INS Khukri Memorial

On a breezy rise above the Arabian Sea at the western edge of Diu, the INS Khukri Memorial is one of the town's most quietly moving landmarks.

• At its centre stands a scale model of the frigate INS Khukri, sealed inside a glass-and-metal case so that the little grey warship appears to sail forever on an open horizon.
• The Indian Navy raised the memorial on this headland near Chakratirth beach, and the setting does much of the work: a small landscaped garden, a flagstaff, sweeping views of the sea, and the constant sound of surf below.
• It is a modest structure, but it draws a steady stream of visitors, veterans and families who come to read the inscribed roll of names and pay their respects.
• The memorial commemorates the loss of INS Khukri, a British-built anti-submarine frigate that sank off the coast of Diu on 9 December 1971 during the India–Pakistan war of that year, struck by torpedoes from an enemy submarine.
• Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, the commanding officer, is remembered for remaining aboard as the ship went down; he was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
• In all, 18 officers and 176 sailors were lost.
• The site is best understood as a solemn naval war memorial rather than a place of celebration — a marker of sacrifice and remembrance, framed without rancour toward any nation or people.
• Entry is free and the memorial is open to all.
• Early morning and the golden hour before sunset are the loveliest times to visit, when the light turns warm on the model and the sea glows behind it.
• Allow twenty to thirty minutes to read the plaques, take in the panorama and photograph the ship against the water; the spot pairs naturally with a stroll along nearby Chakratirth or Sunset Point.
• For food, keep to Diu's pure-vegetarian options: simple pure-veg Gujarati and Kathiyawadi thali eateries and small vegetarian cafes cluster around the town centre and the Diu market area, a short drive from the memorial, serving unlimited thalis, khichdi-kadhi, rotla and seasonal shaak.
• Many of the pilgrim-belt pure-veg thali houses across the causeway in the Una–Somnath direction are also within easy reach for a wholesome vegetarian meal.
• Ask locally for a shudh shakahari (pure-veg) restaurant, and carry water and fruit if you plan to linger over the sunset.