Major Prasad Mahadik

Major Prasad Mahadik hailed from Virar city of Mumbai district in Maharashtra. Son of Shri Ganesh Mahadik and Smt Sharda Mahadik, Maj Mahadik graduated from Bhawans College, Andheri in  Mumbai and then joined the army after passing the Combined Defence Services Examination. He joined the Officers’ Training Academy in Chennai (SSC-93 Batch) and was commissioned on 17 March 2012,  into 7 Bihar battalion of the famed Bihar Regiment, well known for its brave soldiers and various battle honours. After a couple of years of service, as a Captain, he got married to Ms Gauri on 15 Feb 2015.

Major Prasad Mahadik after serving in various operational areas was posted to the unit in Arunachal Pradesh in October 2017. By 2017, he had put in about  5 years of service and evolved into a committed soldier and an officer par excellence. He also had gathered experience of participating in numerous counter-insurgency operations during his short service career. Besides being a tough and dedicated soldier, he was an excellent sportsman and a music lover who could play guitar with ease.

Fire Incident (Indo-China Border) : 30th Dec 2017

During 2017, Major Prasad Mahadik’s unit was deployed in Tawang valley, which was located about 35 Km from the  Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. He was stationed at a forward post along the border at a height above 15,000 ft from mean sea level where the temperature would invariably fall as low as -15 degrees. On 30 December  2017, around 6.30 AM a fire broke out in the barrack where Major Prasad lived and soon engulfed a major part of the building.

A rescue operation was launched by the unit but it failed to contain the fire in time. Major Prasad Mahadik got trapped badly and got severe burn injuries before he could be rescued. He later succumbed to his severe burn injuries and a committed soldier was lost in the horrific accident. Major Prasad Mahadik was a fine officer and a true soldier who laid down his life in the service of the nation.

Major Prasad Mahadik is survived by his wife Smt Gauri Mahadik, father Shri Ganesh Mahadik and mother Smt Sharda Mahadik. Later carrying forward the legacy of her husband, Smt Gauri Mahadik joined the Indian Army and was commissioned as an officer in the Army on 07 March 2020, after she completed her training at the OTA in Chennai.

Inspiring Story of Maj Prasad Mahadik's wife--Capt Gauri Prasad Mahadik:

Life turned blissful when Gauri got married to Maj Prasad Mahadik on 15 Feb 2015, who was a caring person with attributes of a fantastic human being. She soon adapted to the Army life and felt blessed to be a member of the large Army family.  But on 30 Dec 2017, her beautiful world turned topsy turvy, when she lost her husband in a devastating fire incident, while he was deployed at the Indo-China border.  The edifice of her life came crashing down in a moment and life suddenly looked meaningless to her. She was stunned and angry by the sudden turn of events and got terribly worried about her future.

But she was a woman of strong will and determination. She decided to take life head on, brushing aside her tragedy. Though a qualified company secretary and law graduate, she thought that her best tribute to her husband would be to join the Army and don the same uniform that he wore. She got down to preparing for the Service Selection Board (SSB) with utmost sincerity and dedication. She could not clear the SSB in the first attempt but she did not loose heart.  With her outstanding perseverance and encouraged by her family, she cleared the Service Selection Board (SSB) interview in the second attempt at 21 SSB Bhopal.  She joined the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai in April 2019 and quickly adapted to the grueling sessions of the training. She went on to excel in all aspects of training and won praise from all quarters for her commitment and resoluteness.

At OTA, she was competing with the cadets much younger to her in age, but that did not deter her and she did very well in every aspect of training.  After the 49-week long tough training, she was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 07  March 2020.  For the newly commissioned  Lt Gauri Mahadik, it was a poignant moment and no small feat by any stretch of imagination. The story of now, Capt Gauri Mahadik, embodies courage, hope and determination and certainly is inspirational for many young women of India.