…the sacrifices made by doughty soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces, the Punjab State War Memorial was erected. Tribune correspondent Ajay Joshi and lensman Malkiat Singh freshen up the times that have withered away.

Standing opposite to the Shaheed Bhagat Singh bus terminal, Jalandhar, the ‘Punjab State War Memorial’ is a delight for eyes. Spanning nearly 1.4 acres, the memorial is a window into the history of wars fought by the bravehearts of the Indian Armed Forces. Names of nearly 150 martyred soldiers along with their awards have been chiseled on a 50-ft central obelisk. Constructed at a cost of Rs13 lakh, the memorial was inaugurated and dedicated to people of Punjab by Darbara Singh, then CM of Punjab, on April 4, 1981. The task for the construction was entrusted upon the Improvement Trust, Jalandhar, and its design was conceived by an eminent Amritsar-based architect Amarjit Singh.

The central column was reportedly manufactured with white marble, red sandstone on hexagonal platforms, and interestingly, the soil has been collected from all villages of the district. On sides of these hexagonal raised platforms, the names of gallantry award winners since 1947 have been engraved on a black granite stone. The monument stands independently as a symbol of sacrifice and pride.

The project of the memorial was conceived not only as a monument to commemorate our martyrs but also to facilitate intellectual pursuit. It is maintained by District Sainik Welfare Board. Deputy director Sainik Welfare, Colonel (retd) Dalwinder Singh, said: “It was functional since 1989 and every year ‘Armed Forces Flag Day’ was observed on December 7 to pay homage to the martyrs.”

Hall of fame

It was inaugurated by then Governor of Punjab, Virendra Yadav, on the occasion of the silver jubilee of Indo-Pak War 1965, on October 12, 1990. Built in the memory of all those who laid down their lives in various operations since August 15, 1947, ‘hall of fame’ remembers the martyrs and displays them on wooden walls. Charting battle history from the bygone era, various momentos, guns and artilleries can be seen here. The details of war casualties in alphabetical order was obtained and authenticated from the records available at the historical section of the Army HQ.

War library

Small yet weighty, it is the most significant area of the Punjab State War Memorial. Apart from housing illustrations of several soldiers who sacrificed their lives in various wars and anti-militancy operations, the library has over hundreds of books. A sneak-peak into the major wars, the shelved books will take you back to the time when the Indian Armed Forces were originated, Sikh army and road to freedom, formation of political parties and so on. The delight of vegetarian cooking, flames of chinar, pilllars of modern India converted Kashmir are some of the most valuable books there.

Kargil gallery

It was inaugurated by GOC-IN-C Western Command and ex-Risaldar Harbir Singh on December 7, 2003. It has a large frame consisting portraits of 27 battle casualties of Kargil and other recent operations. Besides, a separate wooden frame has been dedicated to Major GS Badalia of second Mahar, who sacrificed his life in the ‘Operation Orchid’. Worn out Rajashtani sandstone, where the names of war-decorated soldiers killed in action were inscribed, was replaced by black granite stone slabs during 1990.

Amar jawan jyoti

Placed at the central monument, it’s the area where tributes are paid to the martyrs by lighting lamps and candles.