• Know about the Battle of Tithwal – contribution of Piru Singh (PVC recipient) during the July 1948 war with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir and Lessons from his life. 

In the summer of 1948, high in the mountains of Jammu & Kashmir, a single soldier charged forward through a hail of bullets and grenades, refusing to stop until his mission was complete. His name was Company Havildar Major (CHM) Piru Singh Shekhawat of the 6th Battalion, Rajputana Rifles of the Indian Army.

This is the story of his life—a journey from a small village in Rajasthan to the country ’s highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra.

This article was first published in the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Journal.

Early Life and Inspirations

Piru Singh was born on May 20, 1918 in Rampura Beri, Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, the youngest son of Bhana Singh Shekhawat and Tarawati Kanwar. He grew up in a proud Rajput family with a long tradition of military service. Stories of bravery from his father, grandfather, and other relatives and the sight of soldiers returning home in uniform kindled his desire to serve. From boyhood, he was strong, athletic, and adventurous— spending long days hunting, working in the fields, and roaming in the nearby forests.

School Adventures and Big Dreams

Formal schooling never suited him. The strict routines and confined classroom life left him restless. Once, after a dispute with a classmate, he walked out of school and did not return. He redirected his energy into farm work, local sport, and building physical strength, while his ambition to join the Army only deepened.

Becoming an Army Soldier and Early Service.

Rejected twice for being underage, he persisted, until he was finally recruited into the Indian Army on May 20, 1936, his 18th birthday. He began service with a Punjab regiment and was posted to frontier duties, where he gained practical experience guarding the nation’s borders. He quickly distinguished himself, passing the Indian Army Class Certificate of Education and earning successive promotions—Lance Naik, Naik, Havildar—and by 1945, Company Havildar Major. He also served as an instructor at the Punjab Regimental Centre in Jhelum and represented his unit in hockey, basketball, and cross-country running. Trained in Punjab and initially posted in frontier areas, he served actively through the difficult years of World War II and afterwards joined the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan until 1947.

After returning to India and following independence, he was transferred to the 6th Battalion, Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, where his early love of the outdoors, leadership skills, and battlefield-honed toughness shaped him for the trials ahead.

Strategic Situation in Kashmir, July 1948.

In the summer of 1948, the Jammu and Kashmir territory was volatile as Pakistani raiders and irregulars launched a counter-offensive in the Tithwal sector, forcing Indian troops to withdraw from forward posts across the Kishanganga River. The

soldiers regrouped on the Tithwal ridge and planned an offensive to recover lost ground. 6 Rajputana Rifles were moved from Uri to reinforce 163 Brigade, and the offensive began on July 11, 1948.

Reconnaissance revealed two well-held enemy features blocking the Indian Army’s further advance. 6 Rajputana Rifles were ordered to capture them, with D Company assigned to take the first feature and C Company to secure the second after D Company’s success.

The Battle of Tithwal.

By mid-July, Pakistan forces had established strong machine-gun positions and bunkers covering the ridge approaches. D Company of the 6th Battalion, Rajputana Rifles, with CHM Piru Singh leading the forward section, was tasked to storm a heavily fortified hill feature south of Tithwal. The objective lay along a narrow ridge overlooked by concealed enemy bunkers that could rake any advancing line with MMG fire and grenade barrages.

The approach and the attack on Darapari- In the predawn darkness at about 01:30 AM on July 18, 1948, D Company moved toward the Darapari ridge along a path barely a metre wide, with deep ravines on either side and enemy positions above. As the Indian soldiers advanced, they were met by intense fire and showers of grenades. Within half an hour, the company sustained heavy casualties, 51 men were hit, but the forward section under Piru Singh was hardest hit.

Single-handed Assault and Wounds- Though more than half his section were killed or incapacitated, Piru Singh refused to stop. With the battle cry “Raja Ramchandra Ki Jai,” he rallied the survivors and charged the nearest enemy MMG post. Grenade splinters tore his clothing and wounded him in several places. 

But he crawled and climbed to reach the post. He fired with his Sten in close quarters to clear the MMG group and bayoneted other soldiers. Realising he was the sole effective man left in his section, the enemy lobbed another grenade that wounded him in the face. Blood streamed into his eyes, yet he crawled forward,

hurled grenades at the next enemy trench, and bayoneted two more enemy defenders.

The Ultimate Act of Bravery

Bleeding, nearly blinded, and with his Sten ammunition exhausted, Piru Singh pressed on alone to engage the third enemy bunker that was inflicting the worst casualties. He hurled his remaining grenades into the trench and charged; as he emerged to assault the next position, he was struck in the head by a bullet.

