Gujarat to build 'Sindoor Van' in Kutch near Pakistan border

The Gujarat government is developing a sprawling memorial park dedicated to Operation Sindoor as a tribute to the armed forces and the nation's unity during the response to cross-border terrorism. The Sindoor Van (forest) will be built in Kutch district near the Pakistan border, an area that faced attacks during the operation, The Indian Express cited officials as saying.

Spanning eight hectares in Mirzapar village along the Bhuj-Mandvi road, the memorial will feature a high-density ‘van kavach’ (forest shield) with over 10,000 plants per hectare, including the symbolic sindoor plant, along with 35 other species suited to the arid region.

The Indian Express quoted Kutch Collector Anand Patel as saying that the park would serve as a tribute to the collective resolve displayed by civilians and armed forces during Operation Sindoor. The location itself carries deep symbolism, it was where PM Narendra Modi addressed the public post-operation, receiving a sindoor plant from Madhapar’s women, the same group that famously restored Bhuj’s bomb-damaged airstrip in just three days during the 1971 war.

The memorial will include sections dedicated to each branch of the armed forces, featuring murals and dioramas of combat equipment and aircraft used in the operation. A special area will pay homage to victims of the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed three lives from Gujarat.

Sandeep Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests, Kutch Circle, was quoted by The Indian Express, “Sindoor Van will be a theme-based memorial park based on Operation Sindoor with a high-density plantation, including herbs, shrubs and trees, on eight hectares of land.”

During Operation Sindoor, security forces neutralised over 600 missiles and drones along the Gujarat and Rajasthan borders, according to BSF Inspector General Abhishek Pathak. Nearly 40% of these attacks targeted Gujarat’s Bhuj sector, The Indian Express reported.