Know thy history,know thy Nation. We honor our heroes in many ways. Let us also know how the medals are designed. To know this is to respect our heroes even more. Jai Hind.

2. History of the Param Vir Chakra
 It was instituted on
January
26, 1950, having
been designed by a
Hungarian-Russian
woman, who was
born Yvonne Maday
de Maros in
Neuchatel, Switzerl
and.
 In 1932, 19-year-
old Yvonne ran
away to India to
marry army officer
Vikram
Khanolkar, who she
had met and fallen
in love with while he
was training in the
UK.

3. Being also in love with the spirituality of
the country, Yvonne became an
Indian, adopted the name Savitri
Bai, immersed herself in Hindu
scriptures and took a degree from the
Nalanda University.
Soon after Independence, the army's
Adjutant General, Major-General Hiralal
Atal, asked her to design the Param Vir
Chakra medal.

4. Faced with the challenge of creating an Indian version
of the Victoria Cross - the UK's legendary gallantry
award that was reputedly minted from Russian
cannons captured during the Crimean War in 1855 -
Savitri turned to the Hindu scriptures.
She chose the motif of Dadhichi, a Vedic rishi (sage)
who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight of good
over evil. Asked by the Gods for help in overcoming a
fearsome demon, Vrutrasur- Dadhichi gave up his
body to let the Gods fashion a vajra - a deadly
thunderbolt - from his thighbone. Armed with this
vajra, Indra slew Vrutrasur.

5. Savitri designed a medal with a
simple purple ribbon. Imprinted
on the medal face are four
replicas of Indra's
vajra, reflecting Dadhichi's
sacrifice. Between the vajras is
embossed the Ashok emblem.
The medal is cast in bronze.

6. Saturday is the birth centenary of
Savitri Bai Khanolkar, who was
born on July 20, 1913.
It is also, by association, an
anniversary for the Param Vir
Chakra, an honour so rare that
only 21 Indian heroes have won it
till date.

7. Alongwith the Param Vir Chakra, Savitri
Khanolkar also designed the Mahavir
Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Ashok
Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry
award.
In India's official order of precedence, the
Param Vir Chakra is second only to the
Bharat Ratna.
Vikram Khanolkar retired from the Army as a
Major-General. After his demise, Savitri became a
nun of the Ramakrishna Mission, until her death
in 1990..

8. Number Name Regiment Date Place Notes
IC-521
Major Som
Nath Sharma
4th
Battalion, Kum
aon Regiment
November 3,
1947
Badgam, Kash
mir
Posthumous
IC-22356
Lance
Naik Karam
Singh
1st
Battalion, Sikh
Regiment
October 13,
1948
Tithwal, Kashm
ir
SS-14246
Second
LieutenantRa
ma Raghoba
Rane
Corps of
Engineers
April 8, 1948
Naushera, Kas
hmir
27373
Naik Jadu
Nath Singh
1st
Battalion, Rajp
ut Regiment
February 1948
Naushera, Kas
hmir
Posthumous
2831592
Company
Havildar
Major Piru
Singh
Shekhawat
6th
Battalion, Rajp
utana Rifles
17 July 1948–
18 July 1948
Tithwal, Kashm
ir
Posthumous
IC-8947
Captain Gurb
achan Singh
Salaria
3rd
Battalion, 1st
Gorkha Rifles
(The Malaun
Regiment)
December 5,
1961
Elizabethville,
Katanga, Cong
o
Posthumous
IC-7990
Major Dhan
Singh Thapa
1st
Battalion, 8th
Gorkha Rifles
October 20,
1962
Ladakh, India

9. IC-7990
Major Shaitan
Singh
13th
Battalion, Kuma
on Regiment
November 18,
1962
Rezang La Posthumous
2639885
Company
Quarter
Master Havildar
Abdul Hamid
4th
Battalion, The
Grenadiers
September 10,
1965
Pakistan, Khem
Karan Sector
Posthumous
IC-5565
Lieutenant-
ColonelArdeshir
Burzorji
Tarapore
17th Poona
Horse
October 15,
1965
Phillora, Sialkot
Sector, Pakistan
Posthumous
4239746
Lance
Naik Albert
Ekka
14th
Battalion, Briga
de of the
Guards
December 3,
1971
Gangasagar, Ag
artala Sector
Posthumous
10877 F(P)
Flying
Officer Nirmal
Jit Singh
Sekhon
No.18
Squadron, India
n Air Force
December 14,
1971
Srinagar, Kash
mir
Posthumous
IC-25067
2/Lieutenant
Arun Khetarpal
17th Poona
Horse
December 16,
1971
Jarpal, Shakarg
arh Sector
Posthumous
IC-14608
Major Hoshiar
Singh
3rd
Battalion, The
Grenadiers
December 17,
1971
Basantar
River, Shakarga
rh Sector
JC-155825
Naib
Subedar Bana
Singh
8th
Battalion, Jamm
u and Kashmir
Light Infantry
June 23, 1987
Siachen
Glacier, Jammu
and Kashmir

10. IC-56959
Captain Man
oj Kumar
Pandey
1st
Battalion, 11t
h Gorkha
Rifles
July 3, 1999
Khaluber/Jub
er
Top, Bataliks
ector, Kargil
area, Jammu
and Kashmir
Posthumous
2690572 Yogendra
Singh Yadav
18th
Battalion, Th
e Grenadiers
July 4, 1999
Tiger
Hill, Kargil ar
ea
13760533 Rifleman Sa
njay Kumar
13th
Battalion, Ja
mmu &
Kashmir
Rifles
July 5, 1999
Area Flat
Top, Kargil Ar
ea
IC-57556 Captain Vikr
am Batra
13th
Battalion, Ja
mmu &
Kashmir
Rifles
July 6, 1999
Point 5140,
Point
4875, Kargil
Area
Posthumous
Based on an article by: Ajai Shukla
JAI HIND