Archive · 16 Aug 2026
How Operation Tulip Garden Became Operation Sindoor on PM's Suggestion
Imagine a very bad attack happened in a beautiful valley called Pahalgam, and some people lost their husbands.
The Indian army wanted to respond, and they gave their secret plan a pretty name: Tulip Garden.
But the Prime Minister suggested a different name: Operation Sindoor.
Sindoor is the red powder that some married women wear, and the PM said the attack had taken away the Sindoor of the women whose husbands died.
The army, navy and air force worked together under that one name.
Early on May 7, 2025, they launched many strikes at the camps of bad groups in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.
Pakistan also carried out its own operation in response.
After a tense standoff lasting 88 hours, both countries agreed to stop firing on May 10.
A TV show now tells this true story, with interviews of top military leaders explaining how the operation got its name.
Former Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi revealed that the operation was initially named Operation Tulip Garden by the military.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested renaming it Operation Sindoor to symbolize avenging the deaths of women whose husbands were killed at Pahalgam.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, carrying out 24 strikes across nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir within the first 25 minutes.
The targets were described as key command centres of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, with no Pakistani military facilities initially hit.
After an 88-hour standoff that included Pakistan's Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, both sides agreed to stop all firing at land, air and sea on May 10, 2025 at 1700 hrs IST.
The story was revealed in Discovery's two-part docuseries 'Declassified: Operation Sindoor', released on August 15 at 9:00 pm.
- Who
- India's armed forces under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with former Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi revealing the naming story; targets were Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
- What
- India launched Operation Sindoor, originally called Operation Tulip Garden, a coordinated military response involving strikes on terror camps and, later, counteroffensives against Pakistani military bases.
- When
- The Pahalgam terrorist attack occurred on April 22, 2025; Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025; a ceasefire took effect on May 10, 2025; the docuseries was released on August 15 at 9:00 pm.
- Where
- Pahalgam in the Kashmir Valley, with strikes across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
- Why
- In response to the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack, to avenge the deaths and strike the command centres of terror groups.
- Operation Name
- Operation Sindoor (initially Operation Tulip Garden)
- Trigger Event
- Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025
- Launch Date
- May 7, 2025
- Initial Strikes
- 24 strikes across 9 terror camps in first 25 minutes
- Targets
- Key command centres of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba
- Standoff Duration
- 88 hours
- Pakistan's Operation
- Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos
- Ceasefire
- May 10, 2025 at 1700 hrs IST
- Docuseries
- Declassified: Operation Sindoor, released August 15 at 9:00 pm