Soldiers celebrate Diwali along LoC amid heightened vigil

Miles away from their homes, the Army jawans and officers guarding the Line of Control (LoC) are celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, as a family tradition of the armed forces.

Even as they maintain a high degree of vigilance and alertness against adversary attempts to infiltrate terrorists across the border, these jawans light 'diyas' and burst crackers to mark the festive occasion.

"We celebrate Diwali miles away from our homes. The Army is like another big family for us. According to our tradition, we celebrate Diwali with our fellow jawans and officers," an officer said.

The jawans performed Lakshmi puja, sang the Lakshmi-Ganesh 'aarti' and also burst crackers during the celebration.

Duty and celebration go hand in hand as troops remain on high alert along the LoC to prevent any misadventure from across the border. "We are on alert round the clock along the borderline. Celebrations and duty go hand in hand. We enjoy the festivities with our men in uniform from various parts of the country," said another soldier patrolling the border.