Military part of every family tree in this Haryana village

About 35km from Rewari city in Haryana is a village that has sent hundreds of soldiers to battlefields since WW-I. In Kosli, which has fewer than 6,000 houses, three of every four households have at least one serving member in the armed forces.

- Deepak.Yadav @timesgroup.com

Rewari district itself has a strong martial tradition – it has 5,040 active members in the forces at present. But Kosli’s record is especially distinguished. It has produced every rank, from a sepoy to a major general. Over the years its heroes have been awarded one Mahavir Chakra, one Kirti Chakra, one Shaurya Chakra and one Military Cross (during British rule).

Personnel from Kosli played a vital role in WW-I and have fought in all major wars since then. It even had representation in Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, and one of the INA soldiers, Mandal Singh, still lives in the village.

Celebrating Gallantry

Located about 35km from Rewari city, Kosli has a population of less than 14,000. The centre of life here is the ancient and famous village mutt (Hindu monastery). Every day, elderly men, most of whom have served in the military, get together at the mutt to talk about the exploits of the village’s many warriors.