Performs Sindhu darshan in Leh
*Will visit Drass today
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 14: President Ram Nath Kovind today interacted with the Army troops at Northern Command Headquarters in Udhampur and performed Sindhu darshan in Leh on first day of his two-day visit to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The President reached Leh this morning where he was received by Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Radha Krishna Mathur. He was accorded a guard of honour on his arrival.
“RK Mathur, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh received President Ram Nath Kovind at Leh airfield. The President was accorded a guard of honour on his arrival,” a tweet by the President of India said.
Later, the President left for Sindhu Ghat and performed darshan.
Kovind was at Sindhu Ghat for about half an hour.
Later in the afternoon, Kovind flew from Leh to Udhampur and reached the Northern Command Headquarters.
He witnessed a cultural function at Udhampur.
Kovind interacted with Army Commanders and the troops at the Northern Command. He was with the troops for about half an hour .
Northern Command chief Lt Gen YK Joshi briefed the President.
Tomorrow morning i.e. on the occasion of Dussehra festival, the President will fly to Drass, in Kargil district in the Union Territory of Ladakh and pay tributes to the martyrs at Kargil War Memorial.
The President will pay tributes to the martyrs.
Click here to watch video
He will fly to Srinagar tomorrow afternoon and return to New Delhi from there.
Kovind couldn’t visit Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world and first in India located at the height of 10,800 feet from sea level, twice on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas which is celebrated every year on July 26 as India had won the war with Pakistan fought in Kargil mountains for about two months in 1999 on this day. Nearly 550 Indian soldiers were martyred in the war. In 2019 after cancellation of Drass visit, he had paid respects to the martyrs at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar while in 2021, he had visited Baramulla War Memorial to pay tributes to the jawans after he couldn’t fly to Drass.
The President was scheduled to fly to Drass from Srinagar for paying respects at the Kargil War Memorial on July 26 in 2019 and 2021 but on both the occasions he had to cancel the visit because of the bad weather conditions at Drass. In 2020, the victory celebrations were not held at Drass due to spread of COVID pandemic.
Indian Army and Air Force had fought more than two month long war in the icy heights of Kargil in May, June and July 1999 to eliminate and push back the Pakistan army regulars and invaders who had occupied the hills. India won the war on July 26, 1999 and since then the day every year is celebrated as `Kargil Vijay Diwas’ across the nation. As against martyrdom of 550 Indian soldiers, Pakistan had lost more than 1500 regular troops and invaders.
The President will be breaking away from the tradition for celebrating Dussehra this year with jawans in Ladakh’s Drass area.
Traditionally, the President has been participating in Dussehra celebrations in the national capital.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
