Dehradun, Jan. 25 -- Kalinga War Memorial.

'Pickled in life' murmured a soldier as he saw General Rolo Gillespie's body, preserved in rum, being sent for burial on Meerut's consecrated ground. He patted the coffin, adding almost as an afterthought: 'And now pickled in death!'

Two centuries ago, on October 31st 1814, the Battle of Kalinga Hill took place near a small hillock, or just a mere spur, south-east of Rajpur, where two invaders, the British and the Gurkhas, met each other for the first time.

Built on the banks of the river, you cannot miss the war memorial. It is unique in the annals of the brave as it celebrates both the victor and vanquished!

Sadly, the waters are silent and can't tell these tales. Ironically, it was these v...