India will have its first national memorial dedicated to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice since 1947—The national war memorial in Delhi's India gate circle.&nbsp;

The memorial which will pay homage to 29542 soldiers, will be dedicated to the nation by Prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening.&nbsp;

Announcing the development a day ahead PM Modi in his monthly Mann Ki Baat said, "I do believe that for our countrymen a visit to the National War Memorial will be akin to a pilgrimage to a holy place. The National Soldiers’ Memorial is a symbol of the nation’s gratitude to those men who made the supreme sacrifice after we gained Independence."

This is the first national memorial since Independence. Till now there was no memorial at national level encompassing the sacrifices made by India's soldiers since 1947.

The only one was British built India gate which was completed in 1931 to commemorate world war one and third Anglo-Afghan War. January 1972 India added the Amar Jawan Jyoti after the 1971 India Pakistan war as a tribute to personnel killed in the action.

PM called on countrymen to visit the place in a manner as going to a pilgrimage.

He said, "I do believe that for our countrymen a visit to the National War Memorial will be akin to a pilgrimage to a holy place. This place stands testimony to a series of sacrifices of men who laid down their lives for the sake of their country, so that we could live so that the country could be safe &amp; secure, paving the way for development."

The demand for a national memorial has been 6 decades old but got the cabinet approval in October 2015 under the Modi government. The construction for the memorial which is situated in India Gate circle in Delhi started in February 2018. Built at the cost of Rs 176 crore it spans 40 acres and has been built by combining 2 lawns at the India Gate circle.

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Structure

The national war memorial consists of four concentric circles which depict the journey of a soldier from coming into being, culminating in his martyrdom.&nbsp;

At the centre of the circles is an obelisk where the eternal flame is present. The first circle is the Amar Chakra around the obelisk, the second is Veerta chakra which depicts courage and bravery of the Indian soldiers. It is followed by Tyag Chakara which stands for the sacrifice of soldiers and last is Rakshak Chakra which depicts the spirit of security.

The complex is partly subterranean since according to rules the architecture should be such that it should not disturb nearby vistas. It is interesting to know that 22 trees were removed to develop the area for which 715 trees were planted.

A Param Vir Yodha Sthal is located near which have busts of 21 war heroes who got Param Vir Chakra.

Brick with name!&nbsp;

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. An app will be available once its dedicated to the nation by which 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.

Daily retreat ceremony

The memorial will also have a retreat ceremony daily, which is expected to become a major attraction. Change of guard will take place every Sunday at 9.50 am with a ceremonial wreath laying to commemorate the important days. Though it will be open daily, there are timing, 9 am to 7.30 pm in summers while 9 am to 6.30 pm in winters.

India will have its first national memorial dedicated to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice since 1947—The national war memorial in Delhi's India gate circle.

India will have its first national memorial dedicated to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice since 1947—The national war memorial in Delhi's India gate circle. The memorial which will pay homage to 29542 soldiers, will be dedicated to the nation by Prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening. Announcing the development a day ahead PM Modi in his monthly Mann Ki Baat said, "I do believe that for our countrymen a visit to the National War Memorial will be akin to a pilgrimage to a holy place. The National Soldiers’ Memorial is a symbol of the nation’s gratitude to those men who made the supreme sacrifice after we gained Independence." This is the first national memorial since Independence. Till now there was no memorial at national level encompassing the sacrifices made by India's soldiers since 1947. The only one was British built India gate which was completed in 1931 to commemorate world war one and third Anglo-Afghan War. January 1972 India added the Amar Jawan Jyoti after the 1971 India Pakistan war as a tribute to personnel killed in the action. PM called on countrymen to visit the place in a manner as going to a pilgrimage. He said, "I do believe that for our countrymen a visit to the National War Memorial will be akin to a pilgrimage to a holy place. This place stands testimony to a series of sacrifices of men who laid down their lives for the sake of their country, so that we could live so that the country could be safe & secure, paving the way for development." The demand for a national memorial has been 6 decades old but got the cabinet approval in October 2015 under the Modi government. The construction for the memorial which is situated in India Gate circle in Delhi started in February 2018. Built at the cost of Rs 176 crore it spans 40 acres and has been built by combining 2 lawns at the India Gate circle. Structure The national war memorial consists of four concentric circles which depict the journey of a soldier from coming into being, culminating in his martyrdom. At the centre of the circles is an obelisk where the eternal flame is present. The first circle is the Amar Chakra around the obelisk, the second is Veerta chakra which depicts courage and bravery of the Indian soldiers. It is followed by Tyag Chakara which stands for the sacrifice of soldiers and last is Rakshak Chakra which depicts the spirit of security. The complex is partly subterranean since according to rules the architecture should be such that it should not disturb nearby vistas. It is interesting to know that 22 trees were removed to develop the area for which 715 trees were planted. A Param Vir Yodha Sthal is located near which have busts of 21 war heroes who got Param Vir Chakra. Brick with name! 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. An app will be available once its dedicated to the nation by which 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. Daily retreat ceremony The memorial will also have a retreat ceremony daily, which is expected to become a major attraction. Change of guard will take place every Sunday at 9.50 am with a ceremonial wreath laying to commemorate the important days. Though it will be open daily, there are timing, 9 am to 7.30 pm in summers while 9 am to 6.30 pm in winters.

