About Infantry Day
Infantry Day, also called Shaurya Diwas, is the Indian Army's day for its foot soldiers. It marks 27 October 1947, when the 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment was flown into Srinagar airfield to stop the raiders advancing on the city. In 2027 it falls on Wednesday, 27 October 2027, a working day, with wreaths laid at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and at army stations across the country.
Most army anniversaries remember a victory or a handover of command. Infantry Day remembers a morning flight. On 27 October 1947, about two months after independence, soldiers of 1 Sikh climbed out of transport aircraft at a small, poorly equipped airstrip outside Srinagar and went straight into action. The Army counts it as the first military operation of independent India.
What happened on 27 October 1947?
On 22 October 1947, tribal fighters backed by Pakistan crossed into the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir near Muzaffarabad and moved down the road towards Srinagar. Maharaja Hari Singh asked India for help. Delhi agreed to send troops only after the state acceded to India. The Instrument of Accession is dated 26 October, though some historians argue it was signed a day earlier or later, and Lord Mountbatten, then Governor-General, accepted it on 27 October.
The same morning, 1 Sikh, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai, was flown from Gurgaon to Srinagar in Dakota aircraft. Only part of the battalion could be carried in the first lifts. Rai secured the airfield and then pushed his men up the road towards Baramulla to meet the raiders on the highway, far from the city. He was killed near Pattan that same day. He became the first recipient of the Maha Vir Chakra, awarded after his death; the citation was gazetted on 26 January 1950.
- 22 Oct 1947Raiders cross into the state
Fighters enter near Muzaffarabad and head for Srinagar.
- 26–27 Oct 1947Accession
The Instrument of Accession is dated 26 October; Mountbatten accepts it on 27 October.
- 27 Oct 19471 Sikh lands at Srinagar
The battalion is airlifted from Gurgaon. Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai is killed near Pattan the same day.
- 3 Nov 1947Battle of Badgam
A single company of 4 Kumaon under Major Somnath Sharma holds off a far larger force near the airfield. Sharma is killed and later receives the Param Vir Chakra.
- 7–8 Nov 1947Shalateng and Baramulla
Infantry and armoured cars rout the raiders at Shalateng; Baramulla is retaken on 8 November.
- 1 Jan 1949Ceasefire
A UN-mediated ceasefire ends the fighting.
The airlift mattered because the raiders were close and Srinagar had almost no defence. Every unit that followed, by air and later by road, built on the foothold 1 Sikh held in those first days. That is why the infantry as a whole, and not one regiment, marks the date.
Who are the Indian Army's infantry?
The infantry is the largest fighting arm of the Indian Army: the soldiers who hold ground on foot, from the Siachen glacier to the Rajasthan desert and the forests of the North East. A battalion, or "paltan" in barracks speech, usually has four rifle companies and a headquarters company, with about 15 to 20 officers and 650 to 800 other ranks.
There are around thirty infantry regiments. Some recruit from a particular community or region, such as the Sikh, Jat, Dogra, Garhwal Rifles, Naga or the seven Gorkha Rifles regiments. Others, such as the Parachute Regiment and the Brigade of the Guards, take soldiers from across India. The oldest is the Madras Regiment, which traces its line to 1758 and has its centre at Wellington in the Nilgiris. The Mechanised Infantry Regiment, raised in 1979, carries infantry in armoured vehicles.
1 Sikh itself no longer serves under that name. In 1979, by then one of the most decorated battalions in the Commonwealth, it was converted into the 4th Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment. "Srinagar 1947" remains one of its battle honours.
Officers and junior leaders train at the Infantry School in Mhow, which began in 1886 as a School of Musketry and took its present name in 1948. Its motto is "Vijayen Gyanen Shauryen", meaning victory through learning and courage.
How Infantry Day is marked
Infantry Day is a working day and not a public holiday. In New Delhi the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of the Army Staff lay wreaths at the National War Memorial, opened beside India Gate on 25 February 2019; in 2024, General Anil Chauhan and General Upendra Dwivedi led the ceremony. The Director General of Infantry sends a message to serving and retired infantrymen, and the Prime Minister and Defence Minister usually post tributes.
Away from Delhi, units and regimental centres lay wreaths at their own war memorials. For a civilian, the useful things are small: call the soldier or veteran you know, or the parents of one who is posted far away. If a school or NCC unit wants to mark the day, a talk by a retired infantry soldier from the area teaches more than a poster.
