Overview

• For over 25 years Colonel Virender Thapar has traveled from Delhi to Drass each May and June to honor a promise made to his son, Captain Vijyant Thapar.
• Captain Thapar was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra after he died at age 22 on June 29, 1999, leading an assault on the Knoll complex during the Kargil War.
• In his farewell letter, Vijyant asked his family to visit the battlefield, donate to an orphanage and give Rs 50 monthly to a girl named Ruksana, directives his father continues to uphold.
• A recent photo of Colonel Thapar at IGI Airport with suitcases went viral on social media, drawing widespread tributes to his enduring bond with his son.
• Beyond the pilgrimage, Colonel Thapar co-authored “Vijyant at Kargil,” a biography of his son, and regularly speaks to keep the sacrifices of Kargil War martyrs alive.