On 26/11, he saved 185 lives, but took 4 bullets. His lungs burst and ear ruptured. Doctor said survival was impossible, but he proved them wrong

At just 23, when Mumbai was burning on the night of 26/11, one young naval commando stepped forward with nothing but grit in his heart and the tricolour on his mind. His name is Praveen Kumar Teotia, a MARCOS officer who would go on to save 185 lives at the Taj Hotel while staring death in the face. Four bullets ripped through his body, his lungs burst, his ear ruptured — doctors said survival was impossible. But Praveen was no ordinary soldier.

Praveen’s journey began in a small village, where he grew up listening to tales of bravery from army men. Those stories lit a fire in him. After finishing school, he cleared his exams and medicals, and at just 17, joined the Indian Navy. Training as a MARCOS commando was brutal, but every drop of sweat reminded him why he had chosen this path. He was preparing for a life of duty, never imagining how soon his biggest test would arrive.

That test came on 26/11. As terrorists stormed Mumbai, Praveen’s unit rushed to the Taj Hotel. Inside, chaos reigned — gunfire, explosions, terrified civilians. Praveen charged into the fight. He faced four terrorists head-on, pushing civilians to safety while firing back through granite walls. In that firefight, four bullets tore through his chest and body. His lungs collapsed, his ear ruptured. Still, he fought until his mission was done. For 19 days afterwards, he battled for life in a hospital bed. Doctors told him “bachna mushkil hai,” but Praveen had already decided — he would rise again.



IRONMAN triathlon
And rise he did. After being discharged, he quietly went home on a local bus, refusing to let pain define him. He wanted to prove what an Indian soldier was made of. Against all odds, he returned to fitness, trained harder, and stunned the world by becoming the first disabled soldier to complete an IRONMAN Triathlon — one of the most gruelling endurance races on the planet, combining swimming, cycling, and running across massive distances.

People often ask him if he felt fear on the night of 26/11. He only smiles and says, “Afraid of what? With the enemy in front and my nation behind me, there was only one choice — to fight.”