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Amar Jawan Jyoti

Amar Jawan Jyoti (lit. transl. Immortal Soldier Flame, or light[a]) is an Indian memorial conceptualised and constructed after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and inaugurated on 26 January 1972. It was the national war memorial in India until February 2019,[7][8] when the new National War Memorial and its own flame was inaugurated and lit.[9] On 21 January 2022, the older flame was merged with the newer one at National War Memorial.[9]

Amar Jawan Jyoti
 India
Top Image: Amar Jawan Jyoti under India Gate
Bottom Image: Amar Jawan Jyoti at Amar Chakra of National War Memorial
For martyrs and soldiers of Indian Armed Forces.
Established
  • December 1971 (1971-12) under India Gate
  • February 2019 (2019-02) at War Memorial
Unveiled
  • 26 January 1972 (1972-01-26) under India Gate
  • 25 February 2019 (2019-02-25) at War Memorial
Location28°36′43″N 77°13′59″E / 28.612°N 77.233°E / 28.612; 77.233
Both monuments at C-Hexagon
New Delhi
Designed byIndian Army Corps of Engineers
अमर जवान
(English: "Immortal soldier")
Statistics source: nationalwarmemorial.gov.in

The Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate consisted of a base of 15 square feet with a height of 4 feet 3 inches on which there was a black marble pedestal, a cenotaph, 3 feet 2 inches in height. "Amar Jawan" was scripted in gold in Hindi on all four sides of the cenotaph and on top, a reversed rifle capped by a war helmet. The pedestal was bound by four urns.[10] On observances the flames were lit accordingly. It was constructed in a short timeframe as per Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wishes.

A new flame was installed at the National War Memorial to honour all known martyrs of the Indian Armed Forces of independent India. It was completed in February 2019 and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 February with the igniting of the flame. The flame at the center of India Gate was merged with this new one by the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, Air Marshal Balabhadhra Radha Krishna.[11] Debate ensued with regard to the old and new monuments, related to semantics, history, politicisation and symbolism.[12]

Map
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150m
160yds
Children's park
C - Hexagon
India Gate
Netaji
statue
Param Yodha Sthal
(Ultimate Warrior Site)
Amar Jawan Jyoti
National War Memorial
National War Memorial (NWM) complex and India Gate within the C-Hexagon, with Amar Jawan Jyoti and Netaji hologram statue. The rings of the NWM form a chakravyūha.

History

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India Gate was designed by Edwin Lutyens and unveiled in 1931.[13] Traffic and parades would pass through the monument. Vehicular movement under the arch was restricted in the 1950s.[14]

Amar Jawan Jyoti was added under India Gate following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The war, which lasted from 3 to 16 December 1971, and ended with the Fall of Dhaka, was part of the liberation war in East Pakistan.[15] On 26 January 1972, the twenty-third Republic Day of India, the monument was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[8] This short timeframe for setting up a memorial to honour those of who fought only the previous month was as per Indira Gandhi's wishes.[14] Author Vedica Kants has written in her 2014 book "India and the First World War" that the location of Amar Jawan Jyoti under the arch of India Gate rewrote the symbolic intention of India Gate.[14][16]

For many years after Independence, there was no clear cut policy on war memorials.[7] In 1973, the military top brass observed that memorials to commemorate war related events and martyrs were being constructed across the country without any coordination.[7] These memorials were often left untended and were not constructed with much commemorative or architectural thought.[7] There are at least 150 war memorials in the country.[17] However, as the national war memorial construction was delayed, individual structures continued to be built.[7] The construction of a National War Memorial started in 2017 and was inaugurated in 2019.[18][19] When the National War Memorial was inaugurated in 2019 with a new flame the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and a Deputy Chief of the Army Staff had said that the old Amar Jyoti Jawan would be retained, however no specifics were given.[20][3]

