A T-55 battle tank of Russian origin was installed as a war trophy at the Dalhousie Public School, some 120-km north-west of this Himachal Pradesh town, attracting scores of visitors.
"I'm sure the tank is not just a trophy, but will also serve as a great source of inspiration and motivation for students of Dalhousie," Captain (retd) G.S. Dhillon, the school's director and principal, said after the inauguration event.
"This tank will also also be a huge attraction for the tourists who visit Dalhousie from all over the country. It will be the hottest photo point of the town," he added, as the T-55 joined other trophies like a MiG-21 fighter and surface-to-air Pichora missiles.
For this town, the event was also dramatic as the chief guest - Western Command chief Lt.Gen K.J. Singh - arrived in a helicopter and drove to Dalhousie Public School to unveil the tank.
Dhillon, who has led two para special forces during his army career, said it was a Herculean task transporting the tank from the Central Vehicle Depot at the Delhi Cantonment to Dalhousie.
"It first had to be fully dismantled in Pathankot and then transported on three big trailers to Dalhousie. It took more than a week to assemble at our school location. Without the army's help, it would've been impossible to bring it here," the principal said.
{{/usCountry}}"It first had to be fully dismantled in Pathankot and then transported on three big trailers to Dalhousie. It took more than a week to assemble at our school location. Without the army's help, it would've been impossible to bring it here," the principal said.
{{/usCountry}}Disclosing his future plans, he said: "We now want to establish a defence park in the memory of our late chairperson, Charanjeet Kaur. We also want to have a naval representation. We will place a ship along with the other war trophies."