An explosion inside that trench showed his last grenade had worked. His wounds proved fatal, but his singular courage had cleared successive enemy posts, broken the defensive resistance on the ridge, and left his comrades an enduring example of single-handed gallantry.

Aftermath- Piru Singh’s sacrifice left a lasting legacy for his comrades and the nation. In a condolence letter to his mother, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru acknowledged the country’s gratitude and hoped the recognition would bring her

peace: “The country is grateful for this sacrifice made in the service of the Motherland, and it is our prayer that this may give you some peace and solace.”

The 6th Battalion, Rajputana Rifles continues to commemorate the Battle Honour of Darapari annually in memory of Piru Singh and the men who fell that night.

Award of the Param Vir Chakra.

For his extraordinary single-handed courage at Darapari, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest wartime gallantry decoration. His actions—clearing successive enemy posts despite grievous wounds and overwhelming odds—were recognised as a decisive contribution that enabled his company to capture a vital enemy position.

A Legacy of Courage.

CHM Piru Singh’s actions at Tithwal are studied in military academies and retold in classrooms to remind young Indians that courage is not the absence of fear—it is the will to act despite it.

Memorials

1. A statue at Piru Singh Circle in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, stands as a tribute.

2. The Army Postal Service issued a commemorative cover in his name as an honour.

3. An oil tanker was named after him.

4. His story is told to every new Rajputana Rifles recruit as an example of ultimate courage.

Life Lessons

1. Perseverance: Keep trying, even after rejection.

2 Courage Under Fire: True bravery is pressing forward despite fear and injury.

3. Selflessness: The mission and the safety of others come before oneself.

4. Inspiration: One person’s actions can inspire generations.

5. Patriotism: Love for one’s country is shown through service and sacrifice.

From a restless boy in a small Rajasthani village to a soldier whose bravery shook the mountains of Tithwal, CHM Piru Singh Shekhawat lived and died by the creed of the Rajputana Rifles: ‘ Veer Bhogya Vasundhara’—The Brave Shall Inherit the Earth. 

His story is not just about war; it is about the power of determination, the strength of the human spirit, and the love of a soldier for his motherland. May his courage light the path for every young heart that dreams of serving India and the Indian Army.

This article was first published in the Bhavan’s Journal, March 1-15, 2026 issue. This article is courtesy and copyright Bhavan’s Journal, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai-400007. eSamskriti has obtained permission from Bhavan’s Journal to share. Do subscribe to the Bhavan’s Journal – it is very good.

Article 1 in this series Major Somnath Sharma-the 1st PVC recipient 

Article 2 in this series Major Rama Raghoba Rane PVC recipient  

Also read

1. The Battle of SHALTENG-Story of How Srinagar was saved in 1947

2. All about Accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India

3. Why India must Remember Brig RAJINDER SINGH of Jammu and Kashmir

Editor Notes on Dates being extracts from other articles

1. Col Bhatnagar wrote, “In the early hours of October 22, 1947, Muslim soldiers occupied the armory and assassinated their fellow Dogra soldiers.” 1

2. Their target was control of Srinagar airfield so that Indian troops could not land.

3. The tribals hoped to arrest Maharaja Hari Singh and force him to sign the Instrument of Accession.

4. “Brig Rajinder Singh, who, despite his senior-most position in the military hierarchy, led just about 100 Dogra soldiers to fight an unparalleled action along the Jhelum Valley Road between Garhi (ahead of Uri) and Baramulla.
5. “His decision to blow up the Uri bridge proved to be a masterstroke, and the enemy’s plan to reach Srinagar on 23 October to capture the Maharaja alive and make him sign the Instrument of Accession, suddenly went haywire.”

6. He held back the enemy till October 27.

7. Instrument of Accession signed in favour of India on 26/10/1947

8. “On 27th Oct, when it was not certain if the Srinagar airfield had fallen to the enemy and also not known whether the airfield was fit for landing an aircraft, the troops were planned to be dropped at the air field.” 1

9. “1 SIKH landed at Srinagar airfield in the morning of 27Oct194 under Lt Col Ranjit Rai.” 1

10. D company of 4 Kumaon job was to stop the Pak tribesmen who wanted to capture the airstrip and cut off reinforcements. By the morning of November 3, 1947, his company had taken up positions south of Badgam village. This was headed by Major Somnath Sharma holding fort at Srinagar Airport.

11. Around mid-afternoon, a lashkar of nearly 700 Pak raiders advanced from the direction of Gulmarg. They surrounded D Company from three sides and penned up fire with small arms, mortars, and heavy automatic weapons.

12. 4 Kumaon prevented the enemy from having a free run on Srinagar.

13. What followed was the Battle of Shalteng which Pakistan lost.

Happy to stand corrected on the sequence above.