- Paltan
- Barracks word for a battalion, the infantry soldier's home unit.
- Shaurya Diwas
- "Day of valour", another name for Infantry Day.
- Veergati
- Death in the line of duty; used with respect, not as a euphemism to avoid.
- Ghatak platoon
- The special reconnaissance platoon each infantry battalion keeps.
What to write on Infantry Day
Infantry soldiers rarely talk up their own work, so an understated message lands better than a slogan. Mention the unit, a posting, the time away, or the family that waited. If you know only that someone "is in the Army", a plain thank-you is enough.
Do
- Name the battalion or regiment if you know it. Soldiers identify with their paltan before anything else.
- Remember veterans and the families of those who died in service, not only those in uniform today.
- For a colleague from an army family, keep it short and personal: a line for their father, brother or spouse.
Avoid
- Don't ask a serving soldier where they are posted or about operations. They often can't answer.
- Avoid messages that insult Pakistan or any community. The 1947 story is about defending a city, not about hating anyone.
- Don't send "Happy Infantry Day" to a family marking a loss. "Remembering him today" says more.
Happy Infantry Day, bhaiya. Twelve years of postings, missed Diwalis and late-night calls from places we can't find on a map. We are proud of you and we miss you. Come home soon.
On Infantry Day, thank you, Colonel sahab. You hung up the uniform years ago, but the way you still stand when the anthem plays says the paltan never left you.
Thinking of your family on Infantry Day. He serves with his battalion, and you keep the home running while he is away. Both kinds of service count, and we see it.
Remembering Major sahab today, on Infantry Day. He chose the hardest job in the Army and did it with a smile. His name is with the bravest, and all of you are in our prayers.
Your first Infantry Day as an officer. From IMA to your paltan in one year. Lead your boys well, eat with them, and call your mother more often than you call us.
Infantry Diwas par aapke parivar ke sabhi faujiyon ko salaam. Aapke bhai jaise log hain, isliye hum chain se kaam kar paate hain. (On Infantry Day, a salute to the soldiers in your family. Because of people like your brother, we can work in peace.)
Infantry Day sits in a year of related observances. Army Day on 15 January marks the first Indian Commander-in-Chief. Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26 July remembers the 1999 war on the Kargil heights. Armed Forces Flag Day on 7 December is when you can give to the fund for ex-servicemen and the families of those killed in service.
How to wish someone on Infantry Day
A good Infantry Day message is addressed to a person, not to "the nation". Name the regiment or battalion, the posting, the years away from home, and thank the family that carried the load. Keep the pride quiet and plain. For a family that lost someone in service, remember that person by name and skip "Happy". Avoid lines that taunt another country; the Army itself frames the day around service and sacrifice.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi.
When is Infantry Day in each year?
Infantry Day is on 27 Oct every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028
Frequently asked questions
When is Infantry Day in 2027?
Infantry Day 2027 falls on Wednesday, 27 October 2027.
Why is Infantry Day celebrated on 27 October?
Infantry Day is held on 27 October because on that date in 1947 the 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment was airlifted to Srinagar airfield to defend the city from raiders who had entered Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army regards it as the first military operation of independent India.
Which regiment landed at Srinagar on 27 October 1947?
The 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment, known as 1 Sikh, was the first unit flown into Srinagar on 27 October 1947. It was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai, who was killed near Pattan the same day and received the first Maha Vir Chakra after his death.
Who was the first Maha Vir Chakra recipient?
Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai of 1 Sikh was the first recipient of the Maha Vir Chakra, awarded after his death. He led the defence of Srinagar after landing on 27 October 1947 and was killed near Pattan, on the road to Baramulla.
Is Infantry Day the same as Army Day?
No. Infantry Day, on 27 October, marks the 1947 landing at Srinagar and honours the infantry arm. Army Day, on 15 January, marks K. M. Cariappa taking command of the whole Indian Army in 1949.
How many infantry regiments does the Indian Army have?
The Indian Army has around thirty infantry regiments, including the Parachute Regiment, the seven Gorkha Rifles regiments and the scout units, plus the Brigade of the Guards and the Mechanised Infantry Regiment. Each regiment has many battalions, and the infantry is the Army's largest fighting arm.
Is it right to say "Happy Infantry Day"?
"Happy Infantry Day" is common and fine for serving soldiers, veterans and their families. For a family that has lost someone in service, a message that remembers the person by name, such as "Remembering him today", is kinder.
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