India to get its first national war memorial; PM Narendra Modi calls it a 'place of pilgrimage'

After witnessing unprecedented protests over the entry of women of menstruating age, the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala was closed Sunday marking the culmination of the over two-month-long stormy annual pilgrimage season.

As the temple closed, the opposition BJP ended its 49-day-long relay hunger strike staged in front of the Secretariat, the administrative hub in Thiruvananthapuram, demanding the lifting of prohibitory orders and restrictions at Sabarimala, which the LDF government rejected.

While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Sunday lashed out at the Sangh Parivar and said their Sabarimala stir was a "complete failure", BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai claimed the agitations were aimed at protecting the traditional faith of devotees and it had won in garnering mass support.

The Sabarimala Karma Samithi, the rightwing forum which spearheaded the agitations against the entry of young women into the shrine, is all set to organise a mass gathering of devotees, spiritual and cultural leaders in the state capital this evening.

The sanctum sanctorum of the hill temple was closed at 6.15 am after darshan by P Raghava Varma Raja, representative of the erstwhile Pandalam royal family, attached to the centuries-old shrine.

After the customary 'bhasmabhishekam', the portals of the shrine were closed with the singing of 'Harivarasanam'.

With this, the tumultuous 67-day long annual pilgrimage season at Sabarimala concluded and the Lord Ayyappa temple would be reopened on February 13 for the monthly poojas in the Malayalam month, Kumbham, sources said.

The annual pilgrimage season this time witnessed widespread protests from frenzied devotees and rightwing groups over the CPI(M)-led LDF government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the hilltop shrine.

The decision of the state government was described as a "shameful act" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he attended a BJP convention at Kollam in southern Kerala.

Traditionally, women of menstruating age or in the age group of 10 to 50 years were not allowed to enter the temple as the deity, Lord Ayyappa, was in the form of "Naishtika brahmachari" (perennial celibate).

The temple witnessed the first round of protests during the monthly 'Thulamasa' pooja when it was opened for five days in October.

Several mediapersons and women devotees of traditionally accepted age were injured in the protests which were spearheaded by the BJP-RSS led groups.

Later, when the temple was opened for the annual pilgrimage season on November 17, the situation at Sannidhanam (temple complex), which is around 3.5 kilometres uphill from Pamba, was calm but the state witnessed frenzied protests from the right-wing groups under the aegis of "Sabarimala Karma Samiti."

During the melee, BJP leaders K Surendran, K P Sasikala attempted to visit the shrine defying the prohibitory orders but were arrested.

The Sabarimala Karma Samiti held an event 'Ayyappa Jyothi' (lighting of sacred lamp) on December 26, to protest against the government's decision, which the LDF government countered by organising a 620-km-long "women's wall" across the state.

During the season, over two dozen women devotees, of whom some were branded as activists, unsuccessfully attempted to trek the hill.

However, on January 2, two women of the traditionally barred age group--Kanakadurga (44) and Bindhu (42)-- trekked the hill and offered prayers at the shrine without facing any troubles from the devotees.

