It is a humid morning in Madikeri and we are at the General Thimayya Museum, perched on a sloping terrain in the heart of the town. Even before entering the premises, visitors are greeted by a battle tank stationed outside.

A short walk downhill brings into view a huge military boot sculpted in cement. At its base, a plaque carries an ode to the soldier, ending with the poignant line: "…on the sole of this boot rests a selfless soul." The words set the tone for what lies ahead.

With a sense of reverence for our soldiers, we step into Sunnyside, the restored bungalow of General K S Thimayya, the Chief of Army Staff between 1957 and 1961 and the only Indian officer to command an infantry brigade during the World War II. Today, the residence has been transformed into a museum that chronicles the military career and the personal life of Thimayya. Across its 22 rooms, the museum also offers a peek into Kodava culture. It showcases military weapons such as guns, rifles and grenades, models of a submarine and a stealth warship used by the Indian armed forces, and related pictures and artefacts.

A view of the General Thimayya Museum in Madikeri.

Helping visitors absorb this wealth of history is Subedar Major (Retd) Thimmaiah, the museum manager and a passionate advocate of both the armed forces and the museum. Having served in the Army for 28 years, he has firsthand knowledge of the military feats showcased in the museum and offers little nuggets of information that bring the place alive.

The story of how the museum came into existence is interesting. According to the information displayed in the museum, two local newspapers urged the state government to convert the crumbling Sunnyside bungalow into a museum. The idea received overwhelming public support, prompting political leaders from the region to form a Museum Committee in 2006. The committee, including retired military officers from Kodagu and the deputy commissioner, took up the restoration under the leadership of Lt Gen (Retd) B C Nanda.

A military boot sculpted in cement displayed on the General Thimayya Museum premises in Madikeri.

Sunnyside was restored keeping in mind its original character. General Thimayya's family contributed some personal memorabilia while late Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat helped procure many military exhibits. Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum, which works for the welfare of war veterans and encourages youth to join the army, played a key role too. Supported by the State government funds, the museum was finally opened in 2021.

As we step into the museum, a bust of General Thimayya in his military regalia greets visitors. Pictures and their descriptions reflect the lifestyle of typical affluent Kodava families in the early 20th century revealing a strong Western influence as shown in the use of Western-style commodes, education in boarding schools and British-inspired nicknames such as Timmy (for General Thimayya) and Freddie (for his elder brother).

A celebrated military career

'My Military Career', one of the museum's most compelling sections captures General Thimayya's qualities: his concern for his men, his habit of leading from the front and his brilliant planning.

Among his greatest military achievements was the capture of the strategically crucial Zojila Pass during the 1948 conflict with Pakistan. At a time when armoured tanks had never been deployed in high-altitude warfare, Thimayya executed a bold plan of dismantling army tanks and secretly moving them uphill and getting them reassembled for battle. The move successfully drove back the Pakistan army and is considered a masterpiece of mountain warfare strategy.