition traversing remote and strategically-significant terrain along the Sino-Indian border of eastern Ladakh, as a homage to soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation.
The expedition was flagged off from Tangtse for its onward journey to Hanle via Chushul and Pangong Tso on Monday, officials said.
The riders assembled at the Chushul War Memorial along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and paid tributes to the soldiers whose courage, determination and devotion to duty remain an enduring example of service, they said.
The expedition also continued its sacred soil initiative, under which ceremonial soil is being collected from historically significant gun areas, battlefields and forward locations across Ladakh. The soil will form part of the proposed ‘wall of valour’ at the School of Artillery, Deolali, to preserve the Regiment’s military heritage, they said.
“The soil will be used to nurture saplings that will later be planted at the Kargil war memorial in Drass and the National War Memorial in New Delhi as a living tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the conflict”, they said.
During the latest leg of the journey, the riders also paid tributes at the Turtuk, Partapur and Shyok war memorials, while travelling through the strategically significant Nubra sector, spreading the message of patriotism, military heritage and national unity.
The expedition is being undertaken on Hero MotoCorp motorcycles as part of the company’s Hero Tiranga trails initiative, which seeks to honour the courage, sacrifice and legacy of India’s Armed Forces.
The expedition is scheduled to conclude in Leh on August 14 after covering key battlefields and forward areas in the Nubra, Shyok and Chushul valleys.
During the journey, the team will also interact with ex-servicemen and Veer Naris to acknowledge their contributions and sacrifices.
