Chatting to Sikh chap at work & he told me about this battle that is rather important to Sikhs everywhere. Battle of Saragarhi Saraghari Battle of Saragarhi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I've heard of this battle, it is actually significant and probably one of the few British era battles India treats with respect. Comparisons to the battles and other historic battles which involve a small force of people fighting the odds have obviously been made. One of the common ones I've heard of is the Greek Battle of Thermopylae. In India Sikh Gurdwara's (temples) mark the anniversary, not sure if anything of the sort is done abroad though, will have to double check. The last time I was in India which was 2006 I was supposed to visit the temple dedicated to the battle which was built by the British shortly after, unfortunately I didn't have time. I believe the event is bigger in Punjab (where a majority of Indian Sikh's are located) than the rest of India, probably due to the Hindu/Sikh/Muslim, etc barriers which still exist in the country.
Oops, bit late with this post. Sikh military personnel and Sikh civilians commemorate the battle every year on 12 September, as Saragarhi Day. I've been told there was something on Radio 4 about this , anyone hear it?
Saragarhi Day yesterday. The oft-cited comparisons with Thermopylae and Rorke's Drift coupled with the posthumous award of the Indian Order of Merit to all of the defenders tell you that this was an achievement above and beyond that usually found on the battlefield. This Yank supplies the basics nicely. More details: Battle of Saragarhi - Wikipedia
