Chandigarh War Memorial, the First of its Kind Post-Independence Era Monument in the Country
Chandigarh, the very name conjures up vivid images of the historic Rock Garden, Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, Sukhna lake, Government Museum and Art Gallery, and other places of historic and heritage value. Among some of the lesser known places dotting the city, nestled in Sector 3, Chandigarh, is the magnificent War Memorial, the first of its kind of post-independence era war memorial in the country.
Where is the Chandigarh War Memorial?
As you enter the sprawling Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3,Chandigarh, spread over 20 acres of land with 65 varieties of exotic flowers, housing the martyrs’ memorial, you are simply swayed by the ambient backdrop. The landmark monument has been raised to perpetuate the fond memory of the countless fallen heroes hailing from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Union territory of Chandigarh.
Touted to be a remarkable milestone in the annals of military history, the Chandigarh War Memorial lists on black granite plaques, names of over 11,000 martyrs from the three armed forces who laid down their lives fighting on the frontiers since 1947. The memorial walls bear the names of the brave men who attained martyrdom during the Indo-China, Indo-Pak wars and various operations carried out by the Indian forces from time to time.
Design of Chandigarh War Memorial
The design was prepared by two students of the Chandigarh College of Architecture, Shivani Guglani and Nanaki Singh. These students were then in their 9th Semester (Final Year) of Bachelor of Architecture course in 2002-2003. The then UT Administrator Gen Jacob had suggested that the design of this prestigious memorial should come from young students from the local college of architecture. A competition was conducted amongst the students and the winners, Shivani and Nanaki, were selected.
Built-in powder-coated steel sheets with a tubular frame inside, the 22-feet-high martyrs’ memorial sculpture has been designed by architect Shams Shaikh.
A low wall spiralling through the central space, offers a closer and clearer view of the granite sculpture symbolizing the three wings of the armed forces – the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy – coming out in unison, manifesting the collective spirit of sacrifices made by our heroes in uniform.
The memorial also has a layered sitting space around the vertical stanchion standing tall at the dead centre, serving as a perfect open-air theatre for conducting conventions related to martyrdom.
Making of the war memorial
The memorial was jointly set up by the UT Administration and Indian Express Group of newspapers at a whopping cost of Rs 78 lakh. The idea behind raising a war memorial commensurate to the supreme sacrifices of the brave hearts was conceptualised in 2003 by Lt Gen JFR Jacob (Retd) during his stint as Governor of Punjab-cum-Administrator, UT Chandigarh. While laying the foundation stone of this memorial on April 28, 2004, he had termed it as shaandar yaadgar (magnificent memorial).
The ground-breaking ceremony was performed by Gen S F Rodrigues (Retd), former Chief of the Army Staff and Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh. The memorial was dedicated to the nation by the then President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on August 17, 2006.
Among the curious visitors to this unique martyrs’ monument on a laidback Sunday morning, was honorary Capt Baldev Singh Verma (Retd), who has travelled all the way from Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, to offer his homage to the war heroes says, “There is no denying that the sacrifices of our valiant soldiers are recounted on some commemorative occasions. Simply by offering floral tributes to them by the who’s who of the armed forces and civil administration amid other perfunctory rituals, are not enough, to say the least. Our befitting tribute to them would be to remember them every single day”.
The UT Administration deserves a huge round of applause for keeping alive the soaring spirit of unflagging heroism exhibited by the war heroes for posterity, many of whom were just out of their teens.
Chandigarh UT Officials Take Up 45-Day Freedom2 Walk, Cycle, Run Challenge
A 45 day- Freedom2 Walk, Cycle, Run challenge initiated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, was thrown at officials from the Chandigarh UT Administration, Municipal Corporation and senior IAS officers. They took up the challenge in the right earnest– 10 officers have voluntarily nominated themselves to be a part of the challenge.
A leader board is being generated by the MoHUA in Delhi of this inter-city competitiotin in which officials from other smart cities are participating. These representatives of the government have been termed ‘city leaders’ in which each official will cycle, walk or run which gets captured on the Strava app, an app generally used by athletes.
