Kohima War Cemetery

Reminding the noble sacrifices made by the soldiers of the allied forces, Kohima War Cemetery holds sheer historic importance. During the Second World War the Indian soldiers revolted against the Japanese 15th Army consisting of 100,000 men and sacrificed their life for their nation. This memorial is a peaceful and beautiful place maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is located in Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland.

Kohima War Cemetery is dotted with a large monolith of Naga stone to mark the graves of dead Nagas. The stone towering to a height of 15 feet is placed on a decorated stone pedestal. There is a bronze panel at the base of the monolith exhibiting the inscription:

“ When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today”

This phrase was coined by John Maxwell Edmonds(1875-1958), an English Classicist who had put them together among a collection of 12 epitaphs for World War I in 1916. According to the Burma Star Association the phrase enshrined on the Kohima War Cemetery was suggested by Major John Etty-Leal, the GSO II of the 2nd Division, another classical scholar.

Kohima is a wonderful tourist destination. Apart from Kohima war cemetery, Kohima has many other tourist attractions.