Kohima War Cemetery

Just around the corner of the main road in Kohima, at the centre of the city, are the tombstones of thousands of valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives for a better tomorrow. The Battle of Kohima fought in 1944 during the course of the Second World War is considered as ‘Britain’s Greatest Battle’ and is often referred to as the ‘Stalingrad of the East’. The Kohima War Cemetery on the slopes of the Garrison Hill is a memorial dedicated to 1420 Commonwealth soldiers along with 917 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who laid their lives while halting Japanese advance into India. A series of terraces on the sloping ground houses the stone markers of the names of the soldiers and a short reference of their loved ones who waited painstakingly for their return. Two huge crosses on either side of the hill cover the perimeter of the cemetery. Well manicured lawns with a 360-degree view of the city of Kohima lends an enviable peace, aura and calmness to the surroundings that ironically turned out to be the turning point in the decisive victory of Allied forces during the Second World War.