Bridge Over River Kwai/War Museum at the Bridge, Kanchanaburi

We wouldn't have missed a chance to see the "Bridge Over River Kwai" for anything in the world. And it seemed like a good plan to escape the hustle bustle of Bangkok. So, according to that we mapped our journey. This bridge played a very important role in World War II. We believed walk over the bridge will give us a glimpse of infamous death railway which wasn't taught in school.  

A War Museum was right beside the bridge. Since we opted for the guided tour we were given a time limit of 30 minutes to see both museum as well as walk through bridge. If it wasn't for this we would have spent at least 2 hours here. This museum is maintained by a family who was once part of WW2 we were told. Two-storiedmuseum mainly exhibits artifacts of WW2.  Various pictures, weapons, uniforms, relics were on display. Few vintage cars, helicopters, wagons were paraded outside too. The intention was to educate on what transpired amid the construction of death railway. It is kind of a tribute to both Japanese and allied forces. Torture and sufferings endured by each and every individual is sickening. 

The idol of Lord Ganesha, the elephant and the emblem of India are placed in this museum as a mark of respect to those thousands of Indian soldiers who died in the World War II.

Info: Japanese army wanted to build a railroad of 415 km long to bring troops and supplies which connects from Rangoon, Burma to Kanchanaburi, Thailand. They used 61,000 Prisoners Of War (POW) as well as 200,000 Asian forced laborers. Around 13,000 POW and 80,000 Asian laborers died along the process. Exhaustion, starvation, and dreaded disease of that time, Cholera were the main cause of death. POW camp and length of the railway lines became the burial grounds for those departed souls. Once completed the bridge was bombed by the allied forces. 

After taking the customary photos we walked through the bridge. Enthusiastic fellow travels were scattered all around the place.

It is difficult to describe how we felt. It is totally an uncanny experience. Well, what can one expect from a war of that magnitude. Someone wisely said, "One death can mobilize a community, even a nation. But if death tolls were too high to comprehend people become immune". We just hoped knowing a chunk of history made us a litter wiser and better human beings.