An architect in Surat is recreating pivotal moments in military history through intricately crafted miniature war machines and battle scenes. As global attention remains focused on tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, Abhijit Pariyal has turned to scaled-down models to examine how wars are fought, remembered and interpreted.

A graduate of Cept University, Pariyal has built more than 150 models of tanks, fighter jets, weapons and soldiers, many inspired by the Indian Armed Forces. Among his notable works are a depiction of soldiers celebrating atop a tank after the Battle of Longewala and a recreation of an aerial encounter following the Kargil War, when an Indian Air Force MiG-21 interceptor shot down a Pakistan Navy Atlantique aircraft near the Kutch border.

Each diorama begins with detailed research into a specific conflict or military machine, followed by careful planning of scale and composition. Pariyal combines ready-made kits, three dimensional printing and hand-built techniques, sculpting human figures with epoxy clay and finishing bases with fibre, plastic, metal and layered paints. His collection also includes models of aircraft such as the MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, tanks like the T-55, and sculptures of Sam Manekshaw.