New Delhi:
After burning for 50 years, the eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at the lawn at India Gate will be extinguished forever. The torch will now be merged with the torch of the National War Memorial at a show on Friday, days before Republic Day.
Officials said the ceremony – scheduled to begin at 3.30pm – will be chaired by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Marshal Balabadhra Radha Krishna.
Sources said the decision was made after it was discovered that maintaining the two flames was becoming increasingly difficult.
It has also been suggested that since the National War Memorial was built for the country’s martyrs, why a separate fire should be lit at the Gateway of India, military sources say. know.
Military sources say the National War Memorial also has the names of the martyrs inscribed on the India Gate.
The National War Memorial also features the names of all the Indian defense personnel who were killed in various operations – from the 1947-48 war with Pakistan to the clash with the Chinese army in the valley. Galwan valley.
The names of soldiers who died in counter-terrorism operations are also attached to the walls of the memorial.
The National War Memorial – built on 40 acres at a cost of Rs 176 – was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019. All military ceremonial events take place at the Gateway of India. were all moved there after the inauguration.
At the War Memorial, the eternal flame is placed 15.5 meters below the central memorial. There are four concentric circles – “Amar Chakra”, “Veerta Chakra”, “Tyag Chakra” and “Rakshak Chakra”, where the names of 25,942 soldiers are engraved on the marble tablet in golden letters.
The memorial also includes six bronze murals depicting famous battles of the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy in a covered gallery in Veerta Chakra.
The India Gate was built by the British government in memory of the soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the First World War from 1914 to 1921. In 1972, the Amar Jawan Jyoti was lit. in memory of the Indian soldiers who died in the 1971 war with Pakistan.
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