Facts About Param Vir Chakra – India’s Highest Military Decoration

Param Vir Chakra– the highest military decoration award of India. Param Vir Chakra award is given to those who show ultimate bravery, courage or self-sacrifice in front of the enemy- in air, at sea or on land. The Param Vir Chakra translates as “The Wheel of the Ultimate Brave” and is given to military personnel only. 

Many people want to earn this lifetime achievement award but don’t know the burden behind this reward. Only people born with traits like selflessness and altruism can, like people in the Indian Armed Forces, earn Param Vir Chakra Award. In the article, we will learn some facts that you haven’t heard about Param Vir Chakra till now. 

Facts About Param Vir Chakra – India’s Highest Military Decoration

1. The physical representation of Param Vir Chakra: Circular in shape, Param Vir Chakra is made from bronze with 1 â…œ diameter. It holds four replicas of “Indra’s Vajra” with the State Emblem curated in the centre. 

2. The award is designed by Eva Yuonne Linda Maday-de-Macros. Born in Switzerland, Eva married an Indian Major Vikram Khanolkar and came to India. She changed her name to Savitri Bai Khanolkar.  

3. When Savitri was designing the shape of Param Vir Chakra, she took help from Hindu mythology. The four replicas of Indra’s Vajra symbolize the sacrifice of Dadhichi to use his bones to yield the weapon “Vajra“. 

4. Param Vik Chakra is a rare honour, and till now, only 21 people have been awarded his honour. Among the recipients, 20 are from the Indian Army, and one is from the Indian Air Force.  

5. Not a single Navy Officer has been rewarded with this honour to the present date. 

6. Every person who earns this highest military decoration also gets a price reward of Rs. 10,000.

Hidden Facts about Param Vir Chakra from the Past  

7. The first recipient of Param Vir Chakra was Major Somnath Sharma. Belonging to the 4th Kumaon Regiment, Major Somnath got the award for his brave performance during the Indo-Pakistan War (1947). Major Somnath sacrificed his life while capturing the Srinagar Airport inhabited by Pakistani troops. 

8. Incidentally, the first winner of Param Vir Chakra- Major Somnath Sharma, was the brother-in-law of Saviriti Khanolkar (the designer of the medal). 

9. From the total 21 awardees of the following, around 16 medals go to those army officers who have fought in different Indo-Pak wars. Moreover, two belong to people who fought in the Indo China war of 1962. 

10. While most award winners have put their value on Indian soil, two award-winning officers – Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, won for his ultimate sacrifice during Congo Crisis and Major Ramaswamy Parmeshwaran for his sacrifice in Sri Lanka during Operation Pawan posthumously. 

11. Meanwhile, the monetary benefit is like a monthly pension of Rs. 10000/- holds in the name of the officers below lieutenant level. In the case of a martyr, the money belongs to the surviving parents of the bachelor, and to his widow, in case he’s married. 

12. Above all, unlike other awards, the recipients of PVC can use the award’s name in their surname as their post-nominal abbreviation. 

13. The medal came into existence after 1947 when India became a Republic country. A considerable amount of time when Major Somnath sacrificed his life on 3rd November 1947 in Kashmir.  

14. The PVC award was introduced on 26 January 1950 by the President of India but was effective from 15 August 1947. 

Shubhangee Sharmahttp://www,ssbtosuccess.com
I love portraying my imagination through my writings and like when people learn from my own perspective. I thrive to write and give a different meaning to the world through my eyes.

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