National War Memorial new

To honor the sacrifices made by the Indian soldiers, a memorial has been inaugurated by the government, known as the National War Memorial, located in New Delhi. Constructed next to the renowned India Gate, the memorial site can be visited by any person who wishes to pay tributes and their respect to the brave hearts of our country.

About the Museum

Inaugurated on February 25, 2019, the National War Memorial in New Delhi celebrates the bravery and courage of the soldiers who laid down their lives to protect their nation. The proposal to build the memorial was first given in 1960 by the Indian Army but was approved by the government in 2015 to be administered by the Military Engineering Services under the Ministry of Defense. Names of over 25,900 soldiers have been inscribed on the war memorial which includes names of the heroes who fought in the Indo-china war of 1962, the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, the Indo-Pak wars, and the Kargil conflict of 1999. The notion behind establishing a war memorial was not to mourn the sacrifice of the brave hearts but to praise their glorious lives.

One of the highlights of the memorial is the flame similar to that of India Gate which embodies the sacrifices the soldiers have made to protect their motherland. The memorial has 16 walls built around it like a Chakravyuh (an ancient Indian war formation) along with four concentric circles which represent the values of the armed forces. The four circles are named as follows:

• Amar Chakra (circle of immortality), which consists of a 15-meter tall obelisk and the eternal flame.
• Veerta Chakra (circle of bravery), which comprises six bronze murals weighing 600kg-1000kg and depicts different battle actions of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.
• Tyag Chakra (circle of sacrifice), comprises names of more than 25,000 martyrs inscribed on granite slabs with gold ink.
• Rakshak Chakra (circle of protection), surrounds the other three chakras with 600 trees which represent the soldiers standing on duty to protect the nation.

The Tyag Chakra consists of the names of martyrs along with their ranks inscribed in gold on granite slabs that visitors can see and read. The memorial also houses a complex with a computer screen where the visitors can find the names of the martyrs with the exact location/wall number of the slab in which their name and rank are inscribed. Apart from this, the memorial also has Param Yoddha Sthal just adjacent to the main complex which houses statues of 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees. A must-visit place in New Delhi, the National War Memorial will fill your heart with pride and honor and leave you with a sense of gratitude for those who give up their everything so that we can live peacefully.