This led to widespread violence across the state and the Samiti, with the support of BJP, called for a hartal on January 3.

The state witnessed unprecedented violence during the hartal with houses of both CPI(M) and BJP leaders being attacked.

The hartal, which was the seventh one declared in the state in two months time, also led to some serious decisions being taken by the business community.

The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti, the apex body of traders in the state, and various other organisations including travel and tourism industry, attempted to thwart the January 3 hartal call unsuccessfully.

A Samiti activist died in stone-pelting during the protest march at Pandalam, a place associated with Sabarimala, and a couple of CPI(M) activists were arrested in this regard.

Later, a Sri Lankan woman also visited the shrine, which was confirmed by the chief minister.

The BJP protest in front of the Secretariat in the state capital lost steam after the party failed to field known leaders for the 'fast'. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The government filed an affidavit in the apex court saying 51 young women had entered the temple during the season. However, it came to light that most of the names in the list were either above the traditionally barred age group or were not women.

All the major political parties in the state including the CPI(M), Congress and the BJP have indicated that they will try to cash in on the Sabarimala related developments in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

Addressing a workshop in the state capital Sunday, the CM said the Sabarimala stir was led by the "advocates of casteism".

"Devotees are well aware of the developments. Some had tried to make the devotees believe that the state government was against them. But this government is not against devotees," he said.

Lashing out at the Sangh Parivar, he alleged the right wing forces were trying to 'sabotage' the progressive achievements of the state.

Pandalam royal family member, Sashikumar Varma said they were ready for any talks with the government to settle the issue amicably.

After witnessing unprecedented protests over the entry of women of menstruating age, the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala was closed Sunday marking the culmination of the over two-month-long stormy annual pilgrimage season.

After witnessing unprecedented protests over the entry of women of menstruating age, the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala was closed Sunday marking the culmination of the over two-month-long stormy annual pilgrimage season. As the temple closed, the opposition BJP ended its 49-day-long relay hunger strike staged in front of the Secretariat, the administrative hub in Thiruvananthapuram, demanding the lifting of prohibitory orders and restrictions at Sabarimala, which the LDF government rejected. While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Sunday lashed out at the Sangh Parivar and said their Sabarimala stir was a "complete failure", BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai claimed the agitations were aimed at protecting the traditional faith of devotees and it had won in garnering mass support. The Sabarimala Karma Samithi, the rightwing forum which spearheaded the agitations against the entry of young women into the shrine, is all set to organise a mass gathering of devotees, spiritual and cultural leaders in the state capital this evening. The sanctum sanctorum of the hill temple was closed at 6.15 am after darshan by P Raghava Varma Raja, representative of the erstwhile Pandalam royal family, attached to the centuries-old shrine. After the customary 'bhasmabhishekam', the portals of the shrine were closed with the singing of 'Harivarasanam'. With this, the tumultuous 67-day long annual pilgrimage season at Sabarimala concluded and the Lord Ayyappa temple would be reopened on February 13 for the monthly poojas in the Malayalam month, Kumbham, sources said. The annual pilgrimage season this time witnessed widespread protests from frenzied devotees and rightwing groups over the CPI(M)-led LDF government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the hilltop shrine. The decision of the state government was described as a "shameful act" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he attended a BJP convention at Kollam in southern Kerala. Traditionally, women of menstruating age or in the age group of 10 to 50 years were not allowed to enter the temple as the deity, Lord Ayyappa, was in the form of "Naishtika brahmachari" (perennial celibate). The temple witnessed the first round of protests during the monthly 'Thulamasa' pooja when it was opened for five days in October. Several mediapersons and women devotees of traditionally accepted age were injured in the protests which were spearheaded by the BJP-RSS led groups. Later, when the temple was opened for the annual pilgrimage season on November 17, the situation at Sannidhanam (temple complex), which is around 3.5 kilometres uphill from Pamba, was calm but the state witnessed frenzied protests from the right-wing groups under the aegis of "Sabarimala Karma Samiti." During the melee, BJP leaders K Surendran, K P Sasikala attempted to visit the shrine defying the prohibitory orders but were arrested. The Sabarimala Karma Samiti held an event 'Ayyappa Jyothi' (lighting of sacred lamp) on December 26, to protest against the government's decision, which the LDF government countered by organising a 620-km-long "women's wall" across the state. During the season, over two dozen women devotees, of whom some were branded as activists, unsuccessfully attempted to trek the hill. However, on January 2, two women of the traditionally barred age group--Kanakadurga (44) and Bindhu (42)-- trekked the hill and offered prayers at the shrine without facing any troubles from the devotees. This led to widespread violence across the state and the Samiti, with the support of BJP, called for a hartal on January 3. The state witnessed unprecedented violence during the hartal with houses of both CPI(M) and BJP leaders being attacked. The hartal, which was the seventh one declared in the state in two months time, also led to some serious decisions being taken by the business community. The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti, the apex body of traders in the state, and various other organisations including travel and tourism industry, attempted to thwart the January 3 hartal call unsuccessfully. A Samiti activist died in stone-pelting during the protest march at Pandalam, a place associated with Sabarimala, and a couple of CPI(M) activists were arrested in this regard. Later, a Sri Lankan woman also visited the shrine, which was confirmed by the chief minister. The BJP protest in front of the Secretariat in the state capital lost steam after the party failed to field known leaders for the 'fast'. The government filed an affidavit in the apex court saying 51 young women had entered the temple during the season. However, it came to light that most of the names in the list were either above the traditionally barred age group or were not women. All the major political parties in the state including the CPI(M), Congress and the BJP have indicated that they will try to cash in on the Sabarimala related developments in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. Addressing a workshop in the state capital Sunday, the CM said the Sabarimala stir was led by the "advocates of casteism". "Devotees are well aware of the developments. Some had tried to make the devotees believe that the state government was against them. But this government is not against devotees," he said. Lashing out at the Sangh Parivar, he alleged the right wing forces were trying to 'sabotage' the progressive achievements of the state. Pandalam royal family member, Sashikumar Varma said they were ready for any talks with the government to settle the issue amicably.

