- "When you go home, tell them of us, and tell that for their tomorrow ,we gave our today", is a famous eulogy for the soldiers who died in the battlefield of kohima in 1944.John Maxwell Edmonds was the author of the eulogy and since its first usage,this one line has been the aptest description of sacrifices of the brave soldiers.
- Honouring their efforts , Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th February inaugurated National War Memorial In New Delhi near India Gate.
Inspiration for the National War Memorial
- The first time , talk about a National War Memorial was started in 1960 when the armed forces of India requested to the govt for the commemoration of fallen soldiers at a War Memorial. However the project never took off. Followed by continuous demand in the year 2006, the UPA govt formed a committee to overlook the demand of armed forces.
- In 2015,the NDA govt lead by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the construction of the National War Memorial Near India Gate.
- The Memorial was slated to open in 15 August,2018 , it was finally inaugurated on Feb 25,2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- This monument is an memorial type in the memory of Indian armed force who fought in many battles .It is in honour of all of them who sacrificed their life for nation.
- Its construction was started in 2016 at time of NDA govt.It was an project which completed on time line for this special team was formed under Ministry of defence.
Significance of National War Memorial
- The National War Memorial pays homage to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Indo-sino war of 1962,Indo-Pak war of 1947,1965,1971 and Kargil conflict of 1999 and India's peacekeeping force Operation in Srilanka.
- The Memorial would honour 25,942 martyrs.
Architecture of National War Memorial
- It is architected by Yogesh chandrahasan,WeBe Design Lab ,Chennai.
- A global design competition was held and the result was announced in April 2017 and We Be Design Lab's proposal was declared the winner for the national war memorial.
- Design are fabulous and attracting everyone, lighting everywhere inside it and water flowing in under design it making it unique.Decoration are also very attractive and flowers inside it will attract your heart to fall in its beauty.
Design concept
The design concept of the National War Memorial is inspired from the notion of Chakravyuha, one of the efficient battle formation techniques used in the ancient warfare. The Design intends to create an experience of walking amidst soldiers in a war field in its varied layers. The concept is interpreted as five concentric circles of varied elements as layers with its own functionality and conveying different emotions (protection-bravery-sacrifice), at different levels.
The outermost layer or circle is the Circle of Protection or the Rakshak Chakra, followed by Circle of War or the Yudh Path. The next layer is the Circle of Sacrifice or Tyag Chakra, then the Circle of Bravery or Veer Chakra and finally Rebirth or Punarjanam.
The outermost layer or circle is the Circle of Protection or the Rakshak Chakra, followed by Circle of War or the Yudh Path. The next layer is the Circle of Sacrifice or Tyag Chakra, then the Circle of Bravery or Veer Chakra and finally Rebirth or Punarjanam.
Circle of Protection | Rakshak Chakra
The Circle of protection personifies the territorial control of the armed forces of the borders where the topography bows down to receive these valourous soldiers. The brave soldiers have never ceased to disappoint the land and all their brothers and sisters. This circle renders the space to personify imprints from the past that we look back to stay grounded. This circle signifies a shift in memory of war, towards a peaceful future.
The trees are arranged in a specific order in a circular arrangement inspired from the fleet formation of the soldiers, signifying the disciplined life led by the soldiers out of all odds. This space gives a feel of walking through a fleet of upright soldiers who are standing straight and ready for protecting their country.
The trees are arranged in a specific order in a circular arrangement inspired from the fleet formation of the soldiers, signifying the disciplined life led by the soldiers out of all odds. This space gives a feel of walking through a fleet of upright soldiers who are standing straight and ready for protecting their country.
Circle of War | Yudh Path
War trench - Concept
A central axis to the memorial is also the Yudh Path Axis connecting the north and the south zone, this axis is located perpendicular to the Rajpath. People can enter into the memorial complex only through this path. The Yudh path holds two galleries and convenience stores at the north and the south zone in the subterranean level which educates and provides with the information on the history of some of the important battles fought by the Indian Soldiers.
Circle of Sacrifice | Tyag chakra
The Circle of Sacrifice, metaphorically represents the formation of the soldiers in the war. As derived from the concept of Chakra vyuga the soldiers stand in the endless rows in the formation of concentric circles protecting the nation. The concentric rings are created by arranging granite stones each representing an individual soldier. Continuous band of stones hold and protect itself and its occupants within, symbolising discipline, order, and commitment of our heroes towards the nation.
Each granite stone block represents a Martyr, on which his name and ranks are engraved. The wall of sacrifice has been designed as a modular self balancing structural stacking system which is 2m length and 1.5m height. It is held together in position through interlocking mechanism generally found as a technique in Indian architecture. The proposed design can hold 30,000 names of the soldiers with space left for future expansion.
Each granite stone block represents a Martyr, on which his name and ranks are engraved. The wall of sacrifice has been designed as a modular self balancing structural stacking system which is 2m length and 1.5m height. It is held together in position through interlocking mechanism generally found as a technique in Indian architecture. The proposed design can hold 30,000 names of the soldiers with space left for future expansion.
Circle of Bravery | Veer chakra
History is not merely a summation of previous events, but instead its purpose is to show reasons for why and how these events had happened. It needs to emote pain, breakthroughs, war etc. to the spectators. By learning about the causes and effects of events in Indian War History, people can learn better ways to deal with conflict among nations and individuals. Considering this, the gallery in the memorial will exhibit each war’s history and events.
The circle of bravery has been conceived as subterranean collonnaded semi open corridor holding the stories remembering the bravery exhibited by our soldiers. Veer Chakra Gallery holds 6 bronze murals which depicts the important battles fought by the Indian soldiers after the independence. The list of battles which were the turning point, in the history of the nation building process were Battle of Longewala, Battle of Ganga sagar, Battle of Tithwal, Battle of Rezangla, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Trident.
Circle of Rebirth | Punarjanm
The focal point of the memorial is the innermost circle which is the Circle of Rebirth, symbolising the immortality of each of the jawans who lost their lives through the eternal fire in the epicentre.
The eternal fire is described through a central obelisk which is 15m high, holds the Amar Jawan Jyoti in the middle and the Ashoka Chakra - the Emblem at the top, symbolising the act of burning soldiers in protecting our nation.
The eternal fire is described through a central obelisk which is 15m high, holds the Amar Jawan Jyoti in the middle and the Ashoka Chakra - the Emblem at the top, symbolising the act of burning soldiers in protecting our nation.
Landscape
The landscape of the National War Memorial(Rashtrapati Samar Smarak) is inspired from Mughal gardens which emphasises the belief of gardens being the door to the heaven. Some features adopted from the Mughal gardens include the sequential arrangement of different layers of the landscape.
The outer ring has flower bearing trees arranged in a perfect order like a fleet of soldiers. The next ring is an earth berm followed by small and medium size shrubs with white flowers and fragrance symbolising peace and purity.
The outer ring has flower bearing trees arranged in a perfect order like a fleet of soldiers. The next ring is an earth berm followed by small and medium size shrubs with white flowers and fragrance symbolising peace and purity.
Param Yodha Sthal
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguishing acts of valour during wartime. This is equivalent to the Medal of Honor in the United States and the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom. Only 21 soldiers have received this award till date.
The Param Yodha Sthal is separate and a unique space for all the jawans who have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest form of recognition given for military personnel. The August Kranti Maidan is developed as the Param yodha sthal dedicated to the Param vir chakra awardees. The park is designed with the existing trees in position and well laid out pathways. The landscaping accommodates the bronze statues of 21 param veer chakra awardees.
The Param Yodha Sthal is separate and a unique space for all the jawans who have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest form of recognition given for military personnel. The August Kranti Maidan is developed as the Param yodha sthal dedicated to the Param vir chakra awardees. The park is designed with the existing trees in position and well laid out pathways. The landscaping accommodates the bronze statues of 21 param veer chakra awardees.
The Param Vir Chakra translates as the "Wheel of the Ultimate Bravery", and the award is granted for "most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy".
