Ever wondered what a war truly looks like – in its heat and colour, its chaos and charged stillness?

Over five decades, Lieutenant Colonel Arul Raj, among India’s few military painters, has transformed experience, research, and memory into paintings that hold the small, electrifying truths of the battlefield: the tension in a commander’s stance, dust rising under marching boots, the silent focus of gunners. In Portraits of Valour, every artwork is rendered with striking clarity and carries the emotional depth of someone who has lived at the frontlines. You are not just looking at history – you are feeling it.

Paired with Major General Ian Cardozo’s insightful storytelling, the artworks in this book take on a rare authenticity. The narrative reveals not only the valour of soldiers, but the human stories behind their uniforms. It is a tribute to those who served but also to the power of art to hold memory.

Whether you come to learn, marvel at the art, or dive into incredible true stories, this is India’s military history rendered vivid, honest, and enduring, one brushstroke at a time.