Following the ceremony on 21 January 2022, debate ensued related to semantics, legacy, politicisation and symbolism— whether the shifted flame was merged, or extinguished; whether the five decades old memorial was temporary, irrespective of government plans to construct a permanent one; whether there could be two "eternal" flames; and how the location of the old Amar Jyoti Jawan under the Indian Gate was symbolised and its colonial linkages.[12]

Construction and structure

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Under India Gate, in 1971

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The Amar Jawan Jyoti was conceptualised and constructed in less than a month as per Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's wishes, to be made ready for Republic Day on 26 January 1972.[14] This short timeframe limited the location and scope of the memorial.[14]

The base was 15 square feet (2,200 sq in) with a height of 4 feet 3 inches. At the centre of this was a pedestal 3 feet 2 inches in height. Here a reversed rifle was placed with a war helmet on the top. All the four sides of the memorial were inscribed the words 'Amar Jawan' in Hindi. At each of the four corners of the main platform on which rests the pedestal are the urn which contain the flames.[10] It was white at the time.[21]

 
Cenotaph with a L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle placed on its barrel and capped by a helmet of the Unknown Soldier.

From 1971 to 2006, the flame was fueled by Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.[22] The pedestal was bound by four urns. Each of the urns are controlled by a separate burner.[22] A single LPG cylinder would be able to provide fuel for one urn for about 36 hours.[22] The cylinders were stacked in a room in the memorial.[22] Sanctioned in December 2005, LPG cylinders were replaced by Piped Natural Gas (PNG), a safer and more economical option.[22] A pipeline had been laid from Kasturba Gandhi Marg.[22] The staff responsible for maintaining the burning flame resided in a room under the arch, next to the flame.[23] The overall responsibility of the flame was under the Military Engineer Services.[22] Chander Singh Bisht, a retired military engineer service personnel, operated the flame for four decades.[14] The monument was always guarded.[24]

At Amar Chakra, in 2019

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The flame at the National War Memorial being lit for the first time on 25 February 2019.

Amar Jawan Jyoti is now located at the inner ring, the Amar Chakra (Circle of Immortality), of the National War Memorial. The Memorial has four concentric circles representing a Chakravyuh and a central obelisk at the bottom of which burns the flame.[25]

A global design competition was conducted and the result was announced in early April 2017. A Chennai architectural firm, WeBe Design Lab's proposal was declared the winner and was accordingly chosen for the conceptualization of the architectural design and for coordinating the construction of the project. The chief architect of the memorial is Yogesh Chandrahasan of WeBe Design Lab, Chennai, chosen through a global design competition and a jury chaired by Christopher Charles Benninger.[26]

Observances, remembrances and celebrations

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Since 1972, every-year on Republic Day, before the Republic Day parade, it had been customary for the Prime Minister and three service chiefs and dignitaries to place a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti.[7] On Independence Day, the President laid a wreath.[27] On 16 December, Vijay Diwas, the Defence Minister laid a wreath.[28]

Visuals from the old Amar Jawan Jyoti
A representative group. For more images see Wikimedia Commons

From 2020 onwards the Prime Minister, on the occasion of the 71st Republic Day, placed the wreath at the National War Memorial instead of the Amar Jyoti Jawan at India Gate. The Prime Minister is accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, along with the Army Chief, Navy Chief, and Air Force Chief.[29][30]

Visuals from the new Amar Jawan Jyoti
Representative; for more images see Wikimedia Commons

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amar Jawan Jyoti (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier).