Sabarimala temple closes after annual pilgrimage season; political war continues

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that he intends to go on a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet after the Karnataka elections.&nbsp

The Gandhi's pilgrimage announcement comes days after a mid-air scare while flying to poll-bound Karnataka.

He recalled that while on board a plane bound for Karnataka, the aircraft nosedived and the thought of visiting the abode of Lord Shiva flashed through his mind.

"I want to take your (workers`) permission. Two-three days back, we were going to Karnataka. Suddenly, our aircraft took a nosedive -- it went down about 8,000 feet.&nbsp

"I was in the aircraft... I thought it was the end. Then, a second thought came to my mind -- I want to visit Kailash.

"I want to go to Kailash Mansarovar. So, I would seek 10-15 days of leave from you after the Karnataka elections so that I can go there and come back," he added.

The Congress had complained to the Karnataka Police on Thursday that the aircraft carrying Rahul Gandhi from Delhi to Hubli earlier in the day suffered "unexplained technical snags" mid-air.

The Gandhi's pilgrimage announcement comes days after a mid-air scare while flying to poll-bound Karnataka.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that he intends to go on a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet after the Karnataka elections. The Gandhi's pilgrimage announcement comes days after a mid-air scare while flying to poll-bound Karnataka. He recalled that while on board a plane bound for Karnataka, the aircraft nosedived and the thought of visiting the abode of Lord Shiva flashed through his mind. "I want to take your (workers`) permission. Two-three days back, we were going to Karnataka. Suddenly, our aircraft took a nosedive -- it went down about 8,000 feet. "I was in the aircraft... I thought it was the end. Then, a second thought came to my mind -- I want to visit Kailash. "I want to go to Kailash Mansarovar. So, I would seek 10-15 days of leave from you after the Karnataka elections so that I can go there and come back," he added. The Congress had complained to the Karnataka Police on Thursday that the aircraft carrying Rahul Gandhi from Delhi to Hubli earlier in the day suffered "unexplained technical snags" mid-air.

Rahul Gandhi to visit Kailash Mansarovar after Karnataka polls

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