Guns of Nashik
Nashik, a five-hour drive from Mumbai, has secured a place on the tourist map as the ‘wine capital of India’. On the banks of the Godavari, Maharashtra Tourism’s Eco-Glamping Festival (underway till March 31) is also putting the spotlight on the city. The festival packs in activities such as a
Warli painting workshop by award-winning tribal artists and rural cooking sessions. Another big Nashik attraction is Asia’s largest artillery museum at the Artillery Centre.
Established by the Regiment of the Artillery Association in 2005, it is dedicated to the former Chief of the Army Staff, the late Gen PP Kumaramangalam. Maintained by the Army, it was renovated last year. It is mandatory for civilians to carry a valid ID to enter.
As one steps within the sprawling open museum grounds, several intimidating weapons are on display: medieval brass cannons, battle tanks, aircrafts, sleek radar systems, and more. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Within the museum building lie stories of conquests and courage.
A permanent exhibit, titled ‘Evolution of Artillery’, takes one back to the Mughal era. Here lies a cannon used in 1526 by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat. For his acumen in this battle, Babur is often referred to as the ‘Father of Indian Artillery’. Rabindra Hazari, a lawyer and scholar of military history, offers context. He explains that in the Battle of Panipat, Babur was up against the much larger army of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi. “The Lodi army was estimated to be anywhere between 50,000 and 70,000 troops, along with 1,000 elephants. Babur, on the other hand, had about 15,000 troops, largely horse archers. Interestingly, he had about 30 cannons and a large number of matchlocks, which are a medieval version of the rifle.” Babur planned his moves carefully, combining artillery and cavalry. The Lodi army fell and India saw the rise of the Mughal Empire.
Within the museum also lies a model of the Azdaha Paikar cannon used by Aurangzeb in 1687. The original sits in Golconda Fort, Hyderabad.
On display is a 3-inch rocket projector dating back to World War II. It had a range of 8,000 yards, and nine men were required to operate this beast.
The museum houses other weapons as well. Behind a glass case lie swords in varying sizes. There are weapons of surveillance that pre-date the Internet era: the good old telescopes. Then, there are brass guns of the Sikh artillery from the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Hazari says, “In the Anglo-Sikh wars, British officers admitted that the skill of the Sikh gunners exceeded theirs.”
He reveals that “the British were so intimidated by the Indian gunners that after 1857, most Indian artillery regiments, including the Bombay and Bengal units which had been loyal to the British, were disbanded”. It was only around the 1930s that Indian officers were allowed into artillery regiments.
The museum also specifically features the artillery used by Tipu Sultan, tanks used in the Indo-Pak war of 1971, the 75/24 Mountain Gun which was India’s first indigenous artillery gun, as also the Bofors gun. You can’t miss the many gigantic aircraft and radar systems spread across the grounds.
Walking across the museum, one can find many paintings of battlefields, dioramas that recreate war scenes, down to the harsh topography. The museum also plays a film on the Kargil war.
A large hall is dedicated to those who laid down their lives for the nation. An eternal flame sits in the centre of the room, the walls of which bear the roll of honour consisting of the names of martyrs of the Regiment of the Artillery.
The Kumaramangalam Artillery Museum is not just a repository of artefacts, it is a living testament to the courage and commitment of the defence forces.