References

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Notes
  1. ^ Flame of the Immortal Soldier – Flame, as opposed to tomb. See Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Immortal, as opposed to eternal. The soldier and flame have been referred to as both immortal and eternal.[1][2][3] Jyoti (ज्योति) can also mean light.[4][5][6]
Citations
  1. ^ ... by Prime Minister, Smt Indira Gandhi at the "Amar Jawan" memorial under the India Gate, where she stood in silence for two minutes before the "Amar Jyoti"— the immortal flame... Vol. 30. Sainik Samachar. 1983. p. 18.
  2. ^ Mishra, Kavya (24 January 2022). "Amar Jawan Jyoti is called 'Amar' for a reason, can't be snuffed: Shashi Tharoor". Zee News. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b Channan, Lt Col (Retd) Manoj K (22 January 2022). "The Eternal Flame: The Indian Armed Forces should not be milked for political ambitions". The Financial Express. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  4. ^ "ज्योति (Jyoti) meaning in English". HinKhoj Dictionary.
  5. ^ "English translation of 'ज्योति'". Collins Dictionary.
  6. ^ Dalal, Roshen (2003). "1". The Puffin History of India For Children: Volume 2. 1947 to the Present. Puffin Books, Penguin Books. ISBN 978-8184758344.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Chhina, Last Post. Indian War Memorials Around the World (2014), pp. 161.
  8. ^ a b Anand, Col Rohan (January 2016). "National War Memorial, At Last". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Burning for 5 decades, flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti will be put out at India Gate, merged with National War Memorial". Indian Express Limited. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b "XIX: Place of Interest". Delhi Gazetteer. Delhi: Gazetteer Unit, Delhi Administration. April 1976. pp. 1001–1002 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Bose, Joydeep (21 January 2022). "In historic move, Amar Jawan Jyoti merged with National War Memorial flame". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  12. ^ a b
  13. ^ "Delhi Memorial (India Gate)". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Anand, Col Rohan (May 2015). "India Gate. An Indian Legacy". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  15. ^ Singh, Sushant (2 January 2020). "India-Pakistan 1971 war". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  16. ^ Kant, Vedica (28 June 2014). "Why did we fight the war?". Livemint. Retrieved 25 January 2022. ...was a refashioning of the symbolism of the site away from its colonial legacy...
  17. ^ Chhina, Last Post. Indian War Memorials Around the World (2014), pp. 162–171.
  18. ^ Pandit, Rajat (1 January 2019). "Delhi: War memorial ready, 60 years after it was first proposed". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  19. ^ Bhatnagar, Gaurav Vivek (21 April 2018). "National War Memorial Takes Shape Six Decades After Being Conceived". The Wire. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  20. ^ Ramdas, Admiral L. (24 January 2022). "Amar Jawan Jyoti: Symbolism, respect can't be forced, it evolves over time; new will never take place of old". National Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Amar Jawan Jyoti". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Sharma, Nidhi (25 January 2006). "Amar Jawan Jyoti to glow with green fuel". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 9 July 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  23. ^ Gupta, Geeta (10 June 2012). "Keeper of the flame". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  24. ^ Garcia, Meryl (19 January 2016). "5 things about Amar Jawan Jyoti". The Better India. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  25. ^ Yadav, Namrata (3 March 2019). "Are you looking for someone you lost, Ma'am? They asked my mother at National War Memorial". ThePrint. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  26. ^ Bhatnagar, Gaurav Vivek (21 April 2018). "National War Memorial Takes Shape Six Decades After Being Conceived". The Wire. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  27. ^ "Search results for "Amar Jawan Jyoti"". Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  28. ^ "Ceremonials, Department Of Defence". Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  29. ^ "Not Amar Jawan Jyoti, Republic Day wreath-laying ceremony at National War Memorial from this year". India Today. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  30. ^ Kaushik, Krishn (24 January 2020). "This year, Republic Day ceremony to start from War Memorial, not India Gate". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2022.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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  • Nayyar, Vice-Admiral (retd.) K.K. (1997). Amar Jawan, A Book of Remembrance. India Book House. ISBN 978-8175081055. A book of remembrance in memory of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen who laid down their lives in defence of their country, India, 1947–1997
— Joshi, Manoj (1 December 1997). "Amar Jawan, A Book of Remembrance: A sailor's monumental record of the war dead". India Today.
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