AMAR JAWAN JYOTI AND NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL

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Context

Government has asserted that Amar Jawan Jyoti has been merged with the flame at “National War Memorial” in the vicinity.

The merger

The Amar Jawan Jyoti was merged with the National War memorial, because it did not have the names of the martyrs.
At India Gate, only those names have been inscribed who fought for the British in World War-I and Anglo-Afghan War. Thus, it was a symbol of colonial past.

Amar Jawan Jyoti

About: The eternal flame at the Amar Jawan Jyoti underneath India Gate in central Delhi was an iconic symbol of the nation’s tributes to the soldiers who have died for the country in various wars and conflicts since Independence.
Establishment: Established in 1972, it was to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
Regime: The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated it on Republic Day 1972, after India defeated Pakistan in December 1971.

Key elements of Amar Jawan Jyoti

The key elements of the Amar Jawan Jyoti included a black marble plinth, a cenotaph, which acted as a tomb of the unknown soldier.
The plinth had an inverted L1A1 self-loading rifle with a bayonet, on top of which was a soldier’s war helmet.
The installation had four urns on it, with four burners.
On normal days one of the four burners were kept alive, but on important days like the Republic Day, all four burners were lit. These burners were what is called the eternal flame, and it was never allowed to be extinguished.

National War Memorial

The National War Memorial, which is around 400 meters from India Gate was inaugurated in February 2019.
It was built to commemorate all the soldiers who have laid down their lives in the various battles, wars, operations and conflicts of Independent India.
Note: There are many independent memorials for such soldiers, but no memorial existed commemorating them all at the national level.

Architecture

Raksha Chakra: Raksha Chakra or the Circle of Protection is marked by a row of trees, each of which represent soldiers, who protect the country.
Tyag Chakra: The Tyag Chakra, the Circle of Sacrifice, has circular concentric walls of honour based on the Chakravyuh. The walls have independent granite tablets for each of the soldiers who have died for the country since Independence
Veerta Chakra: Veerta Chakra, the Circle of Bravery, has a covered gallery with six bronze crafted murals depicting the battles and actions of our Armed Forces.
Amar Chakra: Amar Chakra, the Circle of Immortality, has an obelisk, and the Eternal Flame. The flame from the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate was merged with this flame. The flame is a symbol of the immortality of the spirit of the fallen soldiers, and a mark that the country will not forget their sacrifice.

of soldiers: As of today, there are 26,466 names of such soldiers on these granite tablets etched in golden letters. A tablet is added every time a soldier is killed in the line of duty.