Kasauli: The story of Pedongi, a brave mule that served the Indian Army, came into focus on the second day of Khushwant Singh Lit Fest 2026 in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. Former Army Chief General MM Naravane recalled the animal while discussing his book, The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries, with Nirupama Dutt.
The name Pedongi caught the attention of the audience, prompting curiosity about the soldier or military unit behind it. The answer was unexpected. Pedongi was not a human soldier but an Army mule whose courage earned it the Vir Chakra.
Captured by Pakistani troops during the 1971 war
According to Naravane, Pedongi’s story dates back to the 1971 India-Pakistan war. While the main theatre of the conflict was East Pakistan, the Pakistani Army also made moves along the Jammu and Kashmir border. During the conflict, a convoy of the Army Service Corps’ 853 Animal Transport Company came under Pakistani shelling.
The company was scattered. An accompanying infantry unit responded and repelled the attack, but a subsequent count revealed that three mules were missing. Pakistani troops had taken them away, including Pedongi. The Pakistani soldiers mistook Pedongi for an ordinary pack animal and loaded it with a medium machine gun and ammunition so that it could carry the weapons to their posts.
Escaped with enemy weapons
The captors did not anticipate what happened next. After spending around 20 days in Pakistani captivity, Pedongi found an opportunity to escape and made its way back across the Line of Control to its own unit in India.
Pedongi did not return empty-handed. It carried the same Pakistani medium machine gun and two ammunition boxes that had been loaded onto its back by the enemy. Its handlers realised from its exhausted gait that it had travelled at least 20 kilometres on foot to reach its company.
The episode highlighted the training given to Army mules, which are used to transport supplies and weapons across difficult terrain where roads and vehicles cannot reach. These animals can carry rations, equipment and even small artillery pieces to altitudes of 15,000 to 20,000 feet.
Awarded the Vir Chakra
The Army recognised Pedongi’s courage and loyalty by awarding it the Vir Chakra, an honour associated with exceptional bravery on the battlefield. After receiving the award, Pedongi was relieved of its load-carrying duties and sent to the Army Service Corps Regimental Centre in Bengaluru to spend its remaining years in retirement.
The mule died in 1978, having served the Army for 16 years, from 1962 to 1978. More than five decades after its death, Pedongi’s photograph and medal are still preserved at the ASC Regimental Centre in Bengaluru. A lounge at the centre is also named after the courageous mule, keeping its story alive.