The aim of the campaign is to ‘lead by example’ so that the citizens follow the footsteps of these ‘leaders of change’ in following a healthy lifestyle. “The Freedom2 Walk, Cycle, Run campaign started today and our leaders explored the city through a cyclists’ and pedestrians’ viewpoint. It will help in developing strategic and contextual solutions to issues which they will observe during the activity routes in the city,” said Anindita Mitra, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, Chandigarh Smart City Limited.
The aim of the campaign is also to identify the bottlenecks and find solutions in the city infrastructure and facilities by the top administrative machinery to promote use of healthy and natural means of staying healthy.
The infrastructural changes in roads, public sharing cycles, wide roads, traffic rules to ease cycling, separate lanes for cyclists, open air gyms in public parks, marathons, runs, public awareness campaigns, etc are some of the many initiatives the Chandigarh Administration keeps working on to provide a vibrant environment for health-consciousness.
Mitra appealed to the citizens of Chandigarh to be a part of the campaign by walking, cycling, running to achieve their fitness target and log the activity on Strava App.
A Smart Cities Mission initiative
Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has put into orbit two unique national level challenges:
Freedom2 Walk & Cycle Challenge for City Leaders
Inter-City Freedom2 Walk & Cycle Challenge for Citizens
This campaign was held for the first time in 2022 under the umbrella of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM).
Efficaciously circulating the message for citizens to adopt healthier life choices, Rupesh Aggarwal, IAS, Additional Commissioner represented Chandigarh in Super Hero Award Category in 2022 and was honoured for taking up the initiative of cycling to the work place.
City Leaders of the Freedom2 Walk, Cycle, Run Campaign from Chandigarh
Anindita Mitra IAS, CEO, Chandigarh Smart City Limited
Yashpal Garg IAS, UT Health Secretary
Hargunjit Kaur IAS, UT Special Secretary, Finance
Rupesh Kumar IAS, Director, Information Technology
Anisha Srivastava IAS
Paviter Singh PCS, Joint Commissioner, Chandigarh MC
Gurinder Singh PCS, Joint Commissioner, Chandigarh MC
NP Sharma, Chief General Manager, Chandigarh Smart City Limited,
Kapil Setia, Chief Architect, UT Chandigarh
Krishan Pal Singh, Superintendent Engineer, Horticulture, MC Chandigarh
‘Run for Health’ with Milind Soman in Chandigarh on Feb 5
Chandigarh is the ideal city for holding marathons with its open and wide roads, green cover, curious participants… proportionate in every sense. With so many advantages, real estate developer in Chandigarh, Gillco Group, is holding the first-ever “Run for Health” marathon in the Chandigarh Tricity. Super model-turned actor, athlete-cum-marathon runner and a fitness enthusiast Milind Soman will participate in the marathon to be held on February 5.
He is the event’s brand ambassador and will be an integral part of the marathon. The run will start at Sukhna Lake, reach Panchkula and get back to the Sukhna Lake.
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There are 3 categories in the run -5km for fun, 10 km and 21 km. So, you can choose your category. The marathon will also include 80-yr-old Amar Singh Chauhan, an ultra marathoner with an experience of running more than 100 marathons and recognitions, including a lifetime achievement medal for fitness.
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The race director will be Saurav Kapoor, a Chandigarh Distance Runners (CDR) member, the largest running club in the City Beautiful. Tricity participants are registering in huge numbers to participate in the marathon.
Things to keep in mind before participating in any marathon
Hydrate adequately
Adequate sleep
Keep the muscles active
Prepare the mind
Milind Soman, the Ironman
Milind Soman was acclaimed with the title of ‘Ironman’ after he made the country proud by finishing the toughest Triathlon (3.8kms swim, 180.2 km run, 42.2.kms cycle ride) in Zurich at the age of 49 in 15 hours and 19 minutes.