Balidan Bhawan

Balidan Bhawan commemorates the zealous sacrifice of the common people of Rajouri that resulted in a massacre during the grim period of 1947 - 1948. In an evening that was supposed to be lit up by the lights of Diwali during the months of October - November, the Pakistani marauders attacked the bordering town of Rajouri in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and forcibly took control over the whole of the town.

Hundreds and thousands of ignorant men, women and children, irrespective of age, were brutally killed in Rajouri around the site where the Balidan Bhawan stands today. This massacre was just to loot wealth from these simple people. The Pakistani marauders could operate this heinous crime without any opposition as the Indian army was in their respective mission in other parts of the newly independent India. The Indian army came as savior ultimately on the 13 th of April in 1948, the auspicious day of Baisakhi festival.

The Balidan Bhawan in Rajouri has been constructed and dedicated to these innocent people who has laid their lives for saving their motherland. Balidan Bhawan stands in the south - east part of Rajouri district as a three storeyed white monument with a small dome on the top. The solemn monument salutes the civilians and soldiers that died on the Diwali night of 1947. Every year Baisakhi and Diwali is celebrated very differently in an endeavor to pay homage to the dedicated service and sacrifice of these people. People conglomerate in front of the Rajouri Balidan Bhawan and vow for national integration with their beloved motherland.

Last Updated on 8/29/2011