National War Memorial, a tribute to the soldiers, opens in Delhi
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the National War Memorial to the nation in a solemn ceremonial function on 25th February 2019. He will also address ex-servicemen on the occasion.
The National War Memorial, near India Gate in New Delhi, is a fitting tribute to our soldiers who laid down their lives defending the nation, post-independence.
The National War Memorial also commemorates the soldiers who participated and made the supreme sacrifice in Peace Keeping Missions, and Counter Insurgency Operations.
The obelisk in the center of the memorial
In 2014, Prime Minister had spelt out his vision for the National War Memorial as a state-of-the-art world class monument.
The layout of the National War Memorial comprises four concentric circles, namely, the ‘Amar Chakra’ or Circle of Immortality, the ‘Veerta Chakra’ or Circle of Bravery, the ‘Tyag Chakra’ or Circle of Sacrifice, and the ‘Rakshak Chakra’ or Circle of Protection.
The Tyag and Rakshak chakra are made up of 16 walls with granite bricks. Each brick has a name of a soldier, his ID, regiment and rank. Through a mobile application that will be made available, one can type the name of the solider and find the location of the brick. A provision also exists by which new names can be added. For this periodically names will be compiled.
Thyag Chakra with names of martyrs carved on it
The National War Memorial complex includes a central obelisk, an eternal flame, and six bronze murals depicting famous battles fought by Indian Army, Air Force and Navy.
Busts of the 21 awardees of Param Veer Chakra have been installed at Param Yoddha Sthal which includes three living awardees Sub Maj (Hony Capt) Bana Singh (Retd), Sub Major Yogendra Singh Yadav and Sub Sanjay Kumar.
Since Independence nearly 26,000 soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces have made supreme sacrifice to defend sovereignty & integrity of India. The National War Memorial represents gratitude of a Nation to its Armed Forces & will serve as a symbol of inspiration